International Association for Refugees

12/31/2024

Happy New Year from your friends at IAFR!

03/22/2024

Wrapped up an excellent day of meetings with a robust network of humanitarian agencies in Geneva this week. It is encouraging to connect with people from all over the planet who have dedicated their lives to helping people survive and recover from forced displacement. While the majority of agencies in the network are not faith-based, they welcome the presence and perspectives of faith-based agencies like IAFR. I have a lot to decompress as I make my way back to MN today.

11/09/2023

Come and enjoy the music of Sara Groves and band while strengthening hope in the lives of refugees!

08/10/2023

What a great week of reconnecting, sharing, learning, recreating, and worshiping together as the IAFR community. We serve people displaced by war and hatred in Colorado, Georgia, Minnesota, France, Bosnia Herzegovina, Ukraine, Kenya, and Malawi. Story after story shared this week emphasized how our uprooted friends have blessed and taught us so much as we walk along side of them during their uncertain and difficult journeys. We broke camp this morning and are heading back to the places along the refugee highway to which God has called us to show up in life-giving ways.

12/04/2022

The Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 unleashed a major humanitarian crisis in Europe. People in the Ukraine are in need of essential provisions including water, food, medicine, shelter, etc.The numbers change from day to day. What remains consistent is that millions of Ukrainians have...

03/05/2022

01/01/2022

As the sun rises on a new year, may we engage each new day with confidence that God is present with us, and that God is working all things together for good.

Happy New Year!

11/25/2021

We are so thankful to our friends and partners who make it possible to pursue our mission of helping people survive and recover from forced displacement.
***

11/19/2021

IAFR provided building materials for 12 refugee churches in Kakuma refugee camp, Kalobeyei refugee settlement, and Kakuma this year (Kenya). It’s an important part of our partnership with these brothers and sisters as the harsh semi desert climate requires durable church buildings in which they can worship and host other programs and ministries. It’s a beautiful way for the church at large to bless the refugee church. There are many more refugee churches praying for God to provide building materials today. We invite you to consider joining with us as we partner with God in answering their prayers. See link in bio.
***

11/15/2021

Meet Martha. She lives in a camp for internally displaced people in remote northwestern Kenya. Photo 2 is where she’s been living until this year when she moved into a new durable shelter provided by IAFR (photo 3). You may ask how IAFR determines who gets a new shelter in the IDP camp. The truth is, we don’t. The leadership within the IDP community makes that determination, based on vulnerability and need. IAFR counts it a joy and privilege to help put a roof over Martha’s head! We’ve funded the building of 153 such shelters over the years. We have 23 to go. See link in bio.
***

11/13/2021

Simon was forced to flee his home due to post election violence in 2007-2008 in Kenya. He’s elderly and disabled. Until he received a durable shelter from IAFR this year (photo 2) he lived in a leaky makeshift shelter (photo 1). IAFR President, Tom Albinson, visited Simon on a recent visit to Kakuma, Kenya. Simon shared how his brother passed away this summer. He was buried right there on their little plot of land. Thankfully, Simon has adult children that check up on him from time to time now that he lives alone. Simon expressed his gratitude to IAFR and our financial partners for putting a solid roof over his head. “Unlike my former shelter, I no longer get wet when it rains.” -Simon
***
IAFR has built 153 shelters for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) like Simon in Kakuma, Kenya. We need to build 23 more to reach our goal. See link in bio to learn more.
***