Greetings! |
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Houston’s First “Transitional Home” for South Asian Families in Crisis
Since its inception eleven years ago, Daya’s mission has been to promote healthy family relationships in the South Asian community by increasing awareness of problems, providing referrals, counseling, education and financial assistance to women and children who are in crisis. Daya is one of the top five agencies working with the South Asian community in the US on issues of domestic and sexual violence, based on total number of client calls for the past three years.
Daya has experienced a phenomenal increase in the demand for its services over the past several years. With this increased demand, Daya has recognized the need to establish a culturally sensitive shelter/home for South Asian survivors of family violence. Most Daya clients who leave their abusers tend to have few, if any, funds with which they can support themselves. Mainstream shelters offer short-term assistance but are overcrowded and do not address culture-specific issues such as language, understanding of family systems, religion, and food preparation. Daya clients often choose to stay in their abusive situation rather than enter a mainstream shelter. For these reasons, Daya believes that there is a strong need for a culture-specific transitional housing for South Asian survivors of domestic abuse in Houston.
Daya’s transitional home will provide short- term housing assistance and services designed to support individuals who are fleeing a situation of domestic violence and trying to re-build their lives. The transitional home will provide a broad range of individualized services such as culturally sensitive counseling, food preparation, case management, and employment counseling.
“Our Transitional housing will allow women to bridge the gap between leaving violence in their homes and becoming self- sufficient,” said Meghna Goswami, Client Advocate at Daya. “At a time when affordable apartment housing is at an all time low, a transitional home for victims is especially needed, and even more so for South Asian victims of domestic violence who face multiple barriers,” she added. According to national statistics, today more than half of those who are homeless are women and children fleeing domestic violence. “When breaking free from their abusive relationships, South Asian women have little established community support system to which they can turn. They also lack resources and information about mainstream service providers who could help them with alternatives to their abusive situations,” said Maliha Imami-Alam, Community Development Coordinator at Daya. “We have a clear problem that is in dire need of a solution. Daya’s “Transitional Housing” program is a significant step towards being a part of the solution.”
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Your Legal Rights: Immigrant Families in Crisis
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A legal Seminar titled ‘Your Legal Rights: Immigrant Families in Crisis’ was held at the Houston Community College System Southwest Stafford Campus on Saturday, January 13th 2007. Presentations were made by Attorneys Riddhi Desai and Wafa Abdin followed by an interesting interactive questions answer session. This free event was organized by Daya. Over 50 people attended the event in a show of support for Daya’s services to the community.
Will my immigration status be affected if I leave my violent spouse? Who can I go to for advice?
Like many, immigrants are at high risk for domestic violence, but due to their immigration status, they may face a more difficult time escaping abuse. Immigrant individuals often feel trapped in abusive relationships because of immigration laws, language barriers, social isolation, and lack of financial resources. The purpose of the event was to generate awareness and initiate a dialogue on the multi-layered issues involved for immigrant families in crisis, with special emphasis on the South Asian community. The discussion was successful in that it broke many myths and allowed the audience to ask serious and open questions regarding the process of divorce in the United States for immigrants and answered questions about what happens to ones immigration status after having gone through the process. It proved to be an effective forum for individuals to share their thoughts, views and concerns on intricate and painful family issues that are not often discussed.
Attorney Wafa Abdin who is the supervising attorney at Cabrini Center for Immigrant Legal Assistance at Catholic Charities, spoke on immigration law and complications involved in cases of domestic violence with the immigration status and attorney Riddhi Desai who has successfully practicing immigration, family, contracts, and criminal law for the last 20 yrs spoke about what to expect when filing for divorce from child custody, spousal support, financial arrangements, to beyond. |
Save the Date
Daya's 11th Anniversary Celebration & Fundraiser ‘New Beginnings’
Date: Saturday, March 10, 2007
Venue: Stafford Civic Center (Old), 1415 Constitution
Stafford, TX 77477
For More Information Check www.dayahouston.org.
Or Call 713- 981-7645
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A Girl of Twenty Two
I know a girl of twenty-two
Innocent, childish, without a clue.
She says she’s been raised to give up her dreams
Her hopes, aspirations and everything in between.
Beautiful in body, mind and soul
Blessed with a future dark as coal.
In love with the idea of being a wife
Chiseled into this identity as if by knife.
Unaware that she can own her own life
An idea unfortunately not abounding and rife.
Inexperienced in thoughts of her own
So ready to vacate her precious throne.
