Skill building
Assisting with resume writing, job applications, test prep, interviews, and more.
Passion
Supporting art, passion projects, and community building
Education
Creating educational opportunities for academic growth and development
MENTAL HEALTH
Supporting the mental health of refugees and conflict-stricken populations
The Challenge
According to a 2019 report by the Human Rights Watch, half of the Afghan population suffers from depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress. Following the US withdrawal and the Taliban's abrupt takeover in 2021, the mental health crisis has only become worse. After being exposed to nearly four decades of conflict, poverty, and war, most Afghan families have suffered severe levels of trauma. From the loss of loved ones to firsthand experiences with violence, resettlement, and displacement, the Afghan people are in desperate need of support.​
Our Mission
RISE (Refugee Inspirational Support Effort) is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization that seeks to use art, education, and skill-building as tools for addressing the ongoing mental health crisis amongst refugees and conflict-stricken populations. Given the current crisis in Afghanistan, RISE is partnering with organizations on the ground in Kabul, the UK, and the United States to provide mentoring, skill-building, and English language tutoring services to those affected by the crisis. It is our hope that through this program, Afghan families, refugees, and students can flourish into healthy, hopeful, and productive members of society.
What Makes Us Different
While many organizations are tending to the basic and physical needs of refugees and conflict-stricken populations, RISE seeks to address a crisis often overlooked. What many fail to recognize is that despite their traumas and difficulties, like all human beings, refugees and conflict-stricken populations have goals and aspirations too. At RISE, our goal is to re-instill happiness and hope in the lives of refugees and conflict-stricken groups - to revive the passions, dreams, and aspirations that they may have lost along the way. Scientists have proven that by stimulating the release of dopamine, aka “the feel-good chemical,” education, reading, art therapy, and music can drastically improve the mental health of people who suffer from trauma, PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Therefore, through passion, education, and art, RISE seeks to address the ongoing mental health crisis. Human beings need more than food, water, and shelter; they deserve a dignified life. Our goal is to establish hope and humanity through passion, education, and skill. Although the lives of refugees and conflict-stricken populations are constantly overwhelmed by difficulty, through RISE, we can remind them that they have not lost everything. We can provide them with the opportunities necessary to not simply survive but thrive, as healthy and productive members of society.