Supporting Congolese Refugees

Dear all,

I hope this message finds you well and is received with an open and compassionate heart. I am writing to you today with the hope that you will take a little bit of your precious time to consider reading this post and contributing to a cause that is near and dear to my heart and work.

There is a critical need for the development and implementation of an overseas orientation program to the US culture, law, language, employment, housing, healthcare, and other topics for refugees whom are currently living in refugee camps; to enable them to become familiar with, acclimatize and prepare them for life in the United States with better insights into what adjusting to a new country and culture encompasses, before they reach the US. While some education overseas on similar topics exists, there are critical gaps in knowledge and understanding of what the reality of starting a new life in the US entails. This orientation program will ultimately set up refugees, awaiting resettlement to the United States, better for success through the acquisition of the knowledge, skills and the tools needed to live a healthy and prosperous life in the United States. It is my intention to learn more about the needs, existing educational programs and structures addressing this issue and to build the foundation for further development and improvement of these educational services, in the refugee camps. Please read on.

The refugee issue

Refugee resettlement is an issue that is near and dear to my heart. In my 20’s I pursed a Master’s in Public Health (MPH), with a focus in Global Health, with the goal to enter the field of humanitarian aid and to build a career working within the NGO/non profit sector to make an impact and serve some of the most vulnerable individuals. This led me to securing employment with the International Rescue Committee (IRC - https://www.rescue.org) where I have spent the past 7 years implementing, delivering and managing a variety of health programs to refugees resettled in Salt Lake City, UT. During this time we served thousands of refugees from all of the world including Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Syria, Burma, and other countries in crisis.

The United Nations defines a refugee as: “A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war or violence. A refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. Most likely, they cannot return home or are afraid to do so. War and ethnic, tribal and religious violence are leading causes of refugees fleeing their countries.”

My personal experience

My personal definition of a refugee is someone whom has been forced out of their home, village and country, not by their own want or choice, and has had to leave their families, everyone they know and everything they have ever known behind in need of survival and to seek and fulfill their basic human need of safety. You are not a refugee by choice. A refugee is someone that is extremely resilient and faces tremendous hardship and obstacles, day by day, to just live and survive. They can not go home, they are displaced indefinitely in refugee camps until they are resettled to a third permanent country where they must build a new life for themselves, from scratch often times not knowing the language, culture, food, housing, healthcare, job market, banking systems, etc; and are living on the poverty while also being an outsider and often times face intense discrimination. A refugee is someone whom is rooted in their culture, and despite the constant setbacks maintain hope and optimism. Refugees are some of the most beautiful and inspiring people I have/you will ever know.

Can you imagine being uprooted from all you know?

I have met families that have escaped the Taliban and have had witnessed their own sons be murdered in front of them. I have met Afghan women that have never been able to have a voice or leave the house without a male escort. I have met pregnant women from the Congo whom have been raped by militia groups and resettle to the US with the hope to provide a better life for their unborn, out of wedlock child. I have met children from Syria that were born in the refugee camp and are extremely malnourished, have severe health problems and have never had the opportunity to attend school. I have met a family from Ethiopia whom had to run for their lives when the war came and a bomb exploded under the fig tree in their front yard area. During their journey to safety a husband and wife were traveling together, the husband died en route - they buried him and continued on. I have met a Rohingya man whom had to flee Myanmar due to persecution from his Muslim religion and he described to me the beatings and torture that he underwent in Papa New Guinea while awaiting resettlement to the US. I have helped refugees with bullets in their legs and other serious wounds from torture obtain essential medical care.

Helping refugees help themselves

Throughout my seven years of working directly with refugees whom have gone through the grueling, arduous and lengthy process of being vetted and resettled to a third county permanently, and to rebuild and start a new life, I have heard their stories, seen how traumatized these individuals are and know just how brutal and difficult their circumstances are and have been. They have a lot to overcome yet maintain such hope optimism and gratitude for the support and opportunities given to them. It brings tears to my eyes to reflect on my past experiences working with refugees in SLC and to remember how special these humans are, how much they have had to endure and overcome and how such little help, support, compassion and kindness can go so far in these people’s lives.

