Somina, a Rohingya refugee, finds her safe space amid displacement

BY BRAC USA

Inside the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, BRAC runs safe spaces for women and girls. These centers are quiet, welcoming, and deeply needed. For many Rohingya women, it’s one of the only places where they feel safe. Displaced women face a higher risk of violence, isolation, and limited access to care.  

Within the colorful walls of these centers, women and girls are welcomed for three-month-long programs focusing on building community, navigating safety, and learning handicraft skills. They meet with caseworkers, counselors, and midwives. And they can always stop in for support. 

This World Refugee Day, stand with Rohingya refugees. Make a gift of any amount, and it will be doubled to reach twice as many women.

“We see lots of cases of intimate partner violence,” says BRAC staff member Saima, pictured above. “That’s everything from rape to denial of resources and physical assault. They come in on their own, or our staff go door-to-door to provide information. The case worker assesses each woman’s situation and determines what they need.” Side note: those staff members also reach out to men and boys in the community to discuss gender-based violence and how to be good allies. 

Meet Somina, a 24-year-old mother of two girls, with a baby on the way. She fled Myanmar eight years ago. This past spring, she came to the women’s center for four hours each day. Somina learned how to sew, tailor, and design clothing—skills she can use to support her growing family. She also attends awareness sessions about safety and women’s rights. 

“It feels safe here, to be surrounded by women. I feel confident, at peace,” Somina told us. “These women are all my friends. I see them sometimes around the camp, during our collections of rations.”

“My girls go to a BRAC school and love to study, even after school,” Somina shared in March. “They always tell me what they learned.” But, last week, their learning center, along with nearly 6,500 others serving over 300,000 children, were devastatingly closed due to funding cuts.

This September, the food rations that Somina mentioned are being cut in half, and cuts in education funding have already closed schools like the one her daughters attend. Somina’s family—and thousands like hers—are in danger of losing critical support. Will you help, {{Recipient.FirstName}}?

In honor of World Refugee Day on June 20th, all gifts up to $70,000 will be matched. That means you can support twice as many women like Somina, and children like her daughters. 

Double your gift for families like Somina’s.

 
Your gift can help protect a woman from violence, help a mother build a safer future for her girls, and help a child fulfill their potential. Thank you for standing with Rohingya refugee families—and for standing up for safety, dignity, and hope.