PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Mamadou Diallo, Director of Operations at Afrikana, on behalf of Genaba
3:13:26
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4 min
Mamadou Diallo, Director of Operations at Afrikana, reads a testimony on behalf of Genaba, an asylum seeker from Guinea. The testimony highlights the challenges faced by asylum seekers in New York City, particularly regarding shelter stays, language barriers, and access to services.
- Genaba describes her experience of almost being evicted from the Roosevelt Hotel due to the 60-day shelter stay limit, despite being pregnant and having medical needs.
- The testimony emphasizes the crucial support provided by Afrikana and other organizations in helping asylum seekers navigate the system and access essential services.
- Issues such as lack of interpretation services, difficulty in finding employment, and the instability caused by frequent shelter moves are highlighted as major challenges for asylum seekers.
Mamadou Diallo
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Okay.
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Hello, everyone.
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My name is.
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I'm the director of operations at Afrikana.
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But, also, I'll be serving today as Genaba's advocate.
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So, she charged me with reading her written statements, which is what I'm going to do because I heard about the 2 minute rule, so I'm gonna go ahead.
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Hello, everyone.
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Thank you for allowing me to speak.
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My name is Jabi.
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When I came to New York City, I had no family and no place to go.
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Someone told me about Adama and Afrikana, saying they could help me.
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I was heavily pregnant and in a lot of pain after my journey from Guinea, Conakry, my home country, to the United States.
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Adama and I connected when she referred me to the Roosevelt Hotel.
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Where I was placed at the hotel, no one spoke polar.
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If you needed help, you had to wait days for someone who could interpret.
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One day, Adama visited the hotel.
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She asked if I was okay and I was shocked to meet someone who spoke my language.
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Seeing I was heavily pregnant, she helped me get medical care and connected me with lawyers from Project Rousseau.
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Afrikana also helped me get clothing and when I had no phone, they provided one with free service for a year.
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When I was feeling depressed, Adama told me to come to the office and just hang out.
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She said many women come to walk around and talk, and she wasn't lying.
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I went and met other women who spoke polar and I received so much help.
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Project Rousseau also helped me enroll my daughter in school.
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One day, while leaving the Roosevelt Hotel to do laundry, the staff yelled at me to go back to my room and pack my belongings.
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They told me I had to leave immediately.
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I begged them to let me get my baby from daycare first, but they refused.
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They said I had to leave because my 60 days were up.
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I was so confused and didn't know what to do, so I called Adama crying.
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She told me to wait, she made some phone calls.
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The hotel staff told me Adama couldn't help me and they kept pressuring me to pack my things.
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I asked a neighbor to help me pack while Adama arranged for someone to pick up my daughter.
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The staff wouldn't let me leave the room until everything was packed.
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As I was packing, someone came to speak with me.
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I called Adam and put her on speaker phone, but they kept telling me to hang up.
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Adam advised me to send her medical my medical documents on WhatsApp before doing anything else.
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Despite the pressure, I listened to her.
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After some time, the hotel staff told me I could stay.
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They claimed I had not given them my daughter's medical paperwork, but I had provided it earlier.
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They simply hadn't listened to me.
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It's very hard living at the hotel.
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The staff yell at us in English, and they won't let us call African Afro interpretations.
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Instead, we're forced to use the language line, which often gets to pull our translation wrong.
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Since that incident, the staff have been nice to me have been nicer to me, but the process is still exhausting.
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Adama later told me she had to make many phone calls to advocate for me.
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She also reminded me to keep all my medical paper organized and to advocate for myself.
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Now I tell everyone at the hotel to contact Afrikana because they truly help.
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There are so many pregnant pregnant women and people with medical issues who are kicked out of these hotels every 60 days.
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It's heartbreaking.
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Before New York, I did not feel safe.
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I thought coming here would allow me to finally settle down, but it's it is still so unstable.
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I can't find a job or attend training programs because I don't speak Spanish or English.
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I'm grateful for the help I've received, but the city can't treat us like Carol, moving us around constantly.
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We need real help, and we can contribute to society if given the chance.
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My children go to school near the Roosevelt Hotel, but their schools are in different locations.
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I don't know how I will manage with 2 small children if I moved again.
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I recently received another 60 day note 60 days notice.
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My doctor has written another letter, but I'm not sure if they will accept it.
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I know I'll need Afrikaner's help again and I'm so thankful for their support.
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If you have any questions, I'm willing to answer.
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Thank you for listening.
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I appreciate that.
UNKNOWN
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And believe it or not, baby Adama finally
