What Does Home Mean to You?
Dear RefuSHE community,
For many us, we have been asked to stay home to remain safe and healthy. As I see my social media feed alternate between heartwarming family read-alouds to hilarious disheveled scenes of parents juggling work and homeschooling, I’m reminded that there are ways to find beauty and grace in this moment despite it being disruptive to everyday life.
It also makes me think about what home means for everyone during this time. For the girls, young women, and children we serve, RefuSHE is their home. We are their home, their family and their school. Unfortunately, in accordance with government mandates around the virus, we had to close our Girls Empowerment Program (GEP) campus in Nairobi.
Over 160 of the girls enrolled in the GEP live out in the community and are now unable to come to campus every day, where they get to see their friends, teachers, and counsellors, as well as eat a warm meal. At RefuSHE, we work with unaccompanied, separated, and orphaned young refugee women and girls who were already forced to flee their homes from conflict, political instability, religious persecution, and war. They no longer have a place to call home, nor the comfort of their parents in times of uncertainty. Our girls look to RefuSHE to fill the role of parent and protector. We are their safe haven, and now this global pandemic has uprooted their lives once again.
Our team is working tirelessly to check in on the girls virtually and in-person as much as they can while Kenya is also sheltering in place. However, the reality is the refugee communities where our girls live are densely populated, where social distancing is not an option and the lack of access to clean water and good sanitation puts them at high risk for the virus. If COVID-19 spreads to these communities, the result could be catastrophic. Because of this, we are supporting our girls with additional emergency funds to cover rent and buy the water, food, and supplies needed so they can reduce their movement.
Today, more than ever, their safety and health are our top priority. As a small organization, we cannot do this alone. We need the help of our RefuSHE community to help keep our girls safe and protected. We know this is a difficult time financially for everyone, but if you can, your donation will help provide our girls with the resources they need to get through these challenging times.
Thank you for helping us keep our girls safe. We couldn’t do this without you.
Warm regards,
Adele Nandan
VP of Business Development & External Relations