Dear John,

When the World Food Program made significant cuts in food aid for Darfuri refugees living in two refugee camps in Eastern Chad, many of the people who lived there suddenly found themselves with barely enough food to survive.

At HIAS, our goal is to help refugees realize their potential and contribute to society. Without food, refugees can’t even begin the process of realizing their rights to live and work in safety and peace.

So when HIAS staff in Chad introduced a program that helps refugees grow their own nutritious food, Amkala Safi Djouma, an 83-year-old woman from Sudan, who has lived in the Djabal camp since she fled almost 20 years ago, was eager to learn new farming methods and have the chance to provide for her family.

We provided Amkala and hundreds of others with a seed startup kit and taught innovative farming methods designed to grow fruits and vegetables year-round in the desert. Amkala has already had three successful planting cycles and proudly shares her harvest with her family and community “just like the old times in Sudan.”

HIAS relies on generous supporters like you to support innovative, life-changing projects like this one. Will you donate $18 now to help refugees and asylum seekers around the world build new lives in safety and freedom?

Our gardening project has helped Sudanese refugees in Chad produce thousands of nutritious crops that allow them to supplement their daily meals, trade and sell their crops, and share surplus produce with their neighbors.

We’ve helped turn small plots of desert sand into lush green gardens growing okra, pumpkins, tomatoes, greens and more. Our newly trained gardeners have planted fruit trees that provide shade and capture water, transforming the landscape of the camps. Refugees who have been dependent on food rations for decades can now provide for themselves and their communities.

For many, this is the first time they’ve been able to provide nourishment for their loved ones, and the impact that has on one’s spirit is immeasurable.  

We hope you’ll help us continue life-changing projects like this one. Please make a tax-deductible donation of $18 to HIAS today to support refugees and asylum seekers around the world.

Thank you for doing your part to welcome the stranger and protect the refugee. This vital work would not be possible without you.