Support Ugandan Refugees in Burundi

We are urgently seeking your help to support seven young Ugandan gay male refugees, aged 18 to 22. These courageous individuals were rejected and abandoned by their families in Uganda after coming out as gay. The Ugandan government's stance on LGBTQ+ individuals is hostile, making them targets for persecution, imprisonment and death.

Kwizera (20), Nisnima (19), Mugisha (21), Arafati (21), Bako (22), Lubega (20), Mutesi Ramazani (18) are young men who fled their home with nothing for no other reason than because of who they are.

On June 8, 2023, the Voice of Hope, a Quaker humanitarian organization based in Burundi, welcomed these refugees, providing them with shelter, food, and basic necessities. However, we had no initial budget to address this emergency, and we are in a community that is not welcoming to LGBTQ+ individuals.

Despite our efforts to reach out to international humanitarian organizations, we haven't received the support we need. We are now turning to compassionate individuals who share our concern for these young people's well-being.

With the help of generous private donors in the USA and UK, we initially provided the refugees with essentials like mattresses, kitchenware, mosquito nets, blankets, food for a month, and covered some medical expenses. However, we're facing a funding gap, and the refugees are running out of food and facing homelessness. While we work out options for their long-term safety and security, they have more immediate short-term needs that we are trying to help them support.

Our immediate needs include:

Monthly Housing: $250

Monthly Food: $450

Emergency Fund: $200 per month

Vocational Training (8 months): $100 per month

Your contribution can make a significant difference in the lives of these young refugees. By supporting this cause, you are not only helping them survive but also offering hope for a better future. Your kindness and generosity are greatly appreciated. Thank you for standing with us in this critical time.

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From the Voice of Hope Website :

Voice of hope is a non-profit Quaker and religious association initiated since 2017 by young Congolese and Burundian Quaker volunteers with the main objective of supporting Orphan Children in Burundi, providing support to vulnerable widowed women victims of violence and discrimination, support the promotion of youth in diversity and respond to Humanitarian Emergencies within its radius of action.

Voice of Hope is recognized as a non-governmental humanitarian organization but a partner of the Burundian government in supporting community and local development processes. It is registered under ministerial ordinance number 530/943 of 06/27/2022 and based in Burundi in Bujumbura Marie, but its fields of action extend over the entire extent of the Burundian national territory.

Voice of Hope has been working for more than 6 years already in the humanitarian fields in the local Burundian community to try to understand the real needs of the local Burundian population and try to provide inclusive solutions in the short and long term.