“I have my dignity back. I am looking forward to the future, to greater things and bigger things. I’m not that person that was shrank to nothing. I see a life with a lot of promises.”

“To be abused yourself is one thing. To see your son being abused physically and emotionally is another.”

“Here I am living in a free society, but so many other girls are still back there. If I had been sent home, it would be like going into a dark cave forever.”

“Both my daughter and I were forced to undergo female genital mutilation as young girls… You are old enough to carry with you the memory of that kind of horror forever. Every day of our lives it affects us, both physically and emotionally.”

“I want to thank Tahirih. They made me feel like my life has a purpose. I really can’t put it into words. They’ve been family to me. They opened their arms to me and helped me and pushed me on for my future.”

“Tahirih helped me with my house, my green card. They help me with everything. Now, I feel like I am flying. You can’t imagine me now. I am so, so, so happy.”

“It’s been a long road, but a happy ending. I’m a free bird today! When I received my worker authorization, it felt like a passport to freedom. Finally, I thought, ‘I am free. I’m finally free.'”