.svg)
The Month of March for Bring Hope Humanitarian Foundation was full of activities across the world. One of the exciting moments was the participation of the team at Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development (DIHAD) Conference & Exhibition, 15-17 March, in the UAE, a first conference that had been held in the UAE since the outbreak of COVID-19. DIHAD serves the International Humanitarian Aid and Development Community in the Middle East, Africa and the world.
Bring Hope participated under the umbrella of the International Humanitarian City (IHC), in which we have been member for over three years. This conference and our existence on the ground, especially on the Booth of IHC, was a door-opener to initiate new partnership with other organizations, among them IOM, MSF, UNFPA, and other NGOs, as well as logistic and aid partners.
Dearest subscriber,
A big welcome to our new subscribers and of course to all of you who have followed us for a longer time! We are glad to know that many of you still want to know about what goes on with Bring Hope Humanitarian Foundation. We have had a busy month at our headquarters in Malmö and the team in Northern Iraq has been working hard on the ground!
In Malmö, we’ve had a great onboarding process with new members in our administrative department as well as our fundraising department! You can read more about our new team members on our website! We have also been joined by Benedicta Ricohermozo in Dubai as our new Assistant Regional Coordinator!
Our distributions this month have been blankets, warm jackets, and hygiene products to 155 refugee families in the Darashakran Camp outside Erbil.
Another distribution was in the Dibaga camp, where we met with some of the local football enthusiasts. Our team on the ground distributed some t-shirts, shoes, and tracksuits to them and of course joined for some football. Focusing on psychological needs as well as physiological and safety is important to us. Our vision with our work is “Restored dignity and harmony in the lives of those experiencing a humanitarian crisis, displacement, and poverty.” Within that, focusing on belonging, self-esteem, and self-actualization is a natural aspect.
DIHAD
Bring Hope was also present at the DIHAD Conference and Exhibition in Dubai on the 15-17th of March. As Dr. Baker wrote in his introductory message, we took the opportunity to network, learn, and get inspired. Dr. Baker was there together with our Assistant Regional Officer Benedicta Ricohermozo.
We highlighted International Women’s Day with a profile on our advisor Lena Bäcker and our Goodwill Ambassadors Susan Novela and Ellen Chiwenga! Read it below!
We also wanted to showcase female leadership and how important it is for development. Investing time and supporting women and girls in their endeavors and education is a proven way forward.
BHHF commits to include this in our work and we take inspiration from strong women and their stories. The video below portrays Eman (33), a seamstress in the Dibaga Camp in Erbil, Northern Iraq. Her story is one of female entrepreneurship and leadership! Listen to her story!
On the theme of strong women, we also celebrated mother's day in the Arab region. Watch the heartfelt video with children and fathers on their love for their mothers and wives below.
World Water Day
Another important day to commemorate for us was World Water Day on the 22nd of March. Read the interview with our advisor Catherine Van Kampen below! She gives great insight into the interconnectivity between SDGs and the great importance of us all valuing water for the life-essential resource that it is.
"Investing time and supporting women and girls in their endeavors and education is a proven way forward."
This year, our team of skilled individuals is growing to create a sustainable organization that will be able to help more people across the world than before. We value our team members and want you to get to know them!
Zane Liepinlauska (29) from Latvia is our Chief Operating Officer. One could say that she is the focal point for all of our activities. She coordinates all operations and is an amazing team manager!
Tell us about yourself!
"Growing up in a family of healthcare professionals I have always been taught about the importance of helping others. Therefore, quite naturally I have chosen to connect my life with the humanitarian field(and the fact that I do not have the stomach for blood and other nasty things has also dissuaded me from joining healthcare!).
Academically and professionally, I am interested in subjects of migration and integration and issues of racism and Islamophobia. In my free time, I enjoy mountain skiing, rock-climbing, and, as my colleagues have noticed, chasing after dogs to cuddle at MINC (our HQ