By Victoria Vrana | GlobalGiving CEO
Dear Project of the Month Club Member,
April’s featured project is cultivating hope and cultural revitalization from the Dzaleka Refugee Camp. In the camp’s host country of Malawi, refugees are stripped of their freedom of movement and the right to education, employment, and to run a business outside of the camp. The under-resourced center was designed to host just 10,000 people and is now filled with more than 56,000 refugees who escaped political instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, and other neighboring countries. That staggering reality means nonprofits like Tumaini Letu are vital for the resourcing and support of refugees.
Tumaini Letu is determined to end the cycle of poverty and vanquish feelings of hopelessness caused by strict governmental restrictions stifling refugees' ability to create better lives for themselves. Rather than give up when conditions seem helpless, Tumaini Letu decided to throw a party. And not just any party—the Tumaini Festival. Each year, the camp transforms into a center of workshops teaching young people story writing, acting, poetry, visual arts, filmmaking, circus arts, traditional foods, and much more. As the sun sets each night, around 35,000 guests from every corner of Malawi gather to enjoy “a feast of different art forms," celebrate humanity, and show solidarity with refugees.
“I am deeply grateful and thrilled to hear that Tumaini Letu’s project has been selected as the GlobalGiving Project of the Month,” Founder and Executive Director Trésor Nzengu Mpauni shared when she learned that Building Resilience with Communities of Guerrero had been selected as the Project of the Month. “This donation will help us build a market space to help over 50 refugee entrepreneurs sell their goods and services and generate over $150,000 during our annual Tumaini Festival, which will take place the first week of November 2024 at the Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi.”
This festival’s impact extends far and wide for refugees across all levels. The unique event creates space for refugees to form meaningful bonds with Malawians, deepening networks of solidarity within their host country. The festival is also an abundant source of income for refugee artists and artisans to sell hand-crafted goods and welcome customers to their restaurants offering traditional foods.
At its core, the Tumaini Festival is a celebration of life, connection, and learning from your neighbors—three things we all need to kindle hope when solutions remain elusive. In fact, Tumaini translates to hope in Swahili.
Thank you for your commitment to a better world! Your ongoing support of the Project of the Month kindles our hope, and we hope this story can help return some of that to you today.
Thank you for your commitment to a better world!
With gratitude,
Victoria Vrana
GlobalGiving CEO
By Victoria Vrana | GlobalGiving CEO
By Victoria Vrana | GlobalGiving CEO
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