Tag Archive for: Refugees

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Migration to Bosnia and Herzegovina

Migration to Bosnia and HerzegovinaThe Balkan country of Bosnia and Herzegovina experienced the displacement of more than 2.2 million of its citizens during the 1992-1995 Bosnian war. However, now Bosnia and Herzegovina is at the forefront of a new migration crisis due to increased rates of global poverty and conflict. Since 2018, more than 110,000 migrants have entered the Balkan country. The numbers first increased in 2018 after 24,067 migrants and refugees arrived in the country compared to 755 in 2017. Despite migration challenging the infrastructure of Bosnia and Herzegovina, obstacles are often overcome thanks to the cooperation of various international institutions and charities

Western Balkan Migration Route

Bosnia and Herzegovina falls within the Western Balkan route, popular among migrants who look to enter EU countries. From January to September 2023, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) recorded 128,871 migrant, refugee and asylum seeker arrivals through the corridor. The large number and potential for an unexpected increase of migrants strain Bosnia and Herzegovina’s resources.

However, the IOM, UNHCR and EU provide financial support for the country to ease the pressure of this corridor on countries like Bosnia and Herzegovina and to protect migrants. The “Individual Measure to Strengthen the Response Capacity to Manage Migration Flows in Bosnia and Herzegovina” project aims to transfer the migration response to Bosnian authorities.

This project continues to receive considerable funding. In August 2024, The IOM confirmed 100% of the financing for protection management for the arrival of migrants into Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Accommodation for Migrants

The increased number of migrants in 2018 strained infrastructure in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Collaboration between the country’s Ministry of Security (MoS) and the IOM facilitated the creation of seven temporary reception centers (TRCs) to house more than 8,000 migrants.

In 2018, the IOM revealed that the national infrastructure was not adequate to house the sudden influx of migrants in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The closure of TRC Lipa and Bira in 2020 reduced overall accommodation capacity from 8,282 to 3,540 beds.

Despite the challenges of accommodating migrants, international cooperation has helped resolve these problems. In 2021, a newly built TRC Lipa increased its accommodation capacity to 1,500 migrants compared to its prior 1,400 migrant capacity. Johann Sattler, Head of the EU Delegation, commented on the opening of TRC Lipa: “This is a good reminder for all of us that those crises can be solved, and the only way to resolve crises is through dialogue and a willingness to compromise.”

War and Poverty

In July 2024, the UNHCR reported that the top three countries of origin of migrants in Bosnia and Herzegovina were the Syrian Arab Republic (35%), Afghanistan (29%) and Morocco (8%). The high number of Syrians and Afghans in Bosnia and Herzegovina correlates to the high levels of poverty in these countries due to war. In 2022, poverty affected 69% of Syrians and 90% of Afghans.

Mental Health

Migrants often face traumatic journeys that have psychological impacts. Adil, a Moroccan migrant who resides in TRC Lipa expressed how migration impacted his mental wellbeing to the IOM: “This journey is hard and dangerous. I have seen and experienced things that I do not want to remember.”

There are ongoing efforts by the IOM and Bosnian authorities to provide mental health support for migrants. The IOM continues to provide mental health screening for migrants inside and outside TRCs and aims to increase mental health support access for migrants in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Between April 2024 and July 2024, the UNHCR assisted 585 migrants with psychosocial support.

Cultural Programs for Migrants

Alongside the efforts of international organizations and the Bosnian government to integrate migrants into the workplace and provide psychological aid for migrants, cultural programs also help improve their well-being.

In 2024, IOM ran creative programs in multiple TRCs. TRC Blažuj held a canvas painting workshop which allowed migrants to express their creativity. TRC Lipa has a creative zone where handcrafting workshops were held for migrants and refugees from Afghanistan, Gambia, Iran and Syria.

Cultural programs extend beyond reception centers in Bosnia and Herzegovina into mainstream society. Migrants from reception centers contributed to a fashion collection for The No Nation Fashion brand showcased at the 30th Sarajevo Film Festival.

Cooperation for Solutions

The impact of global poverty meant the influx of migrants to Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2018 onwards presented challenges to the country’s infrastructure and the safety of migrants. However, cooperation between the former Yugoslav country, international governments and organizations shows the capacity to overcome the potential challenges of migration to improve the quality of life of migrants.

– Sofia Brooke

Sofia is based in Oxfordshire, UK and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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HAUP and CORA Supporting The Haitian Community

HAUPHaiti is a low-income Caribbean country with a population of more than 11 million people. More than half of the population lives below the poverty line with little access to necessities. A major historical period that hindered Haiti’s growth was the Duvalier regime from 1957 to 1986. François Duvalier’s and Jean-Claude Duvalier’s corruption drained Haiti of its financial and economic profits. Their extreme violence against many citizens of the Haitian community caused an estimated 30,000 people to die or go missing.

The Haitian Americans United for Progress (HAUP) played a major role in supporting Haitian refugees and the Haitian-American community during the horrors of the Duvalier regime and continues to help immigrants and migrants, whether they are Haitian or not. Coalition for the Recovery of L’Anse-à-Veau (CORA), on the other hand, focuses on directly helping the community of Anse-à-Veau (Ansavo), one of Haiti’s municipalities located in the Nippes department.

