Other Feminisms will be back next week, after my family moves to Virginia. Today, please share vetted aid organizations that might be able to make a difference for Afghan refugees and internally displaced persons. Please mention why you have trust in this particular organization.
Two from me:
Lutheran Social Services (National Capital Area): LSS already works with refugees (including previously resettled Afghan refugees) and are preparing to welcome people to the DC area. They’re looking for local volunteers, as well as financial support, to help families find housing, have friendly guides to the area, and connect to jobs and schools.
I don't have a vetted aid organization to recommend for Afghan refugees, and I welcome your suggestions and those of your readers. Could I also suggest one for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti? International NGOs have been heavily criticized for their part after the 2010 earthquake, and journalists / Haitian scholars I follow have encouraged people to find *local* organizations to contribute to -- organizations that know the needs of their own neighbors. The one I've seen Haitian scholars recommending repeatedly is FOKAL. https://twitter.com/reineayiti/status/1427358417396637696
Besides the DC area, Lutheran Immigration Relief Services are also seeking volunteers (individuals or groups such as congregations) in the Seattle/Tacoma, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Houston areas: https://lirsconnect.org/get_involved/action_center/siv
Passed on by a friend from a military family, "No One Left Behind is a nonprofit organization supported by the US military and veteran coming that focuses on helping interpreters and US allies still awaiting support in Afghanistan."
One Afghan aid organization vouched for by E. Lily Yu: RAWA, an organization of Afghan women resisting fundamentalism: http://www.rawa.org/
Yu did extensive research with Afghan refugees for her novel On Fragile Waves, so I trust her judgment and connections.
I don't have a vetted aid organization to recommend for Afghan refugees, and I welcome your suggestions and those of your readers. Could I also suggest one for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti? International NGOs have been heavily criticized for their part after the 2010 earthquake, and journalists / Haitian scholars I follow have encouraged people to find *local* organizations to contribute to -- organizations that know the needs of their own neighbors. The one I've seen Haitian scholars recommending repeatedly is FOKAL. https://twitter.com/reineayiti/status/1427358417396637696
Besides the DC area, Lutheran Immigration Relief Services are also seeking volunteers (individuals or groups such as congregations) in the Seattle/Tacoma, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Houston areas: https://lirsconnect.org/get_involved/action_center/siv
Donated and shared link via Twitter.
Passed on by a friend from a military family, "No One Left Behind is a nonprofit organization supported by the US military and veteran coming that focuses on helping interpreters and US allies still awaiting support in Afghanistan."
https://nooneleft.org/default.aspx?