Meet our Newest Bond Recipient: Masud

We are overjoyed to share with you one more story of the recipients from our Families Reunidas Bond Program, Masud. He is a 27-year-old asylum seeker from Cameroon who was in detention for four months. He was finally able to have the comfort of a proper meal, from a delicious African restaurant at that! Despite all of his hardships, Masud is one of the happiest asylum-seekers we have met. He was so excited to finally begin to feel welcomed into this country.

He is on his way to the East Coast to begin his new life, and surround himself with his loving friends and family. Before leaving however, he was reunited with Yafeu! It had only been such a short time since they had seen each other, but both of them being free of detention, their lives had completely changed in such a short period of time. They survived Otay Mesa Detention Center, and then found freedom together. Masud met Yafeu(from our previous post), and began an amazing friendship while in the Otay Mesa Detention Center, and they found incredible strength in one another. We are so touched to hear these two incredible individuals supported and uplifted each other, setting an example to us and everyone on how we should treat each other with kindness. We must all work together and support one another to ensure we end the unjust treatment of immigrants and POC, especially during a global pandemic. Again, we are thankful to work with Minority Humanitarian Foundation, and share this sliver of happiness in such difficult times.

Let this story serve as a reminder of all the mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers and community members waiting in such conditions in detention, simply for seeking a place or a part in this country. Masud represents so many others being subject to racist and inhumane policies, and we must not forget the urgency of getting everyone we can out of the Otay Mesa Detention Center. This pandemic continues to be unforgiving, and we will not allow any more lives lost. Again, we thank you for your support and ask you to continue to help us make sure our folks are #FreeAndAlive.