We are often asked this question and there are many ways to answer it. For today, we would like to share with you not the figures and the facts, but the essence of our work:
We know hundreds of women by their first names.
We know how many times they had to move from place to place.
We know that they have experienced terrible things on their way.
We know if they live on the fringes of society, if they started to integrate, if they are still trying to make sense of a continent that is cold and unwelcoming.
We know if they move with a duffle bag from house to house because they are paperless and therefore don't qualify for housing and support from the state.
We know if their children are sick, if they miss school, if they have a hospital appointment.
We know if they feel lonely, if they are down, if they are faring better than before, if they have made strides forward or took steps back.
We know what burdens them, what inspires them, what gives them power, what scares them.
That might translate to processes, administration complexities, challenges, obstacles, budgets, shifts and costs, but it also reflects our unwavering commitment to stand by the women who have trusted us enough to look us in the eye and share with us their dreams, their nightmares, their hopes.
And that never seizes to humble and empower us to continue our work no matter what might seem to stand in our way. We owe it to our sisters.