Years ago, Merced native Gameelah Mohamed was a young mother stuck in an arranged marriage thousands of miles from home.
At that time, the Yemeni woman could barely imagine attending high school, much less evolving into an empowered defender of vulnerable women. But that鈥檚 exactly what she did, legally escaping that restrictive life to then begin an incredible second act.
鈥淣ow I do all of the things my ex-husband said I would never do,鈥� she said.
The History
Mohamed earned the right to change her future by surviving so much: Losing her mother to cancer as a girl; eventually being moved far from home; denied an education like other women born into patriarchal cultures; silenced by a husband鈥檚 intimidation and insults.
The emotional abuse made her days difficult. The financial constraints made it nearly impossible to make a change. She couldn鈥檛 rent a place to live or gain custody of her children.
Mohamed never lost herself during the harrowing parts. She let her faith buoy her.
鈥淢y faith is a strength,鈥� said the devout Muslim. 鈥淚 have friends in similar circumstances who walked away from their faith. They had to put it all behind them. I couldn鈥檛 do that. Because walking away would make it more difficult for other women who had to do what I did.
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 going to be easy to make generational change. My plans wouldn鈥檛 work if I left my faith to leave the marriage. But the universe sent me allies left and right, and that鈥檚 how I survived.鈥�
Mohamed successfully shielded her children from her troubles.
鈥淭hey had no idea,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 know the long-term effects of trauma on children when you don鈥檛 protect them. I didn鈥檛 want to dump my trauma on them.鈥�
After filing for divorce in February 2017, Mohamed rapidly reconstructed her life. A month later, she received a restraining order and safely took her family back to Merced that July. She enrolled in adult school in September and earned her GED three months later.
An adult school counselor, who knew she wanted to support vulnerable women, told her to volunteer at Merced鈥檚 Valley Crisis Center. By January 2018, Mohamed was a paid employee. By January 2019, she was studying at 吃瓜头条.
Of starting college, Mohamed said: 鈥淚 wondered, 鈥楥an I really do this? I didn鈥檛 even go to high school!鈥� But I saw other people my age, and it stopped feeling so intimidating. I did well, so I went to summer school. I couldn鈥檛 get enough. You can鈥檛 imagine how grateful I am to 吃瓜头条 for welcoming me in.鈥�
The Present
Mohamed continues to rise. Wowed by her personal narrative and accomplishments, the University of California Board of Regents in 2021 gave her a prestigious UC Regents Award, worth over $14,000, to pursue her bachelor鈥檚 degree at UC Merced.
Mohamed has maintained a close friendship with Emmy-winning filmmaker Melody C. Miller, who produced a 2018 documentary about sex trafficking called “California’s Forgotten Children.鈥�
During initial screenings, Rachel Thomas, a survivor featured in the film who has a master鈥檚 degree in education, collected thousands of viewer surveys. The majority came from Merced County students and helped Thomas and Miller develop a curriculum for the film. Mohamed has worked with both women in recent years to push for the film and curriculum to get into high schools throughout California.
Mohamed also led the effort to build a county anti-trafficking coalition in 2019 through partnerships with a wide array of community and government agencies. The program eventually, with her urging, also sought and received a competitive grant in 2022 that paid for additional staff, a safe house, a full-time attorney, a mental health practitioner and transitional housing.
For her efforts, Mohamed was recognized by U.S. Congressman Jim Costa for Women鈥檚 History Month in 2022 and as a 鈥淲oman Leading the Way鈥� by State Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria in 2024.
In her day job as Community Disaster Program Manager with Merced County Red Cross, Mohamed has also built up the group鈥檚 disaster response capacity with more local volunteers who know the community. For that work, the Merced County Board of Supervisors recognized them as the 2024 Volunteer Organization of the Year.
The Future
Would it impress you more if we reminded you that Mohamed didn鈥檛 start her education or her real work until eight years ago?
It should. The 43-year-old is currently studying online for a master鈥檚 degree in public administration with the University of Illinois, Springfield. Law school may be in her future. She is also working to launch a nonprofit to serve survivors from the Central Valley with backgrounds similar to hers.
鈥淚 want an agency run by survivors who have processed their own trauma and are ready to guide people through the same obstacles,鈥� Mohamed said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the only reason I share my story. I want to tell survivors, 鈥楧on鈥檛 give up. You鈥檙e not alone. It won鈥檛 be easy. But keep your eyes and ears open and you鈥檒l learn who to trust and what to do.鈥欌��
Someone else once defined who she was as a married woman. Now, Gameelah Mohamed defines who she is as a single mother and professional, using the brain and soul God gave her to serve others.
鈥淎dvocacy is my life,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 love every minute of it.鈥�
Additional resources for survivors: The National Human Trafficking Hotline is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in 200+ languages, at 1-888-373-7888. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or by texting BEGIN to 88788.