The current crisis has deepened

Currently, and for the first time ever, the US Refugee Resettlement Program is suspended indefinitely. As a result, refugees that had been stringently vetted, background checked and approved to resettle and had travel booked have now been cancelled - their dreams shattered and their future uncertain, yet again. What is certain is that refugees, with no home and nowhere to go, will be living in the camps for an even more prolonged period of time now. The reality of life in a refugee camp is poor- there is overcrowding, disease outbreaks, exploitation, inadequate housing and sanitation, and limited access to food, water, education and healthcare. In the advent of the suspension of the US Refugee resettlement program, these problems will be exacerbated and an individuals time spent living in the camps with these conditions prolonged. In conjunction, the conflict in DRC has just recently worsened (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y98jjwx4no) causing more Congolese to flee the DRC to Tanzania and overburdening the already full refugee camps and their limited services, even further.

My own journey and plans to help

Since leaving IRC-SLC I have embarked on my own personal travels around the globe yet have maintained connection to this cause and work of refugee resettlement as it is a passion within me that can not just be put out. In a few months - in May of this year (2025) - I will be traveling to Africa and have connected with IRC Tanzania and have solidified plans to meet with their teams, engage with partners and stakeholders (IOM, UNICEF) and have been granted permissions to visit the refugee camps along the border of Tanzania, Congo and Burundi. In conjunction with this professional development I intend to also seize the opportunity to provide direct aid to refugees living in the camps and the programs operating there. Thus, I intend to personally raise $5,000 between now and April.

So, where will the money go?

Direct Support: IRC staff working in the field and on the ground in the camps in Tanzania are currently identifying several families that are high risk and most in need of support. These are people that have faced and fled tremendous violence, persecution and conflict and have made it to the camp seeking safety with often times literally nothing but the clothes on their backs. The money will be used to purchase the essential supplies for specific named families that have been personally identified and are in the most need. This can range anywhere from shelter materials such as tents and tarps, blankets, sleeping mats, cooking supplies (pots and pans), hygiene items such as soap, toothpaste and sanitary supplies, clothing, mosquito nets, and basic first aid supplies. Once the funds have been secured and the items and families have been identified I will be purchasing these supplies and hand delivering them directly to the families at the camps.

And programmatic support is essential as well as direct personal help

Programatic support: IRC Tanzania provides critical support to thousands of refugees living in the camps through health, education, protection, youth and other program areas. IRC runs the education in the camps and is responsible for primary and secondary education for all the children. Furthermore, they run the hospitals and health centers and provide all first level health services to refugees in the camps. The funding to operate these crucial programs has been diminishing overtime and just recently drastically cut and yet, the work is only ever increasing. Thus, a portion of the donations will be given directly to the program areas identified by IRC Tanzania as the most in need. This programmatic support will ensure that health, education and protection services will continue and the money will be used for program supplies. This may range in purchasing textbooks, notebooks, pens and pencils and other classroom supplies for the schools, purchasing medical equipment and supplies for the health centers or upgrading IRC employees equipment to improve the efficiency of their work.

(above photos from the web)

Every small bit helps

By entrusting me with your financial support, we together, can supply critical humanitarian aid directly to those living some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged lives and further the very important and critical public health and educational programming needed to better the lives of these individuals. Please be assured that none of the donations will be used for my personal expenses- my travel, accommodation, living expenses, etc. have already and will be been paid for, out my own pocket, and 100% of the proceeds will be spent directly on the refugees and programs serving them.This is a unique opportunity to provide direct aid, without channeling funds through a third party, charitable organization or other entity. You can be ensured that I have immense passion and integrity to ensure that 100% of every penny contributed will 100% reach the refugees and the cause directly, without any hidden indirect or other costs taken out. Also, kindly be reminded that many employers offer charitable donation matching programs where your contribution can be doubled by simply working with your HR department. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions, thoughts, ideas or anything else on your mind.

How to contribute?

I will be collecting donations through BetterWorld and Venmo. BetterWorld is a crowdfunding website (similar to GoFundMe) but does not charge any fees and 100% of the donations through this platform will 100% reach me, the recipient. The intention behind creating this crowdfunding link is to maximize the reach, on the internet. I am also providing my Venmo account details - please choose whichever you are most comfortable with and is most easeful for you.

BetterWorld Fundraising Campaign: Supporting Congolese Refugees (https://hannahparrish.betterworld.org/campaigns/supporting-congolese-refugees )

Venmo:

Another way to help

If you can please share this text and the links provided within your communities and circles (family, friends, church, school, work, social media pages, etc) then the further the reach, the further the impact.

Lastly, I will be following up with this email group with an update of what exact needs and supplies are identified and will be purchased and will be sure to recap and provide photos (if appropriate and allowed) of this work upon its completion.

Thank you for reading; there is no obligation on you whatsoever. But together, we can make a difference…every long race starts with the first small steps!

With gratitude,

Hannah Parrish

parrish698@aol.com, +1 914-483-9401