Dear friends and supporters of Friends Ugandan Safe Transport Fund,<\/p>\n
Olympia Monthly Meeting (Quakers) created the \u201cFriends Ugandan Safe Transport Fund\u201d in 2014 to aid LGBTQ Ugandans who are fleeing their homeland for their lives and safety. We were given an opportunity to provide direct assistance and with your support, as of\u00a0 today – 11\/29\/2016 – we have supported Ugandan conductors to help 1,815 individuals to escape from Uganda: 1,801 LGBTQ adults, six straight allies, and eight children.<\/strong><\/p>\n Last week, Conductor #1 wrote:<\/p>\n “I recall D’s statement when we had just started that this work .<\/span> “We are only constrained by lack of adequate funding but the desire to help those persecuted is not about to wane.<\/span> “Gabi, we are doing all we can but can never fully help and bring to an end to this xenophobia. I thought it would be a\u00a0<\/span>one year event and we would be done. I was wrong on that. It’s like we have just started.<\/span><\/p>\n “My mentor D once commented that we are the transport business for a long haul. Truthfully this has come to pass.”<\/span><\/p>\n Then today he wrote:<\/strong><\/p>\n “I have 15 lesbian women in waiting and am likely to get 24 more over the course of the next two weeks making it thirty-nine.”<\/span><\/p>\n And Conductor #2 wrote:<\/strong><\/p>\n “My situation is I am a total volunteer who gave up everything to make sure that what we started with this keeps on going against all odds. I have seen friends and work mates die in the line of duty. I have seen volunteers give up. I have kissed death. I have been ignored and forgotten many times. I have no job or any sort of income. Any risk I take there is no insurance whatsoever. I have some people here but they are as equally poor like me though they have a heart to help.”<\/span><\/p>\n “By Ugandan\u00a0law I am a criminal so I have to fake identity to live another day. It’s not a party here. Every day we live is a gift.”<\/span><\/p>\n If you plan to donate to nonprofits for today’s Giving Tuesday – or if you can make tomorrow\u00a0 Giving Wednesday or any day you can, please<\/u> consider a donation to Friends Ugandan Safe Transport Fund to help us fund the work of these brave amazing Ugandan conductors who are risking everything to save the lives of lesbian, gay,\u00a0bisexual and transgender people in their country.<\/strong><\/p>\n To get the 39 lesbian\u00a0passengers with Conductor #1 out of\u00a0 Uganda, it will cost $185 each, so $7,215.00.<\/p>\n Conductor #2 has more passengers in hiding in their\u00a0care but owes the transporter over $12,000.00 for getting hundreds of LGBT passengers out of Uganda when there were emergency situations and no funds to pay for them. The transporter must be paid back.<\/p>\n One of our Quaker members is owed $1,964 which was for another\u00a0emergency situation. And we owe our Friends Meeting $438.80.<\/p>\n
\nI wish funds could come and most of them are transported as a Christmas season gift.<\/span>
\nI got the 8 lesbian women today and my total now is 15, all women. Likely to get more next week.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nWe are not about to tire on this matter.<\/span>
\nInnocent people are persecuted by ignorant people<\/span><\/p>\n