HAUP

HAUP is a nonprofit organization based in Queens and Brooklyn, New York, U.S., that was initially established as a volunteer-based organization to help Haitian immigrants and refugees in 1975. In the ’80s, HAUP helped hundreds of Haitian refugees obtain food, shelter, clothing, and employment. Since then, HAUP has expanded into a community center that provides immigration, educational, and health services for refugees and immigrants in New York City, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The nonprofit has distributed 71 baby bags and infant car seats, 20 brand-new strollers for newborn mothers, 47 baby monitors, 30 blood pressure monitors, and more than 400 boxes of diapers and wipes.

Advocating for Immigrants and Migrants

In 1979, HAUP organized a konbit (rally) to gather materials and visit prisons to support Haitian refugees. By 1981, it held a march in Washington, D.C., protesting the U.S. government’s treatment of Haitian refugees and opposing Haiti’s dictatorship. In an interview with The Borgen Project, Mrs. Marie Fouche, recalled her role in organizing these protests: “The political situation in Haiti pushed us to march. I remember horses charging at us while we demanded our rights as Haitians. We said, ‘We don’t want a dictator anymore!'” Fouche also shared how HAUP advocated for Haitian refugees sent to Guantanamo Bay, fighting for their rights and offering assistance.

Events to Unify the Haitian Community

In 1978, HAUP held its first summer camp at P.S. 147 and later hosted camps at Andrew Jackson, Elmhurst, and Sacred Heart Church. In 1985, HAUP officially opened its Information Center. Fouche, a HAUP executive board member for 20 years, reflected on the center: “We had conferences, we had people come from Canada, from Haiti, from everywhere. They delivered a workshop or talked about their books about what was happening in the country. . . And we had books from Haiti, people could come and see them, even foreigners who didn’t know about Haiti could find resources there. So for me, that was a moment of pride.”

HAUP established a senior citizens club and a children’s cultural dance program and provided services for kids with intellectual disabilities. It also sponsored cultural events for the Haitian-American community, allowing them to express their culture and for children to learn more about Haiti. These events included Carnival parties, fundraising galas, children’s festivals, film showings like Gouverneur de la Rosée at Hillcrest High School, and plays such as Filibé by Mercedes Guignard and Bwat Lamayòt by Marika Roumain, produced by Fouche in 1985 and 1995.

CORA

In 2009, Kora, Cosa, and ARCA united to mobilize Anse-à-Velais and supporters of Anse-à-Veau in promoting the development of Anse-à-Veau and its neighboring areas. These groups merged to form CORA. CORA has helped clean the gutters in the lower area of Ansavo after the 2010 flood and provided $1,000 for the committee in charge of the works. It has also supported repairing the city’s electrical network by financially supporting maintenance from Port-au-Prince technicians and using $2,700 to buy two transformers. The nonprofit has also donated resources to institutions in Ansavo, such as 10 wheelchairs to the local hospital and nearby dispensaries and wireless microphones to the Ansavo cathedral.

Educational Programs

CORA’s RenesAnsavo Hospitality and Tourism project, launched in the summer of 2014 and led by Fouche, provided four weeks of training for 30 young adults from Ansavo. Inspired by Ansavo’s upcoming 300th anniversary in 2021, the students were divided into five groups focused on tourism, transportation, food, housing, and more. They attended workshops in the mornings and did fieldwork in the afternoons, such as assessing local restaurants and hotels for tourism opportunities. The project continued in 2015, with CORA following up on the participants’ progress through 2017.

CORA also advocated for school gardens by surveying schools in Petit Goave, leading to the start of a garden in the 2023-2024 academic year. Fouche discussed her work with the program and how her experience gardening for a soup kitchen in Arbor Hill, Albany, helped her with the Ansavo garden. She shared, “I learned from a woman at the soup kitchen… I researched gardening online and taught the children about fruits and vegetables in French, Creole, and English.” Her local and international volunteer work highlights how domestic and foreign aid initiatives can complement each other.

Conclusion

Fouche’s work with HAUP, CORA, and the Albany soup kitchen exemplifies how one can balance helping those in need both locally and abroad. HAUP highlights the importance of community-building and how immigrants in places like America can still influence their home countries, as seen in their protests against Haiti’s dictatorship. It also shows how immigrants can stay connected to their culture by organizing cultural events, such as plays, and creating educational spaces like the Information Center.

CORA exemplifies how to directly assist vulnerable communities abroad by prioritizing education, as seen with the school garden initiative. While both CORA and HAUP have made strides in uplifting the Haitian community, much work remains, and both organizations could benefit from additional support.

– Elisabeth Nwaoskwa

Elisabeth is based in Bellerose, NY, USA and focuses on Good News and World in Focus for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Refugee-Led Innovation Fund: UNHCR Empowering Communities

Refugee-Led Innovation FundUNHCR has launched a groundbreaking initiative to empower refugees and displaced persons: the Refugee-Led Innovation Fund. The fund offers financial support, mentorship and technical expertise to organizations whose leaders are individuals with firsthand experience of forced displacement. Fostering innovation and community leadership plays a crucial role in combating poverty and building resilient communities.

