Two young women - Ubah (20) and Ismahan (18) stranded at the Moscow airport now for six months - from Somalia and living today without hope for their future.
Can you imagine living here on the floor for months and months? We shared with them, prayed with them and left them with some small items. So little for such a plight.
FROM SOMOLIA - THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE HEADING TO CANADA AND FREEDOM FROM THEIR WAR RAVAGED COUNTRY....LITTLE DID THEY UNDERSTAND THE VILE WAYS OF A TRAFFICKER!
This story is not pretty. They are young, were full of hope and are now sitting feeling defeated and hopeless. Six months ago they were boarding a plane from Somolia with a man who promised them passage to Canada where they would find peace and finally hope to have a life.
The hope promised had a cost. There were 23 who were gathered - each having paid the man $3,000 to $4,000 each for this passage. He created papers, bought tickets to start the journey and traveled with them as far as Dubai. From Dubai, another person took their documents and traveled with them to Moscow. This was to be part of the journey which would take them to Latin America and then on to Canada. This might all seem strange to us, but to young people desperately wanting a future, this "Canadian" man seemed to have the answer for them.
In Moscow, things changed. The leader took their documents, told them to wait at the gate area and he would be back soon. He never returned and they were left without documents and without hope. Six months have passed now.
We first met them in the Spring. At that time, there were 17 left in the airport, the others had families that confirmed their identities and they went back to Somolia. Back to what, no one knows. As we were told, when you leave the country and return, you are subject to a fate that is often death. Somolia is war ravaged. The families of these young people have been displaced again and again. There is little to know hope there. Canada seemed the best hope and now the wait.
Today, we took them food, lotions and funds to keep their one cell phone active. When we asked what we could bring back, they asked for very little: A hair cutter, a pair of shoes for the girls, maybe jackets for the cold weather coming (the terminal is either very hot or unbearably cold).
We will be back through the airport in October - and they expect to still be here. Can you imagine. Take a look at the pictures - think of living on the cold floor for six months, nine months - two years. Moscow does little to nothing to help. The United Nations - sends noodles. Others come by and leave small things like books, creams, scarves or whatever they might have that could relieve some of their suffering.
The stories break your heart. I will post above the pictures of Ubah and Ismahan. Ubah is 20 years old and has never been to school. Ismahan is 18 and has been educated by her father who was a school teacher. When asked about school - she said that is not possible in her country, children want very much to learn, but it is next to impossible to complete an education in Somolia.
LOOK AT THE PICTURES AND JUST IMAGINE THESE YOUNG WOMEN - LIVING HERE NOW FOR SIX MONTHS. WHAT HOPE, WHAT FUTURE DO THEY FACE. WE NEED YOUR HELP TO BRING THEM ITEMS WHEN WE RETURN THROUGH, AND YOUR PRAYERS FOR GOD TO INTERVENE IN THIS VERY SAD. CONTINUING STORY!
