Over 15 years, Asha's Refuge, a Memphis-based 501(c)3, has provided an all-encompassing range of services to displaced refugees and asylees forced from their homes due to war, natural disaster, and persecution, all inspired by the love of Jesus. In an effort to lead her family out of the dangers of the Somali Civil War, Asha followed a group of neighbors headed to an Ethiopian refugee camp for saf
ety. They all boarded a truck. On the way to the camp, the truck had an accident and flipped over. Asha’s girls and brother flew out of the truck but were okay. Asha, on the other hand, was not. Her legs were pinned underneath the vehicle. Once her legs were freed her family somehow made its way to the refugee camp in Ethiopia. There were no doctors or a hospital available to help repair the damage done to her legs and Asha never regained the use of her legs. Her twisted legs seemed to stop growing and atrophy set in. Asha managed mothering her brother and nieces at the refugee camp for ten years while crawling around on her hands and knees. At age 23, Asha’s family finally got their opportunity to start a new life in America. I met Asha, a young refugee mother, shortly after her arrival in Memphis, TN. I was shocked to learn more about her story and situation. At that time, she had no wheelchair to get around and no easy way to get in and out of the shower or to reach the countertops or stove top in her kitchen to cook meals for her family. She could not transport herself to the grocery store or doctors appointments. She did not speak English and had no American life skills. She was unable to even write her own name. But I was humbled that Asha had survived such challenging circumstances to make it with her family alive to Memphis, TN, and that she was so eager for my help. She is such an inspiration to me and is also my friend. Through my volunteer work at the resettlement agency and friendship with Asha, I learned of many other refugees in Memphis also living in disadvantaged and vulnerable situations. Inspired by Christ and Asha’s story, my husband, my friend Deborah and I started Asha’s Refuge. My heart is daily learning to beat love and hope and wants to help disadvantaged refugees in my city successfully resettle. With over 200 refugees resettling in Memphis each year, this task is huge. We desperately need support and the help from the community. Asha’s Refuge is a new non-profit organization! We hope that our website will keep everyone updated with our progress in helping the most vulnerable refugees in the Memphis area. Check out the “About Us” page by clicking on our menu bar to learn more about us and what we are doing. Also, we might suggest that you go back and read our archived posts (found at the bottom of this page) to catch yourself up and get a better idea of what we are all about. The earlier posts have a lot of information and insight. As we update the site, we will provide information about our current activities and some stories we feel may help you better understand the struggle many refugees have to resettle successfully in our city. This information can be found on our blog (click “Blog” on the top of this page). Please note, that pictures and the exact names of our refugee friends have not been disclosed to the public for their privacy and protection. Perhaps you have an idea or a tug in your heart to help. Please pray about that and if the Lord leads you to, send me an email at [email protected] to let me know you’re interested in helping to provide encouragement and hope to a refugee. Thank you in advance for your prayers and for stopping in to visit our site.