At its core, the Refugee-Led Innovation Fund is a recognition of the untapped potential within refugee populations. It challenges the traditional humanitarian aid model and places refugees at the forefront of problem-solving. The fund provides a platform for individuals to identify pressing community needs. Furthermore, it encourages the development of innovative solutions that directly address their challenges.

Refugee-Led Innovation Fund

One of the primary objectives of this fund is to empower refugee communities. These communities often face significant challenges in accessing resources and funding, which can limit their ability to create lasting positive change. This fund provides up to $45,000 in financial support, along with mentorship, technical expertise, and networking opportunities.

This fund is unique in its approach. It prioritizes organizations led by people with lived experience of forced displacement, including refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced persons and stateless individuals, according to FundsForNGOs. The fund focuses on those who have firsthand experience of these challenges, to ensure that solutions are driven from the people who understand the needs of their communities best.

The fund places a special emphasis on supporting underrepresented groups, women, people with disabilities, and Indigenous populations. These groups often face additional layers of marginalization, making it even more difficult for them to access traditional forms of funding and support. The UNHCR’s Refugee-Led Innovation Fund not only provides financial resources but also helps these groups build their organizational capacity, ensuring that their voices are heard and their initiatives can thrive.

Application Process and Criteria

The application process for the fund is designed to be accessible and supportive. It involves two stages: an initial expression of interest, followed by a full proposal for shortlisted organizations. The criteria for assessment include innovation, impact, engagement, and the feasibility of implementation.

This process ensures that only the most promising and impactful projects receive funding, while also providing support to applicants throughout the process. This helps to level the playing field, allowing smaller or less established organizations to compete on equal footing with larger, more established ones.

These four organizations from 2024 are prime examples of how community-driven innovation drives meaningful change in the fight against poverty

Bridging Gaps and Afri-Youth Network – Uganda

In Uganda’s Bidibidi Refugee Settlement, a lack of access to financial markets, entrepreneurship education and banking systems hinders refugees from starting social enterprises and becoming self-sufficient. This perpetuates cycles of poverty and inequality. The Bridging Gaps and Afri-Youth Network addresses this challenge by providing entrepreneurship training, micro-loans and long-term coaching. Its work focuses on increasing female participation, empowering up to 60 refugee entrepreneurs to break free from poverty and create sustainable income sources for their communities, according to UNHCR.

Fundación MUEVE – Ecuador

Ecuador has seen an influx of Venezuelan refugees and migrants, leading to elevated levels of unemployment and economic marginalization. Fundación MUEVE is establishing a creative and digital hub focused on technological training and innovation to address these challenges. The hub will offer training in digital skills, such as 3D printing and scanning and foster a collaborative ecosystem to promote socioeconomic integration and social cohesion, according to UNHCR. Reaching more than 500 individuals, the project aims to reduce unemployment and promote economic and social inclusion through digital innovation.

Let’s Read – Jordan

In Jordan’s Zaatari Refugee Camp, educational barriers, including unreliable internet connectivity and a lack of digital resources, negatively impact refugee children’s learning and development. According to UNHCR, girls are disproportionately affected. Let’s Read is working to bridge this gap by providing easy access to learning through both technological and offline solutions. The project will create and distribute educational content via WhatsApp. Additionally, it offers personalized learning experiences through AI-based platforms, and develops offline learning resources, UNICEF reports. The project will enhance educational outcomes and boost digital literacy. It will create a resilient learning ecosystem that empowers refugees, especially girls and women, to thrive despite challenges.

Kalobeiyei Initiative 4 Better Life – Kenya

Kenya is facing a severe food crisis due to prolonged drought, affecting millions and leading to increased malnutrition rates, particularly among children and pregnant women, UNHCR reports. The Kalobeiyei Initiative 4 Better Life is addressing these food security and nutrition challenges in the Kakuma refugee community. The program is cultivating nutrient-rich sprouts in recycled plastic containers. This innovative approach not only improves food security and well-being but also provides skill-building opportunities for up to 200 individuals from both refugee and host communities, according to UNICEF. This project is helping to mitigate the impact of the food crisis on vulnerable populations through community cooperation and resilience.

Refugee-Led Innovation Fund: The Potential

The UNHCR’s Refugee-Led Innovation Fund is a transformative initiative that is redefining the role of refugees in humanitarian response. The fund is providing the necessary resources and support to unlock the potential of refugee-led organizations to drive innovation, create sustainable livelihoods and build resilient communities.

– Sumaiya Sultana

Sumaiya is based in London, UK and focuses on Business and Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Everything You Need to Know about Poverty in Jordan

Poverty in JordanThe Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, situated in the Southern Levant region of West Asia, borders the occupied Palestinian West Bank to the west and Iraq to the east. The nation’s most famous landmark, Petra, is one of the world’s seven wonders. Jordan, once home to several empires, including the Roman Empire, was a member of the Ottoman Empire until 1918. It was also a mandate of the United Kingdom before gaining independence in 1946. Despite its cultural significance, Jordan faces many challenges, including high poverty. A Department of Statistics report shows that 24.1% of Jordanians live in poverty. This means 2.72 million out of the 11.3 million are classified as vulnerable. The World Bank sets the poverty line of $7.90 per capita per day, a harsh reality for those living below that threshold in Jordan.

