Share the Meal
Remember that time you paid 69p because you couldn’t wait 20 minutes to get some more lives on Candy Crush? It was easy, wasn’t it? That’s what the World Food Programme’s banking on with its new app ShareTheMeal: apart from five cents a time to cover overheads, the proceeds of every donation go towards feeding children in Syria. sharethemeal.org
Send emojis
It’s tempting to think of something like emojis tailored to the refugee crisis as flippant, but if you buy the special Refugee Emojis keyboard on iOS or Android, your money will go towards Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) which is bringing aid to some of the places worst affected by the refugee crisis. refugee-emojis.org
Understand the facts
Did you know the average time spent in a refugee camp is 17 years? You’d know that, and a lot more about the lives of migrants, if you downloaded the UNHCR’s (that’s the UN’s Refugee Agency) app-based game My Life as a Refugee.
It might seem strange to learn about such things through a medium usually used to kill time on your commute, but that’s the beauty of it: simple illustrations and straight-up facts presented in a straightforward, heartfelt way. mylifeasarefugee.org
Encourage university partnerships
The Jamiya project allows Syrian refugees access to free courses in Arabic so they can gain qualifications
While working with an NGO in Jordan, Ben Webster realised that refugees face many challenges, but saw access to higher education as a particularly interesting challenge as it is not considered classic humanitarian aid.
With his new platform, the Jamiya Project, Webster hopes to allow Syrian refugees access to free, accredited courses in Arabic (or other languages) so that they can gain qualifications to help them rebuild their lives and their country. The project currently needs tech assistance and more university partners.
Visit jamiyaproject.com
Learn a language
NaTakallam – meaning ‘we speak’ in Arabic – uses its name literally, by providing those wishing to learn the language with someone to converse with. That someone will be one of the 1.1 million Syrian refugees currently in Lebanon.
The concept is simple: sign up and participate in conversation-focused classes over the internet. Not only is it a good way to learn something new, it also provides safe employment for the Syrians involved. To find out more or sign up to some classes visit natakallam.com
Support schooling
Love to Learn was founded in response to a compelling need for educational support services for refugee families living in Wandsworth. It offers an array of services for parents and children, from advice regarding the British education system, to trips and activities so refugee children can see new places and, most importantly, have fun. Volunteers are required across all areas. See love-to-learn.org.uk
