WES Donates to Organizations Supporting Displaced Afghans and Haitians
NEW YORK, NY—(September 20, 2021) World Education Services (WES) is dedicated to creating a world in which everyone is able to put their education, experience, and skills to work anywhere in the world. The humanitarian crises now unfolding in Afghanistan and Haiti have spurred the organization to act in line with this vision by donating to five organizations that work directly with Haitians and Afghans.
“In this moment and as a social enterprise that serves international students, immigrants, refugees, we have a responsibility and obligation to act,” says WES CEO and Executive Director, Esther T. Benjamin. “Our contributions, funneled through five organizations with deep expertise and relationships among the individuals and global communities we serve, will help to ensure the smoothest possible road to recovery for newly displaced Afghans and Haitians—including those who are seeking to build new lives in the U.S. and Canada.”
WES donations have gone to the following organizations:
- Afghan Women’s Organization Refugee & Immigrant Services (AWO) (Canada): A settlement organization focused on supporting women and their families with a long history of supporting Afghan refugees.
- Hope for Haiti (U.S.): An organization the supports emergency preparedness and response in Haiti through emergency shelter, cash transfers, food assistance, medical care, and more.
- The International Rescue Committee’s (IRC) Soft Landing Fund (U.S.): An emergency relief fund providing temporary housing and rental support to Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) families in Northern California.
- The Neighbourhood Organization (TNO) (Canada): A settlement organization that provides immediate and longer-term support for newly arrived Afghan refugees in the Greater Toronto Area.
- No One Left Behind (U.S.): A nationwide coalition that provides emergency financial aid and vehicles to SIV families and advocates to decrease the wait time experienced in the SIV process.
WES is also a founding partner of Lifeline Afghanistan, a newly established network of individuals and organizations supporting the resettlement of Afghan refugees in Canada.
WES views these actions as first steps in helping affected individuals to recover and integrate into their new communities. Over the coming months and years, the organization will continue to support and drive mid- and long-term efforts to ensure not just successful resettlement, but the social and economic integration and inclusion of displaced individuals and refugees in the U.S. and Canada.