Generous Community Member Seeks Freedom
Canada
Supporter
Mahad has been living as a refugee in Indonesia since 2014. He is not supported by IOM (International Organization for Migrants) or the UNHCR (UN Refugee organization) and works as a barber. He generously shares his earnings with other community members.
Mahad is from the minority Madhiban tribe in Somalia. Minority Rights Group International (MRG) says that the Madhiban in Somalia “have no political representation, are socially and economically marginalized, and are discriminated against in the workplace.”
Mahad was unable to attend school as a youth. He says, “The teachers and the board did not allow me to register and when I asked why they said ‘you are an inferior clan and cannot share a class with other students.”
Despite this, Mahad has some fond memories of being a child
Mahad’s friendly smile has not changed. (second from left, back row)
As he got older, Mahad experienced futher discrimination. On two occasions, his labour was repaid in violence. When he was 16, he was already working as a barber. When he asked his customer for payment, he was hit instead. On another occasion, after washing a car for a rich customer, he was hit in the head with an iron bar, and bears the scars to this day.
In 2008, when Mahad was just 17 years old, his father and brother were killed in ethnic violence. Mahad says:
“It was early morning when someone told me that my father and older brother were killed by Alshabab. I ran to the place where their bodies were and they had already passed away. I saw many wounds on my father’s face as well as my brother’s. I cried and cried until someone took me from that place to my home.”
In 2014, Mahad fell in love with a young woman, and they wanted to be married. However, she was from a majority clan, and Mahad is from a minority clan and it is forbidden. They agreed to marry secretly, and were married with two of their friends as witnesses. Not having a home of their own, they met three times a week at a friends house.
After one month, Mahad’s wife told him that her family discovered the marriage and her brothers were coming to kill him.
“I was very scared and felt that my life is in danger, I immediately shared the matter with my uncle who was already afraid that I will be killed i because of the racism, and lack of security that killed my father and my older brother”
Mahad’s uncle hid him and collected money to send him out of the country. He has not seen his wife since, and their marriage was annulled.
Mahad fled to Indonesia, believing that he would be able to travel to a safe third country. Unfortunately, he was detained in a country where he is unable to legally work, travel or attend school. At the same time, he does not receive any financial support, so must carry out his work in secret.
He is trapped in an impossible situation.
Mahad has found 5 friends in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada who will help him to come to Canada through the Canadian private sponsorship program. This program was created to help settle the Vietnamese people seeking a new life in the 1980s and currently helps half of refugees find safety and community in Canada. These 5 people will be responsible to help Mahad create a new life for himself in Canada.
A generous private donor from Australia has contributed $8700 to Mahad’s resettlement.
We need $18000 to begin the application process to bring Mahad to Canada.
Will you help Mahad begin a new, safe life in Edmonton? Any donation amount is appreciated and will help Maha reach safety.
*additional funds will be used to help other refugees
Anonymous AU
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$18,000.00
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Campaign Never Ends
Campaign End Method
Product Description
Canada
Supporter
Mahad has been living as a refugee in Indonesia since 2014. He is not supported by IOM (International Organization for Migrants) or the UNHCR (UN Refugee organization) and works as a barber. He generously shares his earnings with other community members.
Mahad is from the minority Madhiban tribe in Somalia. Minority Rights Group International (MRG) says that the Madhiban in Somalia “have no political representation, are socially and economically marginalized, and are discriminated against in the workplace.”
Mahad was unable to attend school as a youth. He says, “The teachers and the board did not allow me to register and when I asked why they said ‘you are an inferior clan and cannot share a class with other students.”
Despite this, Mahad has some fond memories of being a child
Mahad’s friendly smile has not changed. (second from left, back row)
As he got older, Mahad experienced futher discrimination. On two occasions, his labour was repaid in violence. When he was 16, he was already working as a barber. When he asked his customer for payment, he was hit instead. On another occasion, after washing a car for a rich customer, he was hit in the head with an iron bar, and bears the scars to this day.
In 2008, when Mahad was just 17 years old, his father and brother were killed in ethnic violence. Mahad says:
“It was early morning when someone told me that my father and older brother were killed by Alshabab. I ran to the place where their bodies were and they had already passed away. I saw many wounds on my father’s face as well as my brother’s. I cried and cried until someone took me from that place to my home.”
In 2014, Mahad fell in love with a young woman, and they wanted to be married. However, she was from a majority clan, and Mahad is from a minority clan and it is forbidden. They agreed to marry secretly, and were married with two of their friends as witnesses. Not having a home of their own, they met three times a week at a friends house.
After one month, Mahad’s wife told him that her family discovered the marriage and her brothers were coming to kill him.
“I was very scared and felt that my life is in danger, I immediately shared the matter with my uncle who was already afraid that I will be killed i because of the racism, and lack of security that killed my father and my older brother”
Mahad’s uncle hid him and collected money to send him out of the country. He has not seen his wife since, and their marriage was annulled.
Mahad fled to Indonesia, believing that he would be able to travel to a safe third country. Unfortunately, he was detained in a country where he is unable to legally work, travel or attend school. At the same time, he does not receive any financial support, so must carry out his work in secret.
He is trapped in an impossible situation.
Mahad has found 5 friends in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada who will help him to come to Canada through the Canadian private sponsorship program. This program was created to help settle the Vietnamese people seeking a new life in the 1980s and currently helps half of refugees find safety and community in Canada. These 5 people will be responsible to help Mahad create a new life for himself in Canada.
A generous private donor from Australia has contributed $8700 to Mahad’s resettlement.
We need $18000 to begin the application process to bring Mahad to Canada.
Will you help Mahad begin a new, safe life in Edmonton? Any donation amount is appreciated and will help Maha reach safety.
*additional funds will be used to help other refugees
Anonymous AU
| ID | Name | Amount | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1244 | Listing Agent | [email protected] | |
| 1215 | Listing Agent | [email protected] |
