Hadi Saifi has always been curious. He recalls living in Ghazni in Afghanistan as a child and being fascinated with his father’s radio. “My father was always listening to the radio and I wondered to myself how could there be voices talking inside – how does it work?” This led to Hadi’s interest in technology,…
Muhama Yotham fled Burundi as a refugee and lived in a refugee camp in Tanzania before settling in Adelaide, Australia, 15 years ago. Within a week of arriving, he started volunteering at the local migrant resource centre. Within the second week, he joined an English language training program and continued to volunteer. In his second…
“Everyone knows life is a chance in Afghanistan. When you leave home in the morning, you do not know that you will return home safe,” says Mujtaba Bayat, who left war ravaged Afghanistan in 2012 and is seeking asylum in Australia. Despite the many challenges he has encountered, Mr Bayat established his own painting and…
What started as a group of friends playing football in a refugee camp in Nepal has become the Adelaide Dragon Football Club, a team of passionate players for whom football is not just a game, but a way of life. Adelaide Dragon Football Club (ADFC) lead representative Bishal, like many of his team mates, spent…
By: Project Stand Up What does allyship mean? Allyship is rare – it is a long process of building relationships based on trust and commitment. Allyship does not simply mean to help each other, but rather supporting each other in the most challenging areas that you may face. HOST International has done great work in…
In Jakarta, refugees without legal status who suffer from eyesight problems are unable to access local healthcare services. Since Indonesia is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, they do not have an obligation to abide by it. Refugees and Asylum Seekers Information Centre (RAIC) is an organisation founded and led by refugees in…
It all started in a small house in Tebet, South Jakarta, where two enterprising refugees got together and brainstormed an idea. Kalsoom Jafferi and Mohammad Baqir Bayani had a dream, and that dream was to offer basic education, health services and other learning opportunities to the displaced refugees in Jakarta who have no access to…
HOST International, with the support of Thailand’s Department of Children and Youth, has made it possible for 27 families (51 children and 26 adults, all mothers or female caregivers and one father) to be released from immigration detention and government shelters into the Thai community. HOST International, working under the auspice of Peaceway Foundation, was…
School-aged children should be maintaining a nutrient-rich diet as it is vital for their growth and brain development. However, young refugees in Malaysia have extremely limited options for schooling and even less access to healthy food options. Many of the students at ideas Academy experience malnutrition and food insecurity. The meals that they get at…
As a UNHCR-registered refugee from Myanmar, Khai was able to find work as a waiter in a restaurant in Penang, Malaysia. Unfortunately, he was fired after two and a half months on the job but his employer only paid him for one month. Since Malaysia is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention, they…
HOST International NZ attended local New Zealand eatery Home Kitchen’s opening launch in Hamilton. Home Kitchen is a new social enterprise and eatery that empowers former refugees to flourish by providing work and training and showcases the best food our diverse refugee community has to offer. “Our vision is to create experiences where people can…
On the outside, the Schoolbox Project is an infrastructure that can be made of anything from shipping containers, school busses, abandoned buildings, tents, bamboo structures – into classrooms. On the inside, it’s a mobile, solar-powered child-friendly space to be used as a classroom or a safe place for children to reflect and play. From little…
Over the years, thousands of refugees have settled in Malaysia but as displaced people they do not have legal work status and have difficulties accessing rights for education and healthcare . As a result, they are not able to make use of their skills and are unable to create steady income. From little things,…