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Refugee Camps: Kakuma and Dadaab
Recently, I was able to spend some time with one of the remarkable people I mentioned in my last post. Hassan (not his real name) grew up in the Nuba Mountains region of Sudan. He studied at a university in the capital where government forces arrested him with no charge and held him in prison.…
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The Nairobi Landscape
Working with RefugePoint in Nairobi, we are fortunate enough to meet thousands of refugees who are amazing examples of courage, strength, ingenuity and even optimism despite the difficult pasts they have and the demanding circumstances they are currently in. Humanitarian organizations and research institutions have produced multiple reports highlighting the challenges refugees, particularly those in…
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Why I work for RefugePoint
My name is Devon Cone and I am a Protection Officer for RefugePoint. The first time I can remember meeting a refugee I was probably no more than ten years old. My dad introduced me to a man who was living in the basement of our friend’s home. He told me he was from Georgia…
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Rose Mapendo Founds New Organization
Congratulations to Rose Mapendo and her brother Kigabo Mbazamutima on the formation of their new organization! Rose and Kigabo are bringing their many talents and messages of hope and forgiveness to assist survivors of violence in Africa. Their organization, which is independent of RefugePoint, will focus on improving the quality and access to healthcare for…
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RefugePoint Client Stars in Film “The Last Survivor”
Justin Semahoro is one of four stars of the powerful documentary film The Last Survivor, showing at Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival on Saturday, September 11th at 4pm. Read the article from the MV Gazette here. Justin will attend the festival in person and will take questions after the film Saturday. Many thanks to RefugePoint…
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Looking Back at Thirty Years of the US Refugee Resettlement Program
Earlier this year, I joined RefugePoint as the first Director of Development. Soon after, I took a trip to Kenya where I met with some of the refugees RefugePoint is helping. The trip made me think about my own journey as a refugee from Laos. Last week, the world celebrated World Refugee Day, a particularly…
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The Greatest Bar Mitzvah Project in the World
Ben Stern’s Bar Mitzvah project saved a life. He sold donuts and gave the proceeds to RefugePoint, raising enough money, $500, for RefugePoint to bring one person from danger to safety. Ajak, a Sudanese refugee, is now reunited with her son and family thanks to Ben’s efforts. Click here to see the news piece about…
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Amazing Coincidence in Chicago
I’m in O’Hare airport on my way to a RefugePoint fundraiser in San Francisco tonight. And I’m about to see Ajak, a Sudanese refugee whom whom we’ve been taking care of in Nairobi for three years. This is just too coincidental! Ajak story is among the more compelling and horrible, but her refugee life is…
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How to Help in Haiti
The crisis in Haiti following last week’s devastating earthquake has shocked and saddened us all. The scale of loss of life, property, and livelihoods is almost inconceivable. While RefugePoint does not work directly in Haiti, we wanted to let you know that we are monitoring the crisis and are participating in advocacy efforts to help…
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Here’s a troubling report (from 2009) from Oxfam on Nairobi’s urbanization
“The scale of urban poverty in Kenya is something that policymakers can no longer afford to ignore. Between a third and half of the country’s urban population live in poverty. The country is urbanising at such a speed that it is projected to be 50 per cent urban by 2020, and half of all Kenya’s…