"I have lost all my dignity. I do not feel like I am a human being. I have lost my home, my job, my family and my country, which I always loved."
I use the name Milo – I am a gay man from Uganda and cannot use my real name because I fear for my life. Last year, President Museveni signed a Bill into law that could have placed me in prison for life. It was terrifying. Many of us were outed in the Ugandan press and we were targeted by family, friends, landlords, school principals, employers and community.
My life changed dramatically when my family found out I am gay and then one day my brothers beat me so badly I had to run for my life. I was sure they would find me and kill me. So I fled to Kenya where I am a refugee with UNHCR.
I have lost all my dignity. I do not feel like I am a human being. I have lost my home, my job, my family and my country, which I always loved.
It is not safe for gays and lesbians and trans people in the refugee camp as the other refugees call us "Satan" and want to beat us. So I had to find a place to stay. I was given a small amount of money each month by an organization to survive. I could pay small rent to live in a slum area and I could eat food once a day.
I did not have a bed to sleep on no blanket and no pot to cook in. I joined with other refugees and now we are four together sharing our small money, but we still cannot pay the rent this month because the organization that helped us before is no longer giving us any monthly money.
So we are told we have one day to pay or go to the street.
It will be a long time before my next appointment with UNHCR and I do not even know where they will send me or if I will be lucky enough to be resettled.
I am told that it could take even more than another year. If I go back to Uganda I am sure I will be killed. If I stay how will I survive this nightmare? I am not sure how I can hold this life in place. I may not have a place to sleep even from tomorrow. I am so urgently in need of your help.
Now my only hope is African Human Rights Coalition. If they can raise enough money they will provide us with money for rent and food. And we will have the security we need to survive each month until our fate is decided by UNHCR.
African Human Rights Coalition has over 50 refugees asking for help and with stories similar to my story.
With your help we can find safe places to stay and eat 2 meals a day.
So I am asking LGBT people and friends for help. We need to raise $1,050 per person to provide food, rent and utilities for the next 6 months while UNHCR continues to process our claims. The more AHRC raises, the more people can be helped. Please chip in now. Our situation is urgent and critical.
With my prayer for a better day and I thank you - Milo.
Here is the Campaign which is not tax deductible - of this campaign all the money goes to refugees except 13.5% which goes to Indiegogo and paypal. DONATE You can also DONATE HERE to the orgnaization AHRC which is tax deductible.