Amina found strength and shelter

Amina has lived in the United States for ten years since leaving Eritrea, her home country. She worked in the fishing industry in Alaska, where she met the father of her daughter. He left while Amina was pregnant. “There was no one who came to the hospital with me when she was born.” Katie was delivered by C-section, which made it difficult for Amina to return to work.

Trying to support Katie as a single mother, Amina found jobs–in a grocery store bakery, at a day care–while always hoping to make enough money to keep them both under a roof in a hotel. The cold and lack of opportunities drove Amina to try for a fresh start in Seattle. She and Katie, now four years old, moved in January 2013. Here, they have been staying in Mary’s Place Emergency Family Shelter.

Through it all, one of the hardest things has been living without the support of a community. “This isn’t the way it is in my country,” Amina says. “It’s really hard when you don’t have anyone.” She has found a friend in another mother at the shelter who is also from Eritrea, and helps the entire community by translating in Spanish, Arabic, Tagalog, Amharic, Tigrinya, Tigre, and Blin.

Still, she struggles with not knowing what’s coming next. “Every day, my daughter asks me what’s happening, what are we doing. I have to find things to tell her and ways to be strong for her.”

Thank you all for helping Amina be strong for Katie. Their lives are still very uncertain, so they aren’t ready to have pictures of their faces published, but they wanted you to see life “in their shoes” and let you know how much you’ve helped.