A Poor Economic State

Jordan’s economic state is reflected in its average monthly salary, which ranges from $850 to $1,130. Even so, the country has a high cost of living index of 41.2, posing a challenge for families in low-income households and worsening poverty. This makes it difficult for them to meet their needs. For comparison, the cost-of-living index in Egypt is 21.0. The cost of living exceeds the average salary of the local Jordanian population, making it difficult for them to live comfortably. Even though they earn less on average, a large portion of their income is spent on necessities, worsening Jordan’s poverty rates.

The Economic Research Forum notes that income inequality in Jordan is low, as measured by the Gini index. However, in 2016, the pre-tax national income shares of 10% of the distribution exceeded 40%, highlighting that most of the country’s income is concentrated among the wealthiest.

High Unemployment Rates

One reason for the high poverty levels in Jordan is the increase in unemployment rates among the Jordanian youth. According to the Department of Statistics, as of March 2024, the unemployment rate has increased to 21.4%. According to the Atlantic Council, long-standing issues in the labor market, such as a decline in the necessary skills for certain jobs within the population, are also contributing to rising unemployment rates.

Regional Instabilities

Wars in neighboring countries have put a significant strain on Jordanian society. The influx of refugees from these countries has increased the population to 11 million since 2000. With Jordan hosting more than 745,000 refugees, the government is at the forefront of hosting refugees per capita worldwide. This has impacted the labor markets, health care, educational quality and increased living expenses.

As refugees struggle to find jobs and face limited quality education and health care, many Syrians in Jordan rely on international aid. This creates pressure on Jordan’s already strained resources and creates challenges for both the host country and the refugees.

Children Are Among the Most Affected

As poverty rates rise in Jordan, the impact on children is becoming more evident. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) explains that of the 3.16 million children in Jordan, one in five is multidimensionally vulnerable. Furthermore, a World Health Organization (WHO) study found that 13.8% of the 9,734 births analyzed were underweight. This elevated low birth rate poses a significant challenge to public health in Jordan.

Moving Forward

As Jordan faces poverty challenges, it is implementing solutions to address them. According to the World Bank, in 2021, the Jordanian government launched a 10-year, three-track agenda to modernize politics, the public sector and the economy. The plan aims to create one million new jobs and empower women and children to participate in Jordanian politics. Consequently, according to a U.N. report, Jordan’s strategies have increased economic growth, rising from 2.4% in 2022 to 2.6% in 2023.

To assist refugees, Jordan has established a system to address their needs, including cash and voucher assistance schemes that also benefit Jordanian citizens. The support includes employment opportunities for both Jordanians and Syrians. More than 2.8 million people have benefited from this project, which improved local services and created 45,000 working days of employment.

In summary, Jordan is firmly working to address its high poverty rates through targeted assistance and modernization efforts, aiming to improve the lives of Jordanian citizens and refugees.

– Nouf Hunaiti

Nouf is based in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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The Sahrawi Refugee Response Plan

Sahrawi refugeeThe Sahrawi refugee crisis, one of the longest-standing in the world after the displacement of Palestinians in 1948, continues to persist with little resolution in sight. Since 1975, following Spain’s withdrawal from Western Sahara and the ensuing armed conflict between Moroccan forces and the Polisario Front, approximately 173,600 Sahrawi refugees have lived in five camps near Tindouf, Algeria.

Current Situation

The Sahrawi refugees are scattered across five camps on the unforgiving “hammada,” a vast and remote desert plain in the Sahara. The most distant camp lies 170 kilometers southwest of the Algerian city of Tindouf, in an area marked by isolation and a lack of economic opportunities. The harsh climate, with temperatures soaring to 50 degrees Celsius in the summer, frequent sandstorms and occasional floods, further exacerbates challenges facing the refugees, such as limited access to necessities and health risks.

Food insecurity is a dire issue, with nearly 90% of the “Sahrawi refugees either food insecure or vulnerable to food insecurity.” A 2022 Joint Assessment Mission and Nutrition survey by the World Food Programme (WFP) reveals a worsening nutrition crisis. The prevalence of life-threatening wasting among children aged 6 months to 59 months has risen from 7.6% in 2019 to 10.7% in 2022. More than half of these children suffer from anemia, two-thirds do not receive the diverse diet needed for healthy development and nearly a third suffer from chronic malnutrition.

Furthermore, the refugees’ heavy dependence on international humanitarian aid, severe living conditions and food shortages have forced many households to cut back on health expenditures or sell off their livestock. Inadequate infrastructure severely hampers the delivery of essential services such as education and health care, leading to high child and maternal mortality rates and adversely affecting the population’s overall health and well-being.

Additionally, employment opportunities within the camps are minimal, leaving a third of Sahrawi refugees without any income and 60% economically inactive. The extreme climate and remoteness of the camps have curtailed traditional income sources like agriculture and livestock rearing. This is particularly detrimental to young people who, due to economic frustrations, may resort to high-risk activities such as smuggling and theft.

The Sahrawi Refugee Response Plan

In response to the myriad of challenges the Sahrawi refugees face, in 2003, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) launched the interagency Sahrawi Refugee Response Plan (SRRP). This initiative, requiring a total of $214 million, represents the first unified effort to address the needs of the Sahrawi refugee population. The plan brings together 28 partners, including the Algerian Red Crescent and the University of Madrid, to deliver coordinated humanitarian assistance.

