Asylum Access

A Refugee's Testimony: "Sara"

Languages: Lughisu, Luganda, Swahili, English
Activities in Uganda: District Youth Councillor Mbale District (represented youth to local council); Administrator at District Law Council, assistant to a Member of Parliament
Activities in RSA: Community Worker, Planned Parenthood Association of South Africa, Trainee in Sexual and Reproductive Health, HIV/AIDS support group, inc. food parcels, medication, counselling; referral
SAFER Specialty: HIV/AIDS

Sara is a young woman from Uganda who fled her country and left her family due to her fear of forced female circumcision. She grew up in a rural area within Uganda in which this practice is common, and her parents both died when she was very young. In Uganda, Sara worked as a district youth counselor, an administrator at the district law council, and an assistant to a member of Parliament. She states that, while in Uganda, she was constantly aware of the pervasive inferior treatment of women, which she said was most apparent in the cultural acceptance of female circumcision within her clan.

Sara describes her journey to South Africa as very difficult, saying she spent several nights in a forest surrounded by wild animals and travelled in a small boat. Once in South Africa, she was interviewed and given her Section 22 Asylum Seeker permit by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA). Sara was subsequently granted Refugee Status by the DHA based on her fear of persecution if she returned to Uganda.

Sara currently works in South Africa as a community health worker, and she is affiliated with the Planned Parenthood Association of South Africa (PPSA). At PPSA, she helps with trainings on sexual and reproductive health and assists in running an HIV/AIDS support group. Her life in South Africa, however, has also been quite difficult. She has been robbed and threatened at knife point, and has faced discrimination as a refugee. In terms of the future, Sara dreams of returning to Uganda to campaign against female circumcision and to empower women and advocate for gender equality.