Sahar is a displaced humanitarian worker who has established a camp for displaced women in Gaza to provide refuge and hope for women-led families in Gaza.
Gloria is a soap-maker in a Ugandan refugee settlement. After fleeing war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, she now employs seven other women and teaches others business skills.
Rama is a Rohingya refugee who fled persecution in Myanmar and now works as a first aid and fire safety manager at Cox’s Bazar, the world’s largest refugee settlement in Bangladesh.
Najlaa and her family left everything behind in Syria and moved to Turkey, after civil war broke out in Syria. In Turkey she set up "Kareemat" — a support group for women like her to help them make a fresh start.
Sahar's story
More than 1.9 million people — 85% of the total population of Gaza — have been displaced, including nearly 1 million women and girls.
Amidst the destruction and despair, Sahar, a 47-year-old displaced women herself, is leading efforts to provide refuge and hope for women-led families in Gaza.
A humanitarian worker with Palestinian Development Women Studies Association (PDWSA), an ActionAid partner, Sahar has built a dedicated camp for displaced women and their families, under incredibly challenging conditions.
In Gaza, where women now lack basic necessities like water, hygiene products and protection from violence, Sahar's camp offers a lifeline.
“Women in displacement camps face long queues for water and food, and shelters offer almost no privacy. We lack resources to address gender-based violence or provide safe spaces for women in life-threatening situations," Sahar says.
By donating to our Christmas appeal, you are helping partnerships like this to grow.
A £50 donation this Christmas could help a refugee community set up a safe space for women and girls.
Gloria's story
Gloria came to the Imvepi refugee settlement in Uganda in 2021, after fleeing war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Things were extremely difficult, and she struggled to find food, water, shelter or the money to buy those things. She didn’t know where to start.
That was why she joined the Community Transformation Agenda (COTA) — an organisation run by refugees at the settlement.
The group offers an array of training courses so women and girls can learn about their rights, build new skills and create the future they want.
Gloria decided to join their soap-making course, which not only taught her a new skill but also allowed her to earn money by selling the soap she made. She also attended COTA’s training on financial literacy and a course on leadership so she could take her business to the next level.
With everything she has learned, Gloria has become a leader in her community as the vice secretary at COTA and the executive director of a soap-making group at the settlement.
Now, she has the money to buy what she needs and can put food on the table.
"That training has helped us so much. It has had a big impact on me", Gloria says.
Gloria is determined to share her knowledge so more refugee women and girls can move towards independence, like she has.
ActionAid has worked with COTA since 2018 and has been helping to develop their training courses so more women and girls can access them. With donations like yours, we can continue supporting work like this across the world.
A £30 donation this Christmas could provide equipment for a group of women to set up a soap-making business.
Gloria is vice secretary of Community Transformation Agenda (COTA), a women-led community organisation working in Imvepi and Rhino refugee settlements in Uganda.
Immaculate Bashaba /ActionAid
Rama's story
Rama is an ActionAid site manager at Cox’s Bazar.
Fabeha Monir/ActionAid
Rama and her family are Rohingya refugees and came to Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh — the world's largest refugee settlement — after fleeing persecution in Myanmar in 2012.
In Bangladesh, it was very hard for anyone to find work outside the camp. This meant Rama and her family struggled to buy basic necessities and she couldn’t afford to send her children to school.
ActionAid partnered with the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) to set up the Camp Coordination and Camp Management Project (CCCM) at Cox’s Bazar in 2005. Through this project, Rama and many other refugee women are able to get jobs in site management at the camp.
As a Site Manager, Rama has enrolled in training in cyclone preparedness, first aid, water safety and fire safety. Her role is to keep the camp safe and conduct women's awareness sessions around these topics.
This is particularly important as Cox’s Bazar is prone to climate disasters like flooding and wildfires.
"I like that I am working and doing something good for my community and people", Rama says.
With this job, Rama learns new skills, plays a critical role in camp safety, and earns an income so she can provide for her family and send her children to school.
By donating to ActionAid, you directly support projects like the CCCM and enable more women to get jobs and become financially independent.
A £20 donation this Christmas could help cover the cost of a one-day workshop for ten women on business skills, leadership or women's rights.
Najlaa's story
In 2015, Najlaa fled Syria with just the clothes on her back when the civil war escalated.
In Kilis, Turkiye, her new home, she witnessed other refugee women struggling to secure basic necessities which inspired her to take action, even though she had nothing herself.
Najlaa faced further hardships during a devastating earthquake that displaced her family again. The trauma of her experience motivated her to set up a support group, "Kareemat" for other displaced women. The group provides psychological and financial aid, especially to women dealing with the ongoing effects of war and conflict.
The high cost of living and barriers to education and employment weighed heavily, especially as she saw child marriage becoming a last resort for struggling families. She became a vocal advocate against these practices and emphasised the need for dignity and economic self-sufficiency for refugee women.
"It was very hard when I first came here as a refugee, but after all these years, I feel like I am living in my hometown", Najlaa says.
ActionAid has been partnering with Kareemat since 2023 to expand its training programmes and reach more women and girls. By donating to our Christmas appeal, you are helping partnerships like this to grow.
A £50 donation this Christmas could help a refugee community set up a safe space for women and girls.
Page updated 11 December 2024