The SRRP

The SRRP outlines several key priorities, including ensuring refugee protection and legal assistance and providing essential services such as food, shelter, health care and education. The plan also aims to improve water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) conditions in the camps, which are critical given the harsh desert environment.

In addition to these immediate needs, the SRRP aims to support livelihoods by providing essential supplies, vocational training and income-generating activities. This includes the distribution of 1,500 high-quality cooking stoves and 3,000 bales of second-hand clothes from UNIQLO. On the health care front, the plan addresses the prevalent malnutrition with supplementation, including iron and folic acid, systematic deworming and outpatient care for particularly severe cases.

Education is another focal point, with the SRRP aiming to improve the quality of instruction by training teachers and educational personnel. By tackling a broad scope of issues and closely coordinating with the Algerian government, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and other United Nations (U.N.) agencies, the SRRP aims to deliver a comprehensive and effective response, ideally addressing the immediate and long-term needs of the Sahrawi refugee population.

Challenges and Way Forward

A U.N. press briefing from November 2023 confirms that, although the plan has received some donor support, operations remain underfunded. The U.N. actively calls for additional contributions to implement the plan and fully sustain refugee humanitarian assistance. The success of the fundraising efforts is still being determined, but the plan is set to run through 2024 and 2025. By the end of this period, it will be evident whether these initiatives have provided the support needed to improve the livelihoods of the Sahrawi people and move them closer toward long-term stability and self-reliance.

– Asma Issa

Asma is based in London, UK and focuses on Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Go Project Hope: Advancing Health and Education in Palestine

Go Project HopeSince October 7, 2023, the crisis in Palestine has escalated exponentially, bringing serious concerns to the livelihood of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. With up to 175,000 buildings being severely damaged or destroyed in the Gaza Strip, accessible health care and education for Palestinians has become nonexistent.

Effective and innovative strategies for improving the region’s health care and educational systems are paramount in the face of the conflict. Go Project Hope, a nongovernmental organization (NGO), understands that and works toward advancing health and education in Palestine through innovation and creativity.

Health and Education in Palestine

The decades-long occupation and blockade in Palestinian territories has left the health system in Gaza and the West Bank severely under-resourced. The growing conflict and violence between Israel and Palestine has worsened an already bleak situation. Additionally, the Israeli bombardment on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, has damaged, destroyed or raided 32 out of a total of 36 hospitals, leaving the Palestinian health care system in collapse.

While Palestine has prioritized education and literacy for many years, the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the West Bank has severely impeded the value system. The displacement of nearly two million in the Gaza Strip has made access to education in the region impossible. According to 2024 reports from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), more than 625,000 students and 22,564 teachers cannot access or contribute to the education system in Palestine.

On top of that, with the destruction of more than half of the buildings in Gaza, many educational buildings no longer exist or have been converted into refugee shelters. In consequence, the ongoing occupation and Israeli settlements in the West Bank have placed severe pressure and restrictions on already displaced Palestinians in accessing proper health care and education.

Go Project Hope’s Mission

Go Project Hope aims to improve and advance health and education in refugee camps worldwide. Through innovation and creativity, the organization has created mindful and unique initiatives for refugee camps in developing countries, focusing on improving health and education conditions. For the 1.7 million displaced Palestinians, Go Project Hope has created and funded initiatives considering the complexities of life in refugee camps, thus expanding their overall impact.

Innovations in health and education define progress in the face of crisis. With this prerogative, Go Project Hope has created and funded several programs prioritizing health and education in Palestine and for refugees worldwide. 

Camp Care Comic

The Camp Care Comic series was created as an educational resource that addressed many mental and physical health concerns facing Palestinian refugees. The protagonist, Superhero Azhar, solves the problems facing Palestinians and refugees globally through fun and engaging pictures and story-telling. The comic series educates Palestinians on health concerns across the refugee camps, such as lice, scabies and stress, in an engaging and informative manner. The duality of the comic series is demonstrated as it is not only a creation to better education and literacy in refugee camps but to better the mental and physical health of refugees.

Jalazone Refugee Camp Music and Movement Program

Go Project Hope designed and created a movement and mindfulness program at the Jalazone refugee camp in the West Bank, specifically prioritizing the mental and physical health of special needs children and their siblings who would often take care of them.

According to a 2018 study on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in refugees, children and adolescents, psychiatrist J.M. Fergert explains that refugees fleeing from areas of severe danger and violence are significantly more likely to experience PTSD and similar mental disorders. Go Project Hope’s movement and mindfulness initiatives in the West Bank teach students healthy techniques to relax and bring them peace in the face of violence and conflict.

Final Note

With its innovative initiatives like the Camp Care Comic series organizations such as Go Project Hope offer hope in the face of crises that frequently characterize the developing world. The programs developed and funded by the NGO have provided essential support to refugee camps across Palestine, Iraq and Greece. These efforts continue to enhance the lives of thousands of refugees and instill hope worldwide.

– Juliana Granville

Juliana is based in Brooklyn, NY, USA and focuses on Technology and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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CARE: Addressing the Crisis in Venezuela

CARE: An Organization Addressing the Crisis in VenezuelaIn just a decade, more than 7.7 million people have fled their homes due to the crisis in Venezuela, marking it as one of the largest exoduses in recent Latin American history and one of the largest displacements worldwide. The country struggles with three simultaneous crises: a massive exodus, escalating humanitarian emergencies and intensified crackdowns on government dissent.

