The Refuge Initiative: Building Communities of Hope
Building camps of refuge, restoring dignity and hope, and providing pathways back to independent living for those running from persecution. Building Camps of Refuge
On September 9, 2014 The Refuge Initiative opened the very first refugee camp in the Soran, Iraq on the grounds of its community center known as The Refuge. What began as a desire to help 20 Shabak families has turned into a regional effort to build camps of refuge for the most vulnerable IDP and refugee families. In partnership with the local governments of Soran and Rwandz – and with the involvement of several charities and NGO’s – The Refuge Initiative is providing shelter, food, water and electricity to more than 80 Yezidi and Shabak families (500+ individuals) at three separate locations. Each camp is uniquely built with kitchen, bathroom and living areas specific for the needs of each family unit. Restoring Dignity and Hope
At the heart of our humanitarian efforts is to build communities of hope at each of our camps. We do this by keeping the size of each camp no larger than 50 families, and where possible, from the same family or tribal background. This enables us to preserve existing social and relational structures, promotes autonomy and maintains the dignity of those in our care. In the face of incredible suffering and persecution we believe that our model of refugee care builds the platform for hope to rise up within the lives of every individual. Pathway Back to Independence
The Refuge Initiative is not only building places of refuge, but we are also actively involved in providing those within our care pathways to recovery and independent living. Our community center, The Refuge, is a fully functioning vocational training and education center equipped with classrooms, a conference room, event hall and soccer stadium. We are currently partnering with internationally renowned clinical psychologists and organizations to provide access to leading mental health at all our locations. In addition to providing substantial employment to dozens of IDP’s and refugees through the construction of our camps, many have started small businesses in the local markets or have found other work.