He talks to her so lovingly and sweet
He long succeeded in sweeping her off her feet.
Mom & dad found him in the paper
His specs checked out – he’s definitely a keeper.
Yet to share the same air these two
What’s he really about, the truth they elude.
Successful, fair, six feet tall
A perfect match, beta give him a call.
He promises her impossibilities,
unattainable joys He knows no better, he too is young, only a boy.
In love with her photo and her voice
Flattered she is, as if by choice.
She faithfully believes this wondrous fairytale
Unprepared for times when life will pale.
She doesn’t see her sacrifices have
already begun Letting go of career, family and then some
Even before the wedding bells have rung
Even before the vidai song is sung.
See, the crime is not in his love & caring
The crime is in the sad, sad loss of her being.
Misguided, overly sheltered from the start
Incapable of knowing duty and desire apart.
Willing, as told, to give up everything
Brought up with this idea from the very beginning.
I pray she is saved from disappearing
Into a certain life unyielding.
Maybe he will open her eyes
To a world with broader skies,
Maybe he is the answer
Maybe he will save her from this cancer.
But I fear along with giving up her name
She will give up her right to reign
Over herself, her body and mind
Allowing the world to unwind
The threads of her individual
Reducing her to a residual
And invisible part of this society
Foregoing her one life, for a life of blind piety.
Now the loss is too near
The message must be made clear
For this girl of twenty-two to see
She can only truly have her king
If she learns first to be her queen.
written by Anu Sirvastav
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We Asked You !!!!
Why is activism for women's rights important?
You Said !!!
: I believe that activism for women's rights is important because it gives a voice to those women who have been silenced by the abuse and mistreatment that defines their lives. Without other strong women promoting women's rights, those who are oppressed have no hope for change.
Sabena Singh
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* Domestic Violence Month Social
A legal Seminar titled ‘Your Legal Rights: Immigrant Families in Crisis’ was held at the Houston Community College System Southwest Stafford Campus on Saturday, January 13th 2007. Presentations were made by Attorneys Riddhi Desai and Wafa Abdin followed by an interesting interactive questions answer session. This free event was organized by Daya. Over 50 people attended the event in a show of support for Daya’s services to the community.
Will my immigration status be affected if I leave my violent spouse? Who can I go to for advice?
Like many, immigrants are at high risk for domestic violence, but due to their immigration status, they may face a more difficult time escaping abuse. Immigrant individuals often feel trapped in abusive relationships because of immigration laws, language barriers, social isolation, and lack of financial resources. The purpose of the event was to generate awareness and initiate a dialogue on the multi-layered issues involved for immigrant families in crisis, with special emphasis on the South Asian community. The discussion was successful in that it broke many myths and allowed the audience to ask serious and open questions regarding the process of divorce in the United States for immigrants and answered questions about what happens to ones immigration status after having gone through the process. It proved to be an effective forum for individuals to share their thoughts, views and concerns on intricate and painful family issues that are not often discussed.
Attorney Wafa Abdin who is the supervising attorney at Cabrini Center for Immigrant Legal Assistance at Catholic Charities, spoke on immigration law and complications involved in cases of domestic violence with the immigration status and attorney Riddhi Desai who has successfully practicing immigration, family, contracts, and criminal law for the last 20 yrs spoke about what to expect when filing for divorce from child custody, spousal support, financial arrangements, to beyond.
By: Sunaina Mewara, Daya Volunteer
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Another Woman
Today another woman died
and not on a foreign field
and not with a rifle strapped to her back,
and not with a large defense of tanks
rumbling and rolling behind her.
She died without CNN covering her war.
She died without talk of intelligent bombs
and strategic targets
The target was simply her face, her back
her pregnant belly.
The target was her precious flesh
that was once composed like music
in her mother’s body and sung
in the anthem of birth.
The target was this life
that had lived its own dear wildness,
had been loved and not loved,
had danced and not danced.
A life like yours or mine
that had stumbled up
from a beginning
and had learned to walk
and had learned to read.
and had learned to sing.
Another woman died today.
not far from where you live;
Just there, next door where the tall light
falls across the pavement.
Just there, a few steps away
where you’ve often heard shouting,
Another woman died today.
She was the same girl
her mother used to kiss;
the same child you dreamed
beside in school.
The same baby her parents
walked in the night with
and listened and listened and listened
For her cries even while they slept.
And someone has confused his rage
with this woman’s only life.
-Carol Geneya Kaplan
Source: http://www.domesticviolence.org/
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