01/30/2021
It has been a source of great pride for all of us at REFA that so far, 100% of the donations that we have raised has been used to help the most needy families in every part of . When we say 100%, here is what that truly means:
-$0 cost for marketing and communications
-$0 cost for transfer of funds to Afghanistan
-$0 cost for surveys, identification of families, and distribution efforts
-$0 processing fees (minus a small percentage charged by GoFundMe Fundraising.)
-$0 cost for travel or accommodation
This has only been possible through the work of countless volunteers who have spent so much of their time, energy, and resources to ensure that every dollar raised goes straight to aiding impoverished Afghans all over the country. In many instances, not only REFA volunteers, but even the volunteers of other organizations that we have partnered with have spent money from their own pockets for airfare, meals, and accommodation, amongst other costs.
While that has been a great achievement for us that few other organizations can match, being 100% volunteer run has had some limiting factors for us. Our limited team has faced many personal setbacks and tragedies, from contracting COVID-19 to losing our loved ones, which have impacted our work.
We spent our first $125,000, $100,000 of which was donated by NETLINKS Ltd, with such great speed and efficiency mainly due to the fact that the funds were already in Afghanistan. Not only that, but we already had lists of identified families who were in need of help. The funds raised online took time for our team to collect from Facebook and GoFundMe and to finally transfer to Afghanistan. We received feedback from our donors that they would like to see the funds used in remote areas of Afghanistan that did not receive aid from other organizations compared to bigger cities like Kabul and in honoring that, it took us time to find trusted individuals and organizations to collaborate with.
While many of the delays and setbacks we have faced are understandable, we have failed our donors and partners in communicating and giving timely updates. We have held our team to the highest standards of transparency and we promise that going forward, we will do better in ensuring we give regular and timely updates on the sources of funds and how they have or will be utilized. We sincerely thank each and every one of you who have supported our efforts and we hope to continue to work together to come to the aid of our impoverished brothers and sisters back home.
