Anzara Ausaf

<div>Hi, my name is Siam, and I am creating this GoFundMe for one of the most resilient and kindest people I know - <strong>Anzara Ausaf</strong>, my dearest friend who is now facing an unforgiving crisis - and with no solution in sight, I am here asking for your help.
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<div>Born in Bangladesh, a poverty-stricken country, Anzara gave it her all to get a chance to come to America to study as an international student, full of hope and determination, and a drive to lift herself up to a place both she and her parents could be proud of. This summer, she graduated with a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from San Francisco State University and was eagerly looking forward to her master's degree for a chance to work in the field of biotech research.
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<div>But now, she's suddenly facing a forced debt of over $18,000 brought over by her housemates; a debt that is now threatening her housing, continuation of her studies, legal status, and her future.
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<div><strong>Here's what happened:</strong>
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<div>Anzara joined a house with 2 others (both international students) near campus, one of whom was the main lessee, who handled the paying of rent, communication paperwork etc. After 2.5 years of living together and never missing her portion of rent, last month, she noticed a letter addressed to the master lessee from Parkmerced  (landlord company) left under the door, calling for an immediate requirement for payment, or face eviction plus a legal case brought upon for the debt owed, which turned out to be over $20,000.
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<div>Upon confronting her roommates, she was told that they had major financial hardship, so they only paid the utility bills for 6 months +, but the rent debt would be settled soon from a newly found job.  Being the trusting person Anzara is, she took their word for it, while simultaneously looking for a way to manage the debt. Last month, she paid all she had saved so far towards her master's program to cover everyone's rent/utilities for the month, which brought it down to about $18,000. Last week, her roommates confessed that they were unable to pay her or the rent at all, and in fact, were going back to their home country. One of them has already packed up and left with one day's notice, and the other one will leave anytime and asked her to do the same.
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<div>Normally, under the contract, all 3 are responsible for the money as one entity, but given the fact they've abandoned the situation completely and left/leaving America, all burden now falls on Anzara since she's had no plans of abandoning her studies and her future this way. If she leaves, she'll never be able to come back either. Upon discussing it with some counselors, she's been told that a legal case from the landlord, given the current political climate, would drastically impact her chances of getting another housing, continuing her studies, and more importantly, most likely ends with deportation.
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<div>For Anzara, under OPT (as international student), job selection is very, very limited, and she has no access to the majority of jobs around.
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<div>She worked a campus job during bachelors to cover her expenses, which ended with graduation. Currently, she's volunteering at a research lab at the university to maintain her visa status till she goes into Masters. But now she's desperately looking for a paying job, forced to abandon the thought of further studies due to the debt. However, the job climate mixed with the political climate now is abysmal as we all know, and it usually takes months to recruit, especially for non-citizens.
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<div><strong>She's running out of time, and that is her biggest enemy.</strong>
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<div>With every passing month, the debt increases, and vacating to new housing is impossible due to the attached debt. So she's stuck with no way to pay for her stay, PLUS the abandoned debt that is now solely under her name. 
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<div>I have not seen her this devastated in the years I've known her. She has no family here, and while she hasn't given up hope, with each passing day, the idea of her being unhoused and eventually being kicked out of her studies and the country is a creeping thought that is slowly eating her alive, and it's heartbreaking to see a constant anxiety on her face everyday. After 3 years of running a non-profit org (Paperboat) in Bangladesh for the impoverished youth in Dhaka, she's the one needing help right now, with barely enough money left to eat. So I am here asking the bigger community to save my friend's future from being completely crushed under someone else's debt.
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<div><strong>Anything, truly any amount at all, will help!</strong> I hope you find it in your heart to aid her in lending her some time so that she can claw out of this crippling situtation and focus on her future.
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<div>Thank you all for having, or considering donating!!!
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Anzara Ausaf

Anzara Ausaf

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