Lucy*, a 39-year-old asylum-seeker from Uvira, in the South Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), vividly remembers the night her father woke everyone up shouting that they had to leave their village immediately as the rebels were approaching.
"I remember it was early in the morning. The rebels came to our house, knocked and demanded money from my mother. They beat her up and raped her before my eyes, and they assaulted me too," recalls Lucy*.
Lucy* managed to escape first to Burundi but was separated from her family on the way. She sought assistance from UNHCR and was taken to a refugee camp, where she was provided with medical aid, food and counselling.
While in the camp, Lucy* and other young women were promised jobs in Zambia. Upon arriving, she narrowly escaped becoming a victim of human trafficking. "One man told me that the woman who had brought us there sold us for prostitution," she says.
She managed to get to South Africa, where she got married and hoped to rebuild her life. However, her dream of a fresh start was shattered when she became a victim of domestic violence at the hands of her husband.
Her only lifeline was support provided by UNHCR's partner, Refugee Social Services (RSS), a non-profit based in Durban that has been supporting vulnerable refugees for more than 20 years and helping them get back on their feet.
In South Africa, UNHCR provides social services through its partners to the survivors of gender-based violence (GBV), including, limited cash-based intervention (CBI), psychosocial support and business training.
"For some women, the cash grants were essential for feeding their children and ensuring they could attend school. They were able to set up small businesses such as hair salons, fruit stands and clothing stalls," says Gloria Ekuyoa, CBI Programme Officer at UNHCR in South Africa.
Lucy* was among the more than 200 refugees and asylum-seekers in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal who benefited from these programs for survivors of abuse and domestic violence. She received once-off cash grant, as well as business training, coaching and counselling from UNHCR.
"With the money I received, I was able to pay my rent and provide food for my children. The social workers assisted me in coping well in life," says Lucy*.
Due to budget constraints already last year, UNHCR has had to reduce support given to survivors through economic empowerment initiatives, including cash assistance, and this year even those limited programmes are forced to end.
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Lucy*, now divorced and a single mother of three children, struggles to provide for her family's basic needs and she worries about their well-being.
Yasmin Rajah, Director at RSS who oversees the UNHCR's social assistance programme is deeply worried about the recent further cuts in funding, that have affected several organizations, including RSS. Over 600 refugees, especially those living with children with disabilities will no longer get the support they desperately need. "Children living with disabilities can no longer attend school since we can't cover the special transportation costs. We can no longer help them to get proper documentation that would have enabled families to access government social grants as an alternative," adds Rajah.
Despite these challenges, Lucy* is focusing on rebuilding her life and that of her children. She participates in outreach activities by sharing her experiences with other refugee women, providing advice and offering emotional support. She is working hard to raise funds to start a small clothing business so that she can continue to pay her rent.
Adds Rajah who worries about the future of these women, "the absence of sustainable livelihoods, limited access to resources and lack of proper documentation leave women and other vulnerable populations in a difficult situation, exposing them to violence and abuse."
Lucy's name has been changed for protection reasons.
