“People are so generous! »
Aïcha*, a 21-year-old homeless asylum seeker about to give birth, is blown away by the wave of support she has received since her story was published in The Press Thursday.
Dozens of readers have generously offered her a room, accommodation or even equipment for her unborn baby.
As of next week, the young woman will meet a Montreal family who offered her a small furnished apartment located in a central district, near a metro station.
The accommodation is adjacent to that of the family with young children, so that Aïcha will feel less alone in this city where she does not know anyone.
She and her baby will also have access to a five-year follow-up at the Blue House, a social perinatal center located not far away.
The culmination of a long journey
Of Cameroonian origin, Aïcha fled a violent spouse with whom she lived in Chile. This man starved her and threw her into the street after learning she was pregnant. At the risk of her life, the young woman then undertook a long and dangerous journey across America to seek asylum in Canada.1.
Overwhelmed by the influx of migrants, the Quebec government’s Regional Program for the Reception and Integration of Asylum Seekers (PRAIDA) only accommodated her for about a month. As soon as she received her first welfare check, she was forced to leave, despite the fact that she was eight months pregnant.
The community, also overwhelmed, had no place to offer him to stay. Only the Alternative Birth organization helped her by offering a birth support service. But unable to remain insensitive to his distress, two of his workers took many steps to find him a roof.
This is how she found herself in a small student accommodation where she could not stay after giving birth, for lack of anything better.
The situation caused him a great deal of anguish.
I’ll be fine now, without the stress of not knowing where I’m going to go with my daughter when I get out of the hospital.
Aisha
After giving birth, she will have to find a lawyer specializing in immigration to begin the process of regularizing her status. Her dream is to work in healthcare.
But for now, she must regain her strength by the birth of her daughter, scheduled for February 12. “My trip has exhausted me. And she moves so much! “, she underlines, stroking her plump belly.
An “impressive” solidarity movement
After the report was published in The Press, the community organization Alternative Birth received dozens of calls and emails offering various support. In order to simplify the collection of donations for Aïcha, two speakers had the idea of creating a crowdfunding campaign.
“The spontaneous solidarity movement is impressive, says its coordinator Emmanuelle Quiviger. Especially since many have offered to help other women in this situation, aware that Aïcha is not alone in experiencing pregnancy in such a precarious context. »
*Aïcha is a fictional first name, but her story is not. The asylum seeker requested anonymity because she fears for her safety due to the domestic violence she suffered.