Mapendo

Mapendo International rescues and protects the most vulnerable refugees in Africa, people who have fallen through the net of humanitarian assistance and have no other options for survival.

There are nearly three million refugees in Africa. They come from Darfur, the Congo, Somalia, and other war-torn regions. These refugees have fled genocide, attacks on their homes and families, and persecution because of their tribe, their religion or their beliefs.  Most live in dangerous, cramped, and unsanitary refugee camps while others forgo the camps and try to eke out an existence in urban slums. Women and children are particularly at risk of rape, attack and exploitation. There are few resources to help them. Mapendo International was founded in order to meet the needs of these overlooked people.

Mapendo International identifies the most at-risk of these refugees and provides free food, shelter, healthcare and counselling. For those with the most dire needs, Mapendo International connects them with opportunities to legally and permanently relocate to safe countries where they can rebuild their lives. Since its founding, Mapendo International has helped over 15,000 refugees. To see for yourself how Mapendo International is changing lives, check out the video below.

Mapendo International is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts with a regional field office in Nairobi, Kenya.

For its innovative work in refugee protection, Mapendo International was honored with the UNHCR Humanitarian of the Year award in 2009, the Charles Bronfman Humanitarian Prize in 2010, as well as Echoing Green and Draper Richards Foundation fellowships. These organizations have identified Mapendo International as one of the most significant new social-change organizations in the world.

Mapendo International statistics:

• Year Founded: 2005
• Executive Director: Mr. Sasha Chanoff
• Annual Budget: $2,143,000
• Scope of Work: International