I've raised £500 to support Jamilya's women's refuge in Karakol, Kyrgyzstan
Organised by Catherine and Hannah
Story
Having witnessed the consequences of domestic violence first hand - growing up in a home where she and her mother were subjected to abuse at the hands of her father - Jamilya became determined to help women going through the same thing.
We interviewed Jamilya as part of our documentary 'Women Behind the Wheel' You can watch the interview at this link.
Jamilya has dedicated her life to supporting victims of domestic violence and gender-based violence in her rural town of Karakol, Kyrgyzstan. Earlier this year Jamilya was part of a group of people that set up a refuge for women and families escaping abusive relationships.
She currently has three women and six children living in the shelter.
In order to be able to keep the shelter open, Jamilya needs to raise funds for food, maintenance, heating, security and hygiene facilities, and we are trying to help her do this. As well as a home, Jamilya is using the refuge as a space for women to learn new skills – recently running sewing workshops for local women for free.
The women who now call the refuge home have experienced unimaginable cruelty often at a very young age. Domestic violence in Kyrgyzstan has been on the rise for the past few years - more than 100 Kyrgyz women were killed by their husbands in the past seven years, 21 of them in 2020 alone. Thousands of cases of abuse and physical violence go unreported, with women fearing societal pressures and economic implications if they leave their husbands. Others don’t believe police or the courts would help them resolve their problem
One of the women living in Jamilya’s shelter shared her story below. Please be aware this story contains references to rape and sexual abuse.
I first was raped when I was just 11 years old. My stepfather would get my mother so drunk that she'd pass out and then would come to my room. I was afraid to tell anyone.
When they divorced I was fourteen, I told my grandmother but she didn't believe me. At the age of fifteen I was sent off to my relatives in Russia to help with work. I was raped and beaten occasionally there too.
When my mother died I ended up returning and marrying the man my uncles chose, the man who would beat me and choke me. He would physically and sexually abuse me even when I was pregnant. After I gave birth he would slap and spank the infant for crying, I was to blame for everything. My son is two now and I thought he couldn't speak.
I was able to escape in January with my son, since then we have been at the shelter, we have finally found peace and comfort. My son started speaking sentences to my surprise. He is finally smiling and laughing. I am just now realizing what kind of life I was living and I don't want to go back, I am only 22 and can have a different life. I never finished school, I am attending sewing classes, in the future I want to work at a factory or sewing at home. I don't want my son to remember all the terrible things his father did to me in front of his eyes. I am very grateful that there are places like this in the village where we can find safety and peace.
If you are able to, please donate to support Jamilya’s ongoing work to provide shelter and protection to the women in her local area.
