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Direct Services & Community Outreach

Phumulani’s mobile, multilingual Advocates program is a model inspired by Monsoon, Asian Women United based in Iowa. We train advocates based on the San Francisco Asian Women’s Shelter’s (SFAWS), a model that came as a response to the needs of non-English speaking battered women and their children.

Since 22% of the immigrants in Minnesota are African born, and we have the largest Liberian and Somali refugee and immigrant communities in Minnesota, it is crucial that we adequately serve our marginalized communities through mobile advocacy services.

Our core belief lies in that fact that the best problem solvers of any issue are those most impacted by that issue; hence our support to have culturally specific advocates from and within those specific African immigrant cultures served.

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GET THE HELP YOU NEED NOW AND TO PREPARE FOR YOUR FUTURE.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

Relief, Referrals and Resources

Phumulani functions as a resource, advocate and support for the African Immigrant population in Minnesota affected by domestic violence and sexual assault by:

  • Providing Crisis Advocacy, Safety Plans, Individual and Group Counseling
  • Liaising with Law Enforcement, Employers and Educational Institutions
  • Criminal Justice and Legal Advocacy
  • Court Accompaniment
  • Immigration Assistance (for example; VAWA or U-Visa applications)
  • Medical Care Support and Advocacy
  • Culturally Specific Nutrition Program
  • Help with Housing, Education, Employment and Government Benefit Applications
  • Finding Childcare
  • Assistance with Victim Compensation, Registration and Notification
  • Follow-ups and any information and recommendations related to the needs of victims/survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Phumulani’s services, for example, could include helping a victim first obtain a protective order and find safe housing, and later possibly get legal help from a pro bono attorney and accompany the victim to court hearings. Monsoon also collaborates with organizations and agencies with the goal of providing optimal services for victims.

Individual Counseling

Following an initial intake, Phumulani’s advocates offer one-on-one counseling to African victims/survivors of gender-based violence that continues as long as the victim feels that s/he needs the service. The counseling service is linguistically and culturally competent.

We do not do Support Groups. Instead, we do Tea Healing Circles, Tea Ceremonies, and other culturally specific healing sessions for women and their families.

WE EXIST TO HELP YOU.
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Comfort Dondo knows firsthand what it’s like to be a victim of domestic abuse. Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Dondo moved to Minnesota when she was 17 to attend college. The Brooklyn Park resident says she was living the American dream. She got married and soon afterward was expecting a child.

But soon after that, her life dramatically changed.

“He was saying he was not ready for the baby, and so he started doing things to punish me so I would have an abortion,” said Dondo. “He would do things like not provide food. At that time, I was in between my immigration status and getting a green card. So, sometimes I would go without food. I didn’t have access to transportation. I was isolated.”

Dondo says the abuse continued even after the birth of her son. She became homeless for several years. But she didn’t let that stop her from continuing college and eventually breaking free of her former husband.