Partners | The Unforgotten

The Unforgotten’s humanitarian relief work in the world’s emergencies would not be possible without all our partners!

Our special thanks to our partners in the United Nations Association (UNA USA) Council of Organizations, and to UNA USA for its support of refugees under its Adopt-A-Future Program. We also are appreciative of the corporate support we receive, and of course support from individual donors!

UNA USA Council of Organizations

What the UN does best is humanitarian relief work. The world expects the UN to take lead. As NGOs we rely on the UN to provide the structure and leadership to work in refugee camps. We, and our partner NGOs, work through the Council of Organizations. We coordinate our work with UN Organizations such as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO), and with other NGOs on the ground.

UNA-USA COO Partners

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UNA USA Adopt-A-Future Program

Under the Adopt-A-Future Program, UNA-USA partnered with USA for UNHCR to prevent a lost generation by giving refugee children in UNHCR schools the education they need to build a better future. The program focused on the UN refugee camps in Kakuma and Dadaab, Kenya by expanding access to education, improving the quality of teaching and learning, and ensuring safe learning environments. We appreciate the effort invested into this program and are eager to work with individuals from UNA USA chapters who wish to continue relief efforts in these and other UN refugee camps.

Corporate Sponsors

We are truly grateful to our corporate sponsors that provide funding, capital equipment and volunteers needed to carry out our humanitarian relief missions.

Corporate Sponsors

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If your company is interested in working with us, please reach out to Amit Kapadia at amit.kapadia@unforgotten.org.

How you can help? – Volunteer!

As a volunteer run organization, we need YOU as a partner! We need your help planning, advocating, fundraising, executing and overseeing relief projects in the field in humanitarian relief emergencies around the world. Most of this work can be done remotely from the US throughout the year. Please contact Amit Kapadia at amit.kapadia@unforgotten.org if you are interested.

Here’s how you can help:

1. Join us on virtual site visits

Every month we have a video meeting (using MS Teams or Zoom or Skype) with our teams in the field. You will have the opportunity to gain a first-hand view of ongoing projects in the UN Refugee Camp in Kakuma, Kenya, and projects at the UN Refugee Camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.

Kakuma, located in northwest Kenya is a large refugee camp under UNHCR’s mandate providing refuge for some 200,000 people primarily from South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Uganda and DRC/Congo. There are currently approximately 45,000 students in the four areas comprising greater Kakuma which is served by 23 schools.

In March 2019, a member of the Greater Lansing UNA USA Chapter (Ron Quejas-Risdon) visited the primary school and spoke at length with the Head Teacher and staff of Horseed School. As a result of that visit, we have a “wish list” of construction projects most needed by the school. The list includes a secure perimeter fence for the school compound, a small library, a small computer lab, and a combination auditorium/classroom facility. Ron has since joined our Board (as Director of our East Africa programs), and returned to Kakuma in March 2020, with Najat Abdi Muhammad (Kenya Country Director, Global One, UK) to scope out a school construction project. The project is actively ongoing and in need of your volunteer support!

The UN Refugee Camp in Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh, is home to over 1 million refugees since the Rohingya Myanmar Crisis began in August 2017.

In December 2018, The Unforgotten (in partnership with SPACE) began sixteen Water, Sanitation and Hygiene projects in the camps. Amit Kapadia visited the project sites in March 2019 with Carolyn Ross (of the UNA San Diego Chapter). The WASH projects were completed in September 2019. The project closeout visit was conducted by Vedrana Pantic Velickovic (UNA – Midpeninsula), Aaisha Bhuiyan (Unforgotten Country Director, Bangladesh), and Nahiyan Naser (Unforgotten Board Member).

In October 2019, The Unforgotten (in partnership with Global One) began operating a health post to provide emergency health care services for Rohingya refugees and surrounding host communities with a special concentration on maternal and newborn child health. The health post serves a population of over 6000 refugees, and is staffed with a doctor, a nurse/pharmacist, a paramedic, and a clinic manager. The staff are overwhelmed, but try their best to see a 100 patients a day.

The health post is still operational under the COVID-19 pandemic, and our health care workers are fully utilizing personal protective equipment (PPE) to keep themselves and patients as safe as possible. Thus far only a handful of cases have been identified in the camps. Our most pressing need, as identified by our field team, are ultrasound and pathology equipment. We can use your support in meeting this need!

2. Fundraise and/or manage projects

Help us raise the funds needed to execute projects in the field. Funds for relief projects will be held in separate, audited Bank of America accounts, for each project site. Monthly progress reports will be developed by field staff on how all funds are used, as well as monthly progress towards project milestones. For those willing to commit substantial time to fundraise and/or manage projects, please consider joining our Board.

3. Provide technical expertise

As an all-volunteer driven organization directing all funds to the field, we are always looking for volunteer experts in engineering, construction, education and health to join our efforts. We need tutors/teachers to engage with students. We need experts in construction to review drawings and bid packages. We need health professionals to provide guidance to staff in the field. And this work can be done virtually.

4. Advocate for UN Relief efforts

Advocate for United Nations relief efforts with your congressional representatives. Learn about how the UN provides humanitarian relief in the field, and relay that experience to congressional representatives. Advocate for full funding for the UN, so that it can deliver aid in the world’s most urgent humanitarian crises. And support NGOs working on the ground under its umbrella.

Accomplishments

In 2019, under the auspices of the UNA USA Council of Organizations, member NGOs (Unforgotten US, Global One UK, SPACE BD) completed sixteen water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) relief projects in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh for Rohingya Refugees. Member NGOs of the Council of Organizations are also operating a health post in the UN refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, serving 100 patients a day.

For details please visit our Bangladesh page.

If you wish to serve as a volunteer, please send a letter of interest to:

Mr. Amit Kapadia
Executive Director of The Unforgotten and Chair of the UNA USA Council of Organization’s Humanitarian Relief Committee
: amit.kapadia@unforgotten.org

UNA USA Council of Organizations

UNA USA Adopt-A-Future Program

Corporate Sponsors

How you can help? – Volunteer!

View Kakuma and Cox’s Bazar Project Details

Accomplishments