Comrades, I know some of you have been asking about our eight queer sisters in Gorom and wondering what happened to them. After a long period without hearing from them, David finally got his phone back and contacted me today. I’m relieved to have heard from him, and I wanted to share what he told me.

Last week, according to David, the camp manager, police officers, and other officials visited the reception centre where the sisters have been staying. They reportedly told them that the centre was meant for temporary reception rather than long-term accommodation and that they needed to leave.

David asked where they were supposed to go. The sisters have not yet completed their registration and don’t have South Sudanese documentation. They’ve been staying at the reception centre because they feel safer there while waiting for their registration and documents.

David also told me that he had been recording the conversation because he wanted evidence in case they needed to report their security concerns to UNHCR. One of the officers noticed and took his phone. He only got it back today, which explains why he was unable to contact me during this period.

I’m glad we’ve reconnected, but I’m still concerned about their situation. They’ve been told to leave the place where they’ve been staying, yet they don’t have a clear alternative.

Their immediate need right now is food. David told me that the food they bought is almost finished. If we can raise at least $200, it could help buy food for the eight sisters for the next few days while they continue facing uncertainty about their accommodation and registration.

I also want to keep everyone updated on the bigger picture. Our fundraising goal for the sisters is $ 2990 and so far we’ve raised $ 125 , leaving $ 2865 to go. Every donation and boost helps move them closer to meeting their ongoing needs, including food, safer accommodation and other basic necessities.

For those who have been following our GoFundMe, I want to be transparent that it supports both our household here in Juba and the eight sisters in Gorom. We are facing separate situations and both continue to need support. I’m working on updating the fundraiser page so everyone can clearly understand the two situations and what the fundraising is helping us address.

For today ,though the immediate $200 food need is specifically for the eight sisters in Gorom.

Thank you to everyone who has checked in, donated, shared our posts and continued to stand with these sisters. Your solidarity has helped them before and I hope we can come together again to help them get through the coming days.

If you’re able to contribute, the GoFundMe support link is in my profile. If you cannot donate, a boost or share also helps more people see their situation.