Maritza’s First Gala
By Ryan Foley
When I saw 15 year-old Maritza all dressed up at the Omni Hotel Ballroom, smiling broadly and posing confidently for pictures,
I knew she was ready for her speech as Tahirih Houston’s 5th
Annual Gala Courageous Voice Honoree. Her story, as she tells
it on film, was about to be shared with over 400 people at the
fanciest event she had ever attended. Although she was a little
nervous inside, she drew the largest applause of the night and
helped Tahirih Justice Center raise over $550,000 in contributions from those in attendance to help other courageous women
and children.
Tahirih Justice Center is a national non-profit that provides free
legal and social services to hundreds of immigrant
women and children who are trying to rebuild
their lives in the wake of extreme violence.
Houston’s 5th Annual Gala, “A Mother’s
Life, A Child’s Future,” was a chance
for Mayor Sylvester Turner to recognize one of the most valuable
supporters of his Anti-Human
Trafficking Strategic Plan,
saying “Tahirih has been a
partner and ally like no other
in the city’s fight against human trafficking.” In introducing Maritza’s story, he
called her a young woman
who “embodies the indomitable Houston spirit” with her
extraordinary bravery.
Maritza was kidnapped by human traffickers. Through incredible courage and ingenuity,
she survived her horrifying ordeal.
Before being forced into a waiting car
by four men, she had the presence of
mind to destroy her cell-phone’s SIM card
so that her abductors could not locate and murder her family. She later picked the right moment to
escape by studying her captors. After surviving the incredibly
dangerous journey to the United States, Tahirih Justice Center
joined her in her fight for safety, and this year she was granted
legal protection.
Following a short video in which she told her story, Maritza took a
few minutes to thank God, her mother, her attorney Elizabeth who
joined her on stage, and all those present who support the work
of Tahirih Justice Center. I couldn’t help but wonder if we might
see her on stage again in the future, especially after Payam Zamani, an internet pioneer, entrepreneur, and Tahirih Board Member shared his story. As a child refugee, his success wouldn’t
have been possible without the free legal services he was provided at just 16 years old.
It was a marvelous night that honored the bravery of women and
children like Maritza. Tahirih Justice Center founder and CEO Layli
Miller-Muro recalled inspiration she had received representing
52 iF Magazine | NOVEMBER 2016
Fauziya, a young woman who had refused to be a victim of female
genital mutilation and forced marriage. Fauziya’s fight for asylum
in the United States took her and Layli to the highest immigration court in the country in 1996, where she was finally granted
asylum, a decision that set a national precedent and established
gender-based persecution as grounds for asylum. “Because of
Fauziya’s bravery and tenacity, Tahirih Justice Center came into
being, and has so far assisted more than 19,000 women and girls
directly,” Layli explains.
The gala brought together a diverse crowd of attorneys, business
leaders, academics, philanthropists, and other girls like Maritza,
all committed to the fight. We heard from renowned
philanthropist Laura Arnold; Dr. Jodi Berger
Cardoso, an Assistant Professor at the University of Houston’s Graduate College of
Social Work, who was presented the
Pro Bono Award for Excellence in
Mental Health; and the evening’s
charming MC, Eva LaRue, humanitarian and star of “CSI:
Miami”.
In her final moments onstage, Maritza addressed the
audience through a Spanish
interpreter, “To all the other
women with a story like
mine: stay brave. We have
Tahirih,” and then in English
added, “We can do it!” provoking spontaneous applause.
To learn more about Tahirih Justice Center and Maritza’s story, visit
www.tahirih.org
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In 2015, Tahirih Justice Center:
• Protected 972 immigrant women and girls through free legal representation
and advice.
• Connected 644 women and children with vital social services in the wake of
trauma.
• Trained 8,754 professionals to better respond to the unique needs of immigrant women and girl
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Contributing Writer Bio
Ryan is a specialist in verbal and nonverbal
communication, and coaches in public speaking, deception detection, and influence to professionals across the world. He appears as an
expert guest on Fox News 26 for his work in
analyzing US presidential candidate debates
and blogged his analyses of debates and forums during the 2015 Houston’s mayoral race.
www.FoleyLearning.com