Please help two refugees who are valued members of our church congregation at All Hallows Leeds.

Maria and Faith Hopes (not their real names to protect their privacy and their children) are unrelated to each other but are both from Cameroon, West Africa and have both recently been granted refugee status and leave to remain in the UK.

Both women have and continue to suffer persecution due to their sexuality and have had to flee due to the threat of imprisonment and violence. Maria has four children in Cameroon and Faith Hopes has two, and both women are longing to bring their children over to be reunited with them as soon as possible.

As refugees, they have the right to be reunited with their children, however there are huge costs involved with the application process.

So far thanks to donations via this page we have been able to pay for the costs of the applications, including the costs of the Cameroonian passports, DNA testing for the mothers and child, and TB tests.

And now we're thrilled that Maria's visa application for her four children has been accepted and we are hoping to buy plane tickets from Cameroon to the UK in the next few weeks! We are hoping that Faith Hopes application decision is not far behind.

Both women are receiving Universal Credit but are sending the majority to support their children in Cameroon. They are seeking work but due to lack of English, mental and physical health issues following their experiences and other difficulties, this is not an easy process.

We are applying to various organisations that provide grants to help with family reunion. However these won't cover the full cost.

If you can help with a donation we would be so grateful as it will speed up the time when these women and their children, who have been through such difficult experiences, can finally be reunited.

Thankyou so much for considering donating. Please share to anyone that you think might be able to help.