Oct 6 11
Dadaab, Aug. 2011
Descending through the thin layer of clouds, the arid landscape of Dadaab appears below, pockmarked by the blue tents of the UNHCR hosting weary refugees. As we approach the short landing strip, the warm winds rising rattle the little propeller plane, dipping the wings on either side. Having left behind chilly Nairobi at 6 am, the warmth of Dadaab is a brief respite for my freezing toes, though soon, I, along with everyone else, wish for cooler weather – even during this winter “chill.” I disembark with a flurry of butterflies and head off to greet our partners, the wonderful…
Aug 30 11
John’s story (In pic from left to right : Martin from RCK, John, Vladimir from Refugees United) The man standing in the middle of the picture is named John. He lives in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya. He was forced to flee his hometown during the post election period in 2008 and was then placed in Kakuma Camp leaving behind family members and friends. John has been searching for his 2 sons and has not heard from them in years. He was very excited to hear about Refugees United’s plan to help people reconnect and is eager to create his account. John says: “Refugees United is my only…
Aug 11 11
Refugees United – Chapter 15
True to fashion in how David and I had lived our lives up to this moment, everything happened, resonated – and without much thought we threw our passion behind the quest of finding Mansour’s family. An echo between rationale and raucousness has determined our lives so far, and it has led us to deeply engaging and interesting moments, however heartbreaking some of them have been. Such is the liberty I suppose, for those fortunate enough to have been born into the luxury of freedom. I’m not sure what we expected to find in Moscow, nor what we expected may…
Jul 27 11
Refugees United – Chapter 14
One of the challenges of heading to Russia was getting an entry visa. Mansour was still waiting for his “official” Danish passport, known for its color as the red beet, traveling under a blue, temporary one. This alone made it difficult to get a visa. Moreover, per Russian requirements you need an invitation from a hotel, and a reason for your visit. Two longhaired broke guys and an Afghan refugee didn’t, it seem, make for optimal tourists. However, through our stint working as teachers with immigrants and refugees, we were able to claim it a study trip and obtain the…
Jul 20 11
Refugees United – Chapter 13
A heavy stone fell from the hearts of both when they found each other. A sense of belonging, of not being completely alone anymore, was how they described the feelings that milled about. Unfortunately, the answer to each of the brothers’ first question on the whereabouts of the rest of the family was that neither knew anything. However, they had found each other, and that provided some hope. With the reunion’s glow waning after a few days, reality came barging through the door. Mansour learned that, while “luck” had graced his life after Peshawar, Ali had been less fortunate. Sold…
Jul 14 11
Refugees United – Chapter 12, Peshawar pt. 2
Mansour left the house to meet the trafficker, anxious to learn any news. The guy had shared with him the previous day that he might be able to unearth information about one of Mansour’s brothers, Ali. Stepping into the trafficker’s office took immeasurable courage on behalf of Mansour, and we’re still dumbfounded as to how he racked up the nerve to question, to push this criminal that had much evil on his conscience. But push he did, and after bribing him even more, learned that his one younger brother, Ali, 9-years-old last they had seen each other, now lived in…
Jul 12 11
Refugees United – Chapter 11, Peshawar
After months and months of seemingly no action or results, David, Mansour and I decided to try and take things into our own hands. At this stage Mansour had grown in courage and in his desire to unearth any information possible about what had happened to his family. He reached the decision to travel back to Peshawar in search of answers and of people who might assist him in his quest. Not a small feat, considering his young age, returning to the place and people who separated him from loved ones 5 years earlier. Peshawar is a hustle and bustle…
Jun 20 11
June 20th is World Refugee Day
June 20th is a day like every other day. 86,400 seconds: A blink of an eye to some, and to others a lifetime passing by. For more than 36 million people, this day, as any other, is 1,440 minutes of despair, another day of uncertainty, 24 hours of fear. June 20th is World Refugee Day. Celebrating World Refugee Day is not so much a celebration as a remembrance; a remembrance of what could have been for all these people had they been granted the geographical opportunities we enjoy. A remembrance that, at the end of the day, we are…
May 27 11
DATA.BLOG – UNHCR refugee statistics: full data
DATA.BLOG – UNHCR refugee statistics: full data
May 9 11
Faces of the displaced For more than a month, refugees have been fleeing the violence and uncertainty of Libya into Tunisia. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees has reported nearly 180,000 people have fled — a rate of 2,000 a day. Most end up at border transit camps, desperately trying to find a way home. Here are the faces of a few of them. — Lloyd Young (39 photos total)
Hundreds of families are reconnected
through our work every month, often after years of searching for their missing loved ones.
Any donation will help separated families reconnect.
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