World Refugee Day highlights a misunderstood group

Rotary clubs engage with refugees by training teachers, organizing medical care, and offering other assistance

By Etelka Lehoczky

When people think of refugees, they may imagine a group that is utterly without means and dependent on others. But that’s a misleading assumption, says Quentin Wodon, chair of the Rotary Action Group for Refugees, Forced Displacement, and Migration.

“There are studies suggesting that refugees actually contribute more to the economy than the value of the services provided to them,” says Wodon, a member of the Rotary Club of Washington Global, Washington, D.C., USA. “Refugees often have amazing skills. They’re often very driven. And they can be assets for a country as opposed to liabilities.”

World Refugee Day on 20 June puts a spotlight on this misunderstood group, many of whom have fled war, persecution, or violence. More than 117 million people around the world were forcibly displaced at the end of 2023, according to UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency.

That includes refugees who fled their home nations, people who were displaced within their countries, people who weren’t recognized as citizens of any nation, and others. The countries with the most refugees protected or assisted by UNHCR are Syria, Ukraine, and Afghanistan.

The Rotary action group coordinates projects worldwide, such as promoting social entrepreneurship in the Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda, delivering meals and other necessities to Venezuelan refugees in Colombia, and sponsoring webinars about refugees in the United States who have become successful entrepreneurs.

Volunteers on a trip organized by the Rotary E-Club of Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, provide medical care to Vietnamese refugees in Cambodia.

Credit: © Rotary International

Wodon says Rotary members can help refugees by applying for global grants to fund projects and engaging the power of Rotary at the local level. “Rotary clubs can mobilize the community,” he says, suggesting that clubs first learn which organizations are active in their area. “You can be involved either in the provision of education or skills, or in helping people find jobs. There are so many things that you can do, and the personal connection you can have is very important.”

Rotary clubs around the globe have implemented a wide variety of projects involving refugees. Some examples:

A training program for teachers in Malaysia

Some schools for refugees in Malaysia don’t have the funding to train teachers. The Rotary Club of Bukit Kiara Sunrise, Malaysia, collaborated with Veritas University College to offer a training program to teachers in refugee schools. The four-month, online program included practical sessions and modules about learning and cognition, curriculum development, and measurement and evaluation. Teachers who completed the program received proficiency certificates. The club also conducts a leadership training camp for refugee students and organized a concert to benefit Afghan refugees. About 189,000 refugees and asylum-seekers are in Malaysia, most from Myanmar.

A Medical trip to Cambodia

The Rotary E-Club of Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, collaborated with the local Vietnamese community to bring medical care to Vietnamese refugees in Cambodia. More than 30 volunteers from Australia, Cambodia, and Vietnam traveled to rural Cambodia to treat people in the province of Kampong Chhnang and the village of Kampong Luong. They provided care to 1,300 families and vaccinated 92 girls against human papillomavirus (HPV). Of the 180,000 Vietnamese people who live in Cambodia, many are stateless and thus face significant barriers to obtaining health care.

Members of the Rotary Club of Kraków Wyspianski, Poland, work with the nonprofit Challenging Hope at Intervention House, a shelter that assists people displaced by the conflict in Ukraine. 22 April 2022. Krakow, Poland.

Credit: © Rotary International

A shelter that helps Ukrainian refugees

Members of the Rotary Club of Kraków Wyspianski, Poland, worked with the nonprofit Challenging Hope at Intervention House, a shelter that assists people displaced by the conflict in Ukraine. The members contributed financial support and maintained contact with the residents. The shelter provided services including psychological and legal assistance and child care. About 100 people were housed in the facility, including families with children and dogs. In the two years since Russia invaded Ukraine, around 960,000 Ukrainian refugees have gone to Poland.

A medical convoy for Sundanese refugees in Egypt

The Rotary Club of Cairo Platinum, Egypt, organized a medical convoy in the Faisal area to bring health care to 170 Sudanese refugees. Medical staff distributed medicines and tested people’s hearing, balance, heart health, and blood sugar levels. The convoy also provided education in early detection of uterine cancer and breast cancer. About 450,000 refugees have fled to Egypt from Sudan, where a civil war began in April.