Atlanta Nonprofit Helps Abused Immigrants Rebuild

Financial dependence on a spouse and worry about immigration status can trap immigrant and refugee survivors of domestic abuse, advocates say, making it harder to leave than for other survivors. Language barriers add a further obstacle to reaching help.

Tapestri, an Atlanta organization serving survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, works particularly with immigrants and refugees. Founder Vanisa Tabakovic said many of the people her group assists rely on the person abusing them for money and for immigration support.

Tabakovic also said English is not the first language for many of the immigrants and refugees Tapestri works with, and that seeking and understanding help is a challenge for them. She said the demand for services does not pause: "Survivors need us every month and we need a community of resources to help them rebuild their lives and move from the time when they first reach out to when they're actually stable in their lives."

A survivor who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect herself and her children described leaving after her former husband, originally from Africa, moved the family to Nebraska and began abusing her. "He was abusing me first, and when he started abusing the kids physically, I could not take it anymore," she said. She and her children boarded a bus to Georgia one night while he was away.

She had no family nearby and relatives abroad, which made the situation isolating, she said. She described finding a community at Tapestri: "I did not even believe people like that existed. So I was so thankful, I felt so comfortable."

The survivor said the support she and her children received gave them a chance to start over. Tabakovic said helping a survivor escape is only the first step, and that resources are also needed afterward to build a life after the abuse.