Meet our newest bond recipient: Yafeu

Today we share with you one more story of the recipients from our Families Reunidas Bond Program, Yafeu. He is a fairly young man, however he walks with a walker as the result of a viscous attack that forced him to flee his home country. He is an openly gay asylum-seeker from Africa, who had a life partner who he loved very much, and that life partner was tragically beat to death in front of him in the same attack that left him disabled.
Our country’s unjust policies kept this disabled asylum-seeker, who is currently in need of surgery for his injuries, incarcerated in Otay Detention Center for four and a half months. It is a known fact that the LGBTQ+ community faces additional persecution inside detention, from both the guards and the people they are detained with.Thankfully this man found a friend inside detention, who provided much needed support and whom we also freed from detention (more on him on our next post!). We know we cannot make up for all that he has lost in Ghana, and everything he has been subject to in the United States. His freedom, humanity, and small moments of happiness are what we CAN provide for him.
His story, although difficult for us to share and listen to, is incredibly inspirational. Yafeu wanted his story to be shared, and we are in awe of his bravery and resilience. It is a continuous honor to work with Minority Humanitarian Foundation, and together we will continue to share the journey of all of the amazing individuals we have been able to help. We have to continue to raise our voices, we have to keep being proactive against the persecution of black and brown folks in America, for Yafeu, for all of us!
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 in this country. Yafeu 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. Again, we thank you for your support and ask you to continue to help us make sure our folks are #FreeAndAlive.
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