Economic Decline

Venezuela, home to the world’s largest oil reserves, has become highly dependent on its fossil fuel income since the discovery, evolving into what is known as a petrostate. As the nation’s reliance on oil increased, political power concentrated increasingly in the hands of an elite minority, which weakened political institutions and led to widespread corruption. However, starting in 2014, oil production began to decline due to inadequate investment and maintenance. Between 2014 and 2021, Venezuela’s Gross Domestic Product shrank by three-quarters, leading to severe economic distress.

CARE’s Involvement in Crisis Management

Since 1945, CARE, a nonprofit organization, has been actively working to address the crisis in Venezuela at a local level and build lasting institutions that support Venezuelan citizens and refugees. Operating in 109 countries, CARE has implemented more than 1,600 development projects aimed at fighting poverty. As of 2024, its work has reached 167 million people. CARE focuses on creating and funding long-term development projects that aim to reduce poverty, rather than merely alleviating immediate needs.

CARE focuses on six main issues: crisis, food and water, health, education and work, climate and equality. The organization addresses these issues through advocacy, innovation, women’s economic justice, strengthening social systems and enhancing local partnerships. In crisis response, CARE aims to deliver gender-focused and localized humanitarian assistance to 10% of people affected by major crises by 2030, impacting at least 50 million people. In Venezuela, CARE is actively implementing crisis response programs to support citizens and refugees affected by the humanitarian crisis.

Regional Refugee Support and CARE’s Response

The crisis in Venezuela has forced approximately 20% of the country’s population to become refugees, with CARE heavily focusing on providing aid to these individuals in surrounding countries. Most Venezuelan refugees find themselves in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. However, Ecuador curtailed its influx of refugees in 2019 by requiring entry visas from Venezuelan citizens, whereas Colombia has welcomed nearly 1.7 million Venezuelan refugees. Since 2018, CARE has expanded its operations in Latin America, specifically in Ecuador, Colombia and southern Venezuela, to respond to this mass exodus.

CARE offers cash vouchers for food and accommodation, transportation tickets, phone SIM cards and sanitary kits for women. In Colombia, new arrivals also receive legal counseling and information services through CARE. Nearly one million Venezuelans have fled to Peru, where CARE provides food and cash assistance and refurbishes shelters and health clinics. Additionally, CARE collaborates with local partners and leverages international support to help refugee host countries promote long-term integration. This includes providing education, health services, social protection, legal advice and entrepreneurship opportunities.

CARE’s Community and Gender-Specific Initiatives

In Venezuela, CARE organizes awareness campaigns and activities to combat gender-based violence and is initiating efforts to address child malnutrition in Caracas. Currently, CARE operates in Caracas and Miranda, collaborating with intervention partners to support vulnerable families, female-headed households, families with children under 5 and the elderly. It provides water, sanitation, hygiene, food and nutrition security, shelter, sexual and reproductive health education and cash voucher assistance. In all its programs, CARE aims to engage 30% of the community to foster social cohesion.

CARE allocates 90% of its expenses to fund programs like those addressing the crisis in Venezuela, but it has only raised 54% of the funds needed to assist everyone currently in crisis. Spreading these funds across all the countries it serves means that many projects cannot reach everyone it aims to help. CARE encourages people not only to donate but also to speak out about these issues. It provides resources where people can help, attend awareness and fundraising events, organize local events and stay connected with the CARE community.

Looking Ahead

The ongoing crisis in Venezuela has resulted in the displacement of millions and severe humanitarian challenges. CARE continues to play a vital role in supporting Venezuelan refugees and citizens, providing essential services like food, shelter and legal assistance across Latin America. Despite limited funding, CARE remains committed to addressing the crisis, emphasizing the importance of community engagement and gender-specific initiatives to foster long-term recovery and stability.

– Anna Thibodeau

Anna is based in Omaha, NE, USA and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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How BOMA Is Building Climate Resilience in Africa’s Drylands

BOMAIn the Samburu region of Kenya, Pamela Lenolnyenje is one of the thousands of nomadic people living in/around the Kirisia Forest. Many such people live in extreme poverty partly due to rising temperatures and the collapse of fragile local ecosystems. However, due to financial training and a $175 grant provided by BOMA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending poverty and mitigating the effects of adverse weather, Lenolnyenje has since gained an income from managing a tree nursery while setting up her shop to sell produce. Likewise, due to intervention by BOMA, destructive land management practices have fallen considerably among the local community.

This is just one example of the work BOMA is doing to combat both environmental degradation and extreme poverty in Africa’s drylands. By combining education with access to capital, BOMA has sought to help vulnerable people escape the trap of climate-induced poverty by improving climate resilience. Refugees, in particular, have formed a primary target group, with sub-Saharan Africa hosting more than a quarter of the world’s refugee population.

The Rural Entrepreneur Access Project

The organization’s Rural Entrepreneur Access Project (REAP) strategy has been key to helping vulnerable populations in this way. Through this strategy, BOMA maps the key barriers to overcoming extreme poverty for pastoral families before implementing a series of interventions, including conditional cash transfers and financial training, for two years. However, due to the unique challenges facing Africa’s drylands, a more specialized “Green REAP” strategy is now used to tackle the twin crises of environmental collapse and extreme poverty.

