Money can be sent via me - email me on [email protected] for address.
So far, we've got Janipher clothes, a suitcase to put them in, clothes for the kids, toiletries, sanitary pads, breastpads, a bag and purse and toys for the kids.
Clothing we got from Bedford charities, we bought new for suitcase, hand bag and a purse - and soft shoes (they get plastic flip flops given them) as we wanted her to feel good about having some nice things. People have also donated money for her to buy a mobile phone from Yarl's Wood and to give her phone credits. I took up toys from my son's toy box - he has so many! We can't buy her proper shoes until we get her out of Yarl's Wood.
It's all fallen out of the sky so far - this happened at very little notice! I'd been trying to set up a support group for pregnant and nursing mothers stuck in the asylum system in the UK, so the name and website etc was half way set up.
But I've been too busy supporting Janipher to do much more. I'll try and get a paypal account set up today.
If anyone is in the Bedford area, and can help - please go to www.nursingmatters.org.uk and let me know where you are.
The problem with form letters - is they are ignored at the other end. All you need do if you have no time, is go to
www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page3.asp
and email Tony Blair a few words. "Please act to prevent Janipher Maseko from being removed from the UK on June 1st. Her children have already been damaged by the UK Government's action - we must heal the injuries upon them before any removal can be considered." or some such.
Different words, from your own heart, make a difference.
Janipher arrived at 14, after being beaten, raped and tortured in Uganda. She was an orphan at the time, and she went to college and studied hard. She learnt English, computing and enrolled in Access to Nursing courses, doing Health and Social Care. She was enrolled in a Nursing Course when the Home Office refused her funding. She was in Social Services supported housing, with both her children, when she was thrown into the streets by Social Services after the Home Office decided she must return (I have no idea how this works - but you'll be sure I'll be finding out now!).
She begged for help for her children and was turned away, only to be then arrested by the police for being homeless and distressed! The police were entitled to keep her for 24 hours, to check her status - but they kept her for 4 days, and then shipped her to Yarl's Wood. After those 24 hours, where she was asessed as safe to return the children too - she should have had them returned. As I understand it, her lawyers will be suing on her behalf - but it will be an empty effort if the Home Office ship her out of the UK before too much fuss is made. They are trying to stop the removal - but they need pressure put on the Government by as many concerned citizens as possible.
The UK Government informed her she was being removed, within a few moments of handing the children back! How sick and cruel is that?
They want her out of the country, before this becomes an international incident.
PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD. You can quote this web page for details:
morgangallagher.livejournal.com/91422.html
Morgan