This World Refugee Week, we join hundreds of organizations and individuals globally who are both celebrating the achievements and raising awareness on the struggles of refugees. According to the UNHCR Global Trends Report 2023, an estimated 117.3 million people worldwide are forcibly displaced, of whom 40% are children. Every one of those is a human being brimming with hopes, dreams, aspirations, and the potential to positively impact their community if only given the opportunity.
Join us this World Refugee Week, as we share practical ideas on how you can join our movement to Bridge the Opportunity Gap for promising refugee children and youth.
Support Local Refugee Businesses
Refugees and displaced people have shown a drive to innovate and succeed wherever they go. Shop local and make a difference in the lives of refugee entrepreneurs by choosing to eat at their restaurants, buy their products, or use their services. If you’re in Lebanon, shop for dairy products, pitted olives, cucumber pickles, and more from the cooperative Mounet El Dar, run by two Syrian refugee mothers, or get your catering from Palestinian kitchen Soufra in Bourj Hammoud. In the UK, buy locally produced honey from Bees & Refugees, and enjoy a meal at Imad’s Syrian Kitchen, both founded by Syrians in London with an inspiring story. While in the US, in New York, order food from Eat Offbeat or The Syrian Kitchen in Columbia, Missouri. Make sure to research food businesses and other initiatives by refugees in your local area!
Hire Refugee Talent
COVID-19 taught us that remote work is not only possible but is also a massive opportunity to hire talent from all over the world. Well-educated, bilingual, tech-savvy, and hard-working youth in the Middle East are keen to contribute to remote work opportunities. You can hire a refugee talent for your business, or organization or as a personal assistant through Jusoor’s latest project under the Career Development Program, The Aya Project.
Invest in a Child’s Education
Millions of Syrian children have been displaced as a result of the conflict in their homeland. Not only did they lose their homes and the life they used to know, most also lost their only chance to continue their education in school after having to flee the country. Jusoor believes education is a right and not a privilege, thus our Refugee Education Program, now 11 years strong, provides Syrian refugee children with quality education and empowers them with the skills and opportunities to become Syria’s future leaders. With only $50 a month, you can sponsor one of the children to learn not only to read and write Arabic and English, but also to develop confidence in their cultural identity, STEM knowledge, critical and analytical thinking, socioemotional competencies such as empathy and conflict management, and more and give them back a chance to realize their full potential. Sponsor a child today, here.
Sponsor a Scholar’s Higher Education
While there are some opportunities for displaced children to get a primary education, the opportunities for higher education for refugees are scarce. Without a university degree, or even a high school diploma, many refugees struggle to find work opportunities and can face challenges in fulfilling their true potential. With Jusoor’s support, 393 Syrian scholars have received financial support for their bachelor's and master's degrees in the Middle East, North America, and Europe. Our scholars have gone on to work in global companies, and organizations and have been making a difference in the lives of their communities in Syria and around the world. Learn how you can support our Scholarships Program.
Host a Refugee in Your Home
This year’s World Refugee Week theme is ‘Home’. It is the home we’ve left. It is the new home we’re making. It’s the home we find in our support systems. It is also our global home, planet Earth, on which we share resources. This year, share your home with a refugee: you can cook a home-cooked meal for a refugee family, you can provide temporary shelter for a refugee family in your home, you can also work to make your city more welcoming to refugees who have had to flee their homes. In any way you can, open your kitchen, home, or city to those who are looking for a temporary or new home.
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