This is the first post in a series of stories on RefuSHE’s Community Outreach program. Our mission in the community is to advance dialogue and create solutions for the protection of unaccompanied urban refugee girls and women. This includes our community outreach and education work to help refugee girls and women in refugee communities across Nairobi access financial and protection services.

Aime joined RefuSHE’s Safe House in 2020 after facing many threats to her life and safety in Congo and while living in the wider Nairobi community. Thanks to RefuSHE, Aime now has big plans for the future!

We are pleased to announce the grand opening of RefuSHE’s Artisan Collective Shop on our campus in Nairobi! The store features scarves, bags, scrunchies, and accessories that have been hand-dyed and handcrafted by the refugee members of our Artisan Collective.

The votes are in! RefuSHE's annual Fashion Challenge is an opportunity to shine a light on and garner support for the young women we serve. See who you voted the Fan Favorite of Fashion Challenge 2022: Destination Nairobi!

RefuSHE's annual Fashion Challenge is an opportunity to shine a light on and garner support for the young women we serve. See who the judges crowned the winner of Fashion Challenge 2022: Destination Nairobi!

After experiencing tremendous trauma and loss, Appoline came to RefuSHE with the hopes of rebuilding a life for herself and her nephew. After joining RefuSHE’s Girls Empowerment Program (GEP), Appoline no longer worries. In fact, she is actively pursuing her dreams of becoming a medical doctor!

We are incredibly honored to introduce to you our extraordinary panel of judges who will weigh on this year’s runway competition. Throughout the event, these judges will give their feedback and ultimately decide on one winner for Fashion Challenge 2022: Destination Nairobi. Don’t worry, you’ll also have the chance to vote for your favorite look!

We are pleased to introduce you to the incredible refugee women who inspired this year’s runway garments! Since Fashion Challenge 2022 is the first to take place in Kenya, we jumped at the opportunity to create a mentorship component between refugee girls on our campus and participating designers. The final Fashion Challenge looks are true collaborations between the designers and the young refugee women who inspired them!

RefuSHE has been named one of 34 selected organizations to receive funds from the Google.org Impact Challenge for Women and Girls! The $25 million philanthropy challenge was launched in March with a challenge to the global nonprofit community to submit their boldest and most innovative ideas to create a more equitable economic reality for women and girls. RefuSHE will use funds to create economic opportunities for women and girls amidst COVID-19 recovery.

With Fashion Challenge 2022: Destination Nairobi right around the corner, we thought it was time to introduce you to the talented designers participating in this year’s runway competition! The designers all hail from Kenya, showcasing the diverse fashion tastes of the region in their pieces. We also took this opportunity to pair each designer with a RefuSHE “mentee,” many of whom have their own passions for fashion!

In July, RefuSHE’s Artisan Collective partnered with artist and mentor, Patricia Mbesa, to offer a Digital Design Workshop for our refugee artisans. This four-month course is teaching our students how to create, edit, and print digital art. Opportunities like these support the mission of our Artisan Collective — teaching artisans how to become skilled and economically independent entrepreneurs. Thank you for giving our girls this opportunity, Patricia!

The Kenyan and US Board of Directors have named RefuSHE’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Doris Nelima, as interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective September 7, 2021. This announcement comes as part of a detailed leadership transition plan by the Boards in response to the sudden and tragic loss of RefuSHE’s late CEO, Geoffrey Thige.

It is with great sorrow that we announce the unexpected passing of RefuSHE’s CEO, Geoffrey Thige, on August 22, 2021. It is hard to reconcile that Geoffrey, a person who had so much to give to this world, has been taken away so young and too soon. We are determined that we, along with our incredible staff and community of supporters, will honor Geoffrey’s legacy and visionary leadership by carrying forward the transformative work he led at RefuSHE.

Traumatized by the loss of her family in Ethiopia and the loneliness she experienced before arriving at RefuSHE’s Safe House, Berhan’s priority became to heal. During her six years at RefuSHE, Berhan learned a variety of new skills and eventually resettled in the US where she is currently studying to become a CNA.

On July 2, 2021, RefuSHE was honored by a visit from Her Excellency Mrs. Aline Kuster-Ménager, the French Ambassador to Kenya. H.E. explored RefuSHE’s campus, discussing topics ranging from RefuSHE’s Girls Empowerment Program to new IT courses offered to students. After touring the campus, H.E.’s visit ended with festivities and a gift from IT student, Faustine!

We are delighted to welcome Dina Dukhqan as RefuSHE’s new Managing Director! This newly formed position leads our US-based team and operations and is responsible for securing the resources needed to ensure our organization’s long-term financial sustainability and health. Dina will work in partnership with Geoffrey Thige, our CEO, to support RefuSHE’s overall mission and vision.

After partnering with trauma experts Rachael Miller and Teddy Chakee, RefuSHE implemented the first “Science of Trauma” workshop that teaches young refugee women the neuroscience of trauma. Read more about our pilot group!

After fleeing her home country of Burundi in 2016, Ariela built a new life for herself at RefuSHE. Today, Ariela is a high school graduate living in the United States with a dream to one day travel the world as a flight attendant. Read how RefuSHE’s programs helped set Ariela up for success in Kenya and abroad!

RefuSHE is the recipient of $136,000 (USD) as the winner of the 2021 Sharjah International Award for Refugee Advocacy and Support. The award is given annually by The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF), a UAE-based global humanitarian organization dedicated to helping refugees and people in need worldwide, in collaboration with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

In partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, RefuSHE’s Women’s Ambassador Groups (WAGs) are helping refugees like 29-year-old Elizabeth Nyiransekerwa expand their businesses, increase their profits, and employ more refugees in their communities.