WHAT
WE DO
PROGRAMS & PROJECTS.
The purpose of our projects and programming at RISE is to instill hope and humanity in the lives of refugees and conflict-stricken groups. Through art, education, and skill-building, RISE seeks to improve the mental health of vulnerable groups by providing them with the opportunities and resources necessary to develop healthy routines, discover their passions, and integrate as healthy and productive members of society. Human beings need more than food, water, and shelter to survive; they deserve a dignified life.
English-Language Tutoring and Mentorship
Skill-building
RISE partners with organizations in the United States and on the ground in Kabul to pair students and families with English-language tutors. The tutors meet with their students once a week via Zoom. During these meetings, RISE tutors use a variety of educator-approved resources and tools to help students improve their reading, writing, and speaking skills. Tutors work with students of all academic backgrounds and proficiencies - ranging from students with zero literacy skills to intermediate-level speakers. Our hope is that through English-language learning, Afghan families and students can move one step closer towards their personal goals and integrate as healthy and productive members of society.
Throughout the week, tutors check in and communicate with their students via whatsapp. Their primary objective is to not only instruct students but serve as a mentor and a guide - someone who can help students organize their lives, discover new passions, and set goals. Our tutors are critical to addressing the growing mental health crisis amongst conflict-stricken populations and refugees. They are providing their students with a reason to keep pushing forward and remain hopeful for the future.
Besides English-language tutoring, RISE seeks to provide refugees with the opportunity to learn and perfect skills that are crucial to their integration as healthy and productive members of society. Some of the skills that our tutors assist with include helping students set short and long-term goals, write resumes, prepare for job interviews, submit college applications, learn to code, and much more. Many refugees were lawyers, judges, or doctors prior to their displacement. They deserve the opportunity to achieve their full potential. Through the skill-building opportunities offered by RISE, refugees have the opportunity to do so - to not simply survive but thrive in their new communities.
Passion Projects and The Arts
One of our primary goals at RISE is to use art and passion projects as tools for addressing the ongoing mental health crisis amongst refugees and conflict-stricken groups. Through art, music, and other passion programs such as cooking, coding, or photography, RISE seeks to provide refugees and conflict-stricken groups with the opportunity to discover new passions and gain inspiration and hope for the future. Research shows the immense benefits that music, art, and other passion projects can have on mental health conditions including depression, schizophrenia, and PTSD. Passion can serve as a critical tool for processing emotions such as anger, trauma, or grief. It has, therefore, become our goal at RISE to provide refugees and conflict-stricken groups with the opportunity to discover new passions or perfect old ones. Our hope is that refugees and conflict-stricken groups will use their passions to escape the difficulties they experience every day and seek hope and humanity for the future.
Activism
At RISE, we hope to raise awareness of the suffering and hardship experienced by refugees and conflict-stricken groups. Through fundraising campaigns and news articles, our goal is to ensure that people are informed of the realities truly experienced by conflict-stricken populations and refugees. Unlike other organizations, RISE seeks to provide readers with an authentic understanding of the human experience. We want to create a space where all people can feel that they are heard, represented, and understood. Only by developing this sense of shared humanity, can we truly improve the lives of conflict-stricken groups and refugees.