The Green Reap Project

While environmental issues may appear of secondary concern to those facing extreme poverty, the sustainable management of scarce resources and fragile ecosystems can, in fact, considerably reduce poverty levels. Improving communities’ resilience to the impacts of changing climatic conditions, flood control, water filtration and other issues is crucial for sustainable development. Thus, BOMA, alongside its partners, provides funding and training to help people set up small, environmentally-friendly enterprises, which also help to conserve local ecosystems, such as the tree nursery discussed earlier.

One example of this Green REAP approach in action is the LIFT project in Northern Kenya, established in 2023. The project aims to improve opportunities for 15,600 women, young people and refugees by helping these people build and sustain 3,650 small enterprises. Of these 15,600 LIFT participants, approximately 30% of them come from in and around the Kakuma Refugee Camp and Kalobeyei Refugee Settlement, thus underlining BOMA’s commitment to refugees.

Impact

A 2016 study found that BOMA’s model resulted in a 147% increase in income for participants, alongside a 14,000% increase in savings and a 63% decrease in the number of children going to bed hungry. The Green REAP pilot scheme similarly indicated that 60% of participants shifted away from destructive practices such as charcoal harvesting, demonstrating Green REAP’s impact on climate resilience.

Final Remark

Ultimately, BOMA’s estimates indicate that more than 93,000 people in Kenya will benefit directly or indirectly from the LIFT project in the next two years. However, as the earth’s average temperature continues to ravage the drylands of Africa and trap many in positions of extreme poverty, the need for programs like this remains as high as ever. Thus, only through the incredible work of charities like BOMA can extreme poverty truly be eliminated from the African continent.

– Ben Evans

Ben is based in Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire, UK and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Everything You Need to Know about Poverty in Tibet

Poverty in TibetTibet, known as the “roof of the world,” is a remote territory under China’s rule that lies north of the Himalayas and southwest of China. The region is home to 3.6 million, and many Tibetans earn less than $100 per year, unable to afford basic fruits and vegetables, with many relying solely on barley dumplings to survive. There are 628,000 Tibetans registered as poor who have been uplifted from poverty, as of late 2019. The Chinese government has allocated around 75 billion Chinese Yuan ($15.3 billion) to poverty alleviation, which led to China in 2020 declaring a “major victory” in eradicating extreme poverty in Tibet — all of Tibet’s 74 counties are no longer “poverty-stricken,” according to the Chinese government. Here’s everything you need to know about poverty in Tibet.

China’s Poverty Alleviation Tactics in Tibet

China’s mission to alleviate poverty in Tibet is synonymous with modernizing the region. Some poor Tibetans now own cars in Tibet, according to ThinkChina, with paved expressways and a billboard advertising a “Westernised” café amid the Himalayan mountains. Some young Tibetans own cell phones and dream of “leaving the mountains and plains” to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, or to mainland China, ThinkChina says.

The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) reported that China’s efforts are a “scheme” that the government carries out under the guise of poverty alleviation. The economic gain from China’s poverty alleviation mission has come at a large cost to rural Tibetans and their culture. The Chinese government has relocated Tibetan nomads and farmers en masse from poverty-stricken areas to other locations in Tibet or China, forcing them into military training and factory labor.

China also seeks to eliminate what it calls the “harmful influence” of Buddhism and change Tibetans’ “way of thinking” by way of “re-education,” according to the CTA. U.N. experts are “very disturbed” that around a million Tibetan children face seemingly forced cultural, religious and linguistic assimilation into the majority Han culture, the U.N. reported in February 2023.

Forced Evictions and Relocations

In May 2024, Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that 500 Tibetan villages with more than 140,000 residents have faced or are currently facing forced eviction and relocation. When individual households are relocated, poorer households are often selected — between 2016 and 2020, 567,000 people were relocated under this program by the government. These relocations are “severely eroding Tibetan culture and ways of life,” HRW’s China director Maya Wang said.

The Chinese government states that the goal of resettling Tibet’s poorest into urban areas is to improve their housing conditions, health care and education. However, the government’s mission left many of those resettled living in poverty in urban areas, according to the United States Department of State.

Despite China’s occupation, many Tibetans’ alliances continue to lie with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, who created a nonprofit organization working for the welfare of destitute Tibetans.

14th Dalai Lama’s Central Tibetan Relief Committee

Tibet used to be an independent region — in the 1950s, China forcibly claimed Tibet, destroying many Buddhist monasteries and killing thousands. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama fled to northern India, along with around 80,000 refugees, according to BBC. In 1994, he established the Central Tibetan Relief Committee (CTRC) in India.

The CTRC’s main objective is to rehabilitate and settle Tibetan refugees, as well as uplift the poor and make the Tibetan settlement “viable and sustainable,” according to its website. One of its primary initiatives is to “take care of genuinely poor and destitute elders who have no one to take care of them.” The CTRC has built more than 14 homes and accommodates more than 500 Tibetan elders, as of 2020.

“The awesome power that economic institutions have acquired in our society, and the distressing effects that poverty continues to wreak, should make all of us look for means of transforming our economy into one based on compassion,” His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama wrote in 2008.

Chinese government claims it has lifted Tibet out of extreme poverty, however, the CTA, the U.N. and HRW dispute this claim. China’s poverty alleviation tactics may have diminished Tibet’s poverty in an economic sense, but individual Tibetans often remain impoverished, with their traditional culture stripped away. Human rights groups and His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama continue to look out for poor Tibetans, ensuring proper poverty relief.

– Ahna Fleming

Ahna is based in Minneapolis, MN, USA and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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The Benefits of Supporting Refugee Students in Luxembourg

Refugee Students in LuxembourgFamous for its education programs, Luxembourg is among the best countries in which children can receive an education. From ages 4 to 16, education is compulsory and paid for by the government. The Luxembourg government pays for education to give younger people every opportunity to integrate into society, including children from immigrant families. Refugee students and asylum seekers are accustomed to receiving fully paid education upon their arrival in the country; institutions like the University of Luxembourg provide full-time services.

Refugees in Luxembourg

As of 2022, 11,952 refugees lived in Luxembourg. Among the many, these refugees arrive from countries such as Ukraine, India and Brazil, which are known to be home to corrupt officials and violent groups. Given circumstances such as the Russo-Ukrainian War and adverse climatic conditions globally, the benefits of refugees receiving an education that can help grow and develop a nation or build advocates to defend their homes are phenomenal.

Quality education has many advantages for refugee students in Luxembourg, including strengthening their ability to contribute to the host country’s economy and promoting a sustainable return to and reconstruction of their countries of origin. Luxembourg recognizes two categories of international protection status: refugee and subsidiary. Both of these categories grant their children a good education for their future status as citizens of Luxembourg and the country of origin. Education helps create a safe and stable environment for children and allows graduates to rebuild their countries and pursue productive, meaningful lives.

A Cosmopolitan of Educational Effort

Schools like the University of Luxembourg offer a more flexible and diverse learning environment. Every child is given a chance to succeed and the government focuses on diversifying school typing made available by educational programs to fit different profiles. The diversity of Luxembourg’s efforts can be seen as a learning growth and well-being, including children of different origins and cultures helps to build a structured system that allows them to benefit each other by sharing and discussing various ideas that can lead to a beneficial solution for everyone in a group setting or even an entire classroom. Initiatives such as the Diversity Charter help private and public schools reap the benefit of diversity by including outsiders and strengthening local cohesion.

Graduates Build a Better Future

Graduates will seek a way to live in a stable environment after school. Higher education and skills are a critical link between learning and earning. Young people who thrive and transition to pursue a sustainable future seek investment in abilities to strengthen protection and support efforts for their country of origin and build participation efforts for the benefit of their communities.

All students can benefit from a more prosperous academic program, enhanced social cohesion and resources that will develop into improved outcomes. Outcomes like social assistance are an excellent service for a graduate as they help deliver accommodations such as vouchers (EUR 225), health costs, social counseling and guidance for other refugees entering a new country.

Development of a Strong Economy

Once graduates finish school, quality education can lead to higher incomes, self-sufficiency and reduced aid dependency. The strengthened ability of refugee graduates helps contribute to the host country’s economies. It promotes a sustainable return to and reconstruction of countries of origin.

The underlying idea in economic thinking about education is that investing in individuals’ skills and knowledge increases their productivity in the workforce. Refugee graduates demonstrate this by enhancing societal standards by contributing their skills and participating in activities that help strengthen the economic framework of nations like Luxembourg, thus giving back to the community they have resettled in.

Without liquidity constraints, individuals could enlarge their resources by investing in the necessary educational activities up to the point that the cost of capital acquisition balances expected returns.

Equal Opportunities for Women and Children to Learn

Inclusion in European schools is a challenging task for young women and children due to cultural beliefs and systems that frown on certain members of the community going to school. Cultural standards are not the only issue with inclusion because of the protracted nature and scale of displacement. Refugee situations tend to last for years or even decades and these two groups will spend their school years in displacement.

When refugee women and children are included in national school systems, it is more likely to stem from formal accreditation and recognition of qualifications. This makes it easier for refugees to gain education, which also promotes social cohesion with host communities and improves equity in the educational outcomes of refugees and host communities.

Improved advocacy efforts for future refugees and asylum seekers: For future generations to arrive in countries like Luxembourg, it is crucial to have others speak for their rights and lives without fear or discrimination from groups that do not seem fond of allowing refugees or asylum seekers in their own country.

Students who enroll in programs focusing on human rights and programming will work toward protecting members of their community, such as by supporting the Red Cross migrant and refugee services. These services aim to care for migrants dealing with health issues, provide special needs services and protect victims of violence or trafficking.

Conclusion

Luxembourg is a country that welcomes those in need; it actively implores newcomers to pursue a better life away from the past and start a new beginning. Refugees and asylum seekers are not exempted from these benefits and the future of those depends on how education can impact the next generation living in a foreign country. As other European nations also welcome newcomers into their borders, Luxembourg remains one of the most educated European nations. Those who enter institutes in Luxembourg, both citizens and refugee students, seek to generate a better future.

– Jacob Barker

Jacob is based in Ames, IA, USA and focuses on Good News and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr