Asylum seeker Mahoro Mugabo broke down in tears after being told that she can stay in the UK.
The 44-year-old mum-of-two, who fled troubled Rwanda in 2003 suffering from HIV after being tortured and raped by the Hutu militia, was informed of the decision at the weekend.
Despite her Tutsi soldier husband being savagely murdered by militia in 2002 whilst giving evidence about the 1994 genocide, immigration officials in the UK had previously refused to accept her asylum pleas.
The Home Office rejected claims that she too faced a death sentence if she returned to her homeland, where she is wanted for complicity by the Rwandan Military Intelligence.
Twice Mahoro was whisked away unexpectedly from her Didsbury home by the authorities to a deportation facility for a month at a time.
However, she continued to volunteer as a counsellor supporting fellow HIV sufferers at a centre in Whalley Range.
And last year Manchester City Council even honoured her for her work at a Women and Health Award ceremony at the town hall.
But now St Valentine’s Day will always be a special anniversary for Mahoro.
"It was the first day I opened my bedroom curtains without fearing a police car would be outside to take me away to some holding centre," she said. "And it was the first day of the rest of my life.
"I have cried many tears of sadness, but now all my tears are tears of joy. Although it hasn’t quite sunk in."
Mahoro has been loyally supported by members of her church, the Holy Innocents in Fallowfield, Lib Dem MP John Leech, Bishops Nigel McCulloch, Stephen Lowe and Michael Lewis, local councillors, Manchester City Council, friends and neighbours.
Mr Leech, who raised her case with the Prime Minister and presented a 3,000 name petition to the House of Commons, said he was delighted at the news.
"It has taken a long time but we have got the result we wanted. I am delighted the Home Office has buckled under the pressure of our campaign," he said.
"Credit must go to the people across south Manchester and beyond who got involved in our campaign.
"And credit must go to the South Manchester Reporter which highlighted her case," he added.
Now Mahoro plans to find a job, and hopefully earn enough money to pay for a visit from her two grown-up children, who have not seen her since she fled Rwanda.
"Of course I will continue my voluntary work," she said. "But I want to take a university degree in health and social change.
"I desperately want to stay here in south Manchester, in the community that has become my home and amongst the people who have become my family. They mean everything to me.
"And I need to thank everyone for all they have done for me; especially the South Manchester Reporter. It has all been overwhelming."
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GaelGivet, Didsbury (18/02/2010 at 13:11)
Stephen Pennells (20/02/2010 at 00:18)
Without the hundreds of conversations I and others in our group had with people on the streets of South Manchester we would not have been able to raise the signatures and ensure a daily trickle of messages of support were posted off.
Of course there are, as in all communities, people who are scared of "being swamped" or have their own (often interesting) reasons for not wanting to support someone who only wants to be allowed to work and make a contribution to our society. But for every negative conversation I had several positive ones, often with those who were the poorest and had least identifying with someone who had been pushed about by forces beyond her control.
So we can rejoice that the warmth of people's compassion has at long last brought a chance to live to a member of our community. We can rejoice that at last our government has listened. And we can rejoice that people across the political spectrum were prepared to swallow their differences to help someone who needed help.
But please remember that there are lots of other people we walk past every day who are in a similar situation, often scared of hostility, unable to communicate fluently, or in the disabling numbness of despair as they are shunted around by officials and powers they cannot control. They need our love and compassion as well. Please do not “pass them by on the other side”, get to know them so as to overcome the feelings of alienation that the fear conjured up by ignorance brings.
And please speak out in protest that our country, despite our traditions, still arrests, removes, and locks up innocent people, especially children, who are not criminals, have done nothing wrong, are obeying the law, threaten nobody and want to work and stand on their own feet. With an election coming on we can challenge our candidates to rise above petty selfishness and scapegoating, and to give a real lead in showing compassion.
Labour is going to be campaigning under the slogan "A Future Fair for All". Whatever our party sympathies, let's make that a reality, complementing "Fairness" with "Compassion".
Stephen Pennells
Mahoro Must Stay Campaign.