News

Women’s shelters serving immigrants open in Calgary and Edmonton

posted on December 11, 2019

By Global News |

A women’s transition home that helps meet the needs of immigrant families is now open in Calgary.

It’s operated by Nisa Homes, which provides long-term shelters for immigrant, refugee and Muslim women who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

The women staying in the rooms of the northwest Calgary home each have stories of trauma that most of us would have a hard time imagining.

“[One woman] was finally able to get the police involved, but at that time, he chose to leave her,” said Saima Mafat, the Nisa Calgary house manager.

“So she literally had no status in Canada. She was pregnant at the time, and she went through a pregnancy and delivery at a shelter.”

Mafat will never forget the young Muslim woman who stayed the home this summer who was abandoned by her family overseas and her husband in Canada.

“Her ex would threaten her with stuff like, ‘Nobody’s going to give you a job. No one will give you status here. You’ll have to go back,’” Mafat recalled.

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