Global Refugee Fund

Today we are witnessing the largest number of refugees ever reported – an unprecedented global crisis. The figures are devastating. 65.6 million people have been forcibly displaced from their homes. 22.5 million of them are refugees, of which over half are children. Around the world, IsraAID has put the needs of refugees and displaced people at the forefront of what we do.

Below are the personal stories of two people, both of whom have fled war and violence in their home countries, who have dedicated themselves to supporting refugee children through IsraAID’s programs.

Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya

Taha (pictured above) is a facilitator at IsraAID's Child Resource Center in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya, bringing fun and joy to children who have fled war, violence, hunger and drought. Taha is also a refugee himself from Darfur. Eight years ago, he escaped violent conflict, leaving his friends and family behind. He is one of more than 185,000 refugees living in Kakuma. Nearly 60% of refugees in Kakuma are under the age of 17.

After training with IsraAID, Taha is committed to supporting children who have experienced severe trauma. He is now a leader and role model in the refugee camp, running youth mentorship programs. The Child Resource Center is a secure oasis for over 150 children a day, providing recreational activities, safe water, and the chance to simply be kids.

“Hearing about each child's personal situation – everything that has led them to Kakuma and our center – reminds me of what I have been through, escaping from my home with no idea if or when I will be able to return. When I see a smile on the face of a child who has experienced indescribable trauma, I know that I am doing something good.”

IsraAID is in Kenya supporting the physical, medical and psycho-social needs of refugees in Kakuma Refugee Camp & Kalobeyei Settlement.

Lesbos, Greece

Najwa (pictured below) is a French teacher from Damascus. Faced by the ongoing, brutal conflict in Syria, she managed to escape with her husband and six-year old daughter, Aya. They eventually made it to Algeria, where the family split up and Najwa began the arduous journey to Europe with Aya, alone. They arrived on the shores of Lesbos just a few months ago. Today, this Greek island hosts around 10,000 refugees, largely from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Refugees in Lesbos live in an uncertain limbo, struggling for access and opportunity. There are more than 1,500 refugee children on the island without a school to go to. Najwa and Aya, however, were able to find some normalcy through the School of Peace.

Run by IsraAID in partnership with Hashomer Hatzair and the Ajial Movement of Arab Educators, the school provides a safe, stable environment for over 150 children aged six to sixteen. They learn crucial subjects like Mathematics and English in their mother tongue and the teachers are refugees themselves.

With her professional experience, Najwa was delighted to join the faculty of the School of Peace, making a real difference to the lives of children like Aya.

IsraAID is in Greece responding to the medical, educational and psycho-social needs of refugees.

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