This is one of the hardest things I've ever had to write.

Before I begin, I'd like to explain why I'm choosing not to share my name or photographs of my family.

The refugee application process we went through has been highly public and, unfortunately, emotions surrounding it have become deeply divided. Because I am the sole provider with a stable job, I have to protect my family's livelihood. We also fear being doxxed or targeted online if our identities become public.

For those reasons, I've chosen to remain anonymous. I hope you'll understand that this decision is about protecting my family, not hiding our story.

My family has always believed in working hard, living within our means, and helping others whenever we could. Asking for financial help is something I never imagined we would have to do.

Yet today, we find ourselves in a position where we need a helping hand.

We are a Christian family with a deep and unwavering faith in God. Throughout this journey, our faith has carried us through moments of uncertainty, disappointment, and hope. We continue to trust that God has a plan for our family, even when we cannot yet see where the road leads.

Over the past year, our family committed ourselves fully to an refugee process that we believed would offer us the opportunity to build a safer and more secure future, fleeing from persecution. The process required us to obtain official documents, attend interviews, travel multiple times, arrange accommodation, complete medical examinations, and meet every requirement that was asked of us.

We made these decisions in good faith. We believed we were investing in our family's future and did everything we could to comply with the process.

Like many families, we paid every expense ourselves.

By the end of our journey, we had spent R31,866 in documented, out-of-pocket costs. These included flights, airport transfers, accommodation, transport, meals while travelling, passports, official certificates, identity documents, and criminal record checks. These were not holidays or luxury expenses—they were necessary costs incurred solely because of the application process.

After many months of waiting and believing we were moving toward a new chapter in our lives, we were informed that our family had been found ineligible to continue in the program. We do not know why and await further communication. We hope that this option for a life in the U.S.A is not permanently closed to us, especially for our son, who has his whole life ahead of him and like us lives in fear.

While we continue to hope that doors may open in the future, we also know that we cannot allow our lives to remain on hold indefinitely.

The financial impact has been significant.

The money we invested represented years of careful saving. Today, those funds could have helped us move our family to a safer community, strengthen our financial security, and provide greater stability for our son. Instead, we are now working to rebuild from where we find ourselves today.

We are not asking anyone to solve our problems or replace everything we have spent.

We are simply asking for a hand up as we rebuild.

Our goal is to raise R35,000. This will help us recover a substantial portion of the documented expenses we incurred, rebuild our emergency savings, and begin taking practical steps toward creating a safer and more stable future for our family.

Asking for help is incredibly humbling.

If you know us personally, you'll know that we've always tried to help others whenever we could. Whether through practical support, encouragement, or simply being there when someone needed us, we've believed that kindness should be shared whenever possible.

Today, we are the ones in need.

If you feel led to support our family, we will receive your generosity with sincere gratitude and careful stewardship. If you are unable to give, we completely understand, and we would be grateful if you would simply keep our family in your prayers or share our story with others.

Our circumstances have changed, but our faith has not.

We still believe that God is faithful.

We still believe that brighter days are ahead.

This fundraiser is not about giving up on our dreams. It is about rebuilding our lives with dignity, restoring the financial stability we worked so hard to achieve, and giving our family the opportunity to move forward with hope once again.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story. May God bless you for your kindness, your prayers, and your generosity.

#MovingForwardInHope