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How You Can Help Refugees

How to Help RefugeesImagine a situation where a person’s homeland is cannot host that person and their family anymore. The word “home” loses its meaning, and people find themselves forced to find somewhere else to live in. President Roosevelt once said, “Peace, like charity, begins at home.” Unfortunately, many people around the world cannot find peace because they have no home. Refugee crises have been an issue in the world for many years, and it is important to learn how to help refugees, even in the smallest ways.

According to UNHCR, 68.5 million people are forcedly displaced worldwide, and 25.4 million of them have refugee status. A recent example is the Syrian Refugee Crisis; according to the Amnesty International, there are approximately 4 million refugees from Syria that are spread to different countries.

Refugees crises are real problems, and actions must be taken to overcome them as soon as possible. Many different actions can be taken at a governmental level, but individuals can take actions to help refugees as well. 

Fundraising

Individual fundraising and donation is one thing that any individual can contribute to the refugee problem around the globe. There are numerous organizations operating in both international and national scale, and all of them are just a click away.

Various Types of Volunteer Work

Money is not your only source to find an answer to the question of how to help refugees. Many organizations that help refugees are not only open to donations, but also to volunteer work. If a person wishes to dedicate more than their money, they can dedicate their time to refugee-focused organizations to become a helper in the field.

Social mobilization of the refugees is also related to volunteer work. Integration of refugees to the daily lives of the host country is very important, but not easy. Refugees must learn the language of the host country, and people in the host country can contribute by helping to teach refugees the host country’s language. Many NGO’s operate for this purpose, and a person who is willing to help can also speak with the municipality of any region about creating a volunteer group project.

Organizations also allow a person to connect with a refugee in need to host someone to live together with, saving them from refugee camps. Refugees Welcome International is one such organization where a person can take a refugee as a roommate, allowing the refugee freedom from the hard conditions of a refugee camp.

Writing to Refugees

If a person is unable to dedicate time or money to refugee crises, they can contribute by contacting a refugee personally. Knowing that someone cares provides important motivation that keeps hope alive for millions of refugees around the world. Organizations like CARE allow anyone to directly send a personal message to a person in need. The message is simple: “I see you and I care.”

Legal Support

Support for the legal needs of refugees is a way that attorneys can contribute to helping refugee crises. For any attorney who is ready to take action on this issue, volunteer attorney positions are available in different organizations. International Refugee Assistance Project is one example of the many organizations that help provide legal services for refugees. 

There are countless ways for an individual to contribute to helping refugees around the world. When a person takes the first step to help, even if that means spreading awareness of refugee crises, they take the first step in making the world a better place. 

– Orçun Doğmazer

Photo: Flickr

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Increasing Access to Education for Refugee Children

refugee educationThe displacement of thousands of people has caused one of the biggest refugee crises in history. For refugee children, one of the main concerns they face is falling behind in their education. Over three million refugee children have no school to go to, with over one million not being able to enroll in primary school. Learning is important for the development of children, but in crisis situations, it tends to be pushed aside. It is essential to focus on improving education for refugee children so that future generations do not fall behind.

Over half of refugees in the world are under the age of 18. This means that many refugees face the challenge of completing their basic education. One challenge is gaining access to education for refugee children. If they can find a school that is run by an organization, such as UNICEF, there is a lack of resources due to the influx of students. Another issue with the overcrowding of classrooms is that schools place a maximum age on entry levels. This means that sometimes displaced children may not be able to go back and complete the level that they were at.

Adjusting to different regulations within different countries can be another challenge for refugee students. Most of the time, refugee students move to different countries more than once, causing further confusion. Unfortunately, refugee children often need to work instead of going to school. Their displacement situation often means that their families need income.

One solution to these issues is to provide more funding to schools and universities. Another way to help refugee education is to develop a curriculum for refugees that follows similar topics to their home institutions and to allow refugee teachers to teach.

There are multiple organizations that are helping refugee students access an education, such as the U.N. Refugee Agency and Blue Rose Compass.

The U.N. Refugee Agency aims to get more refugee children to access primary education and secure resources for refugee schools. Both the U.N. Refugee Agency and Blue Rose Compass provide scholarships for exceptional refugee students to get a higher education at world-leading universities. 

Enabling education for refugee children is important for the future economy and the development of the young refugee generation. Donating to organizations such as UNICEF, the U.N. Refugee Agency and Blue Rose Compass is making an impact on refugee schools and students.    

– Deanna Wetmore

Photo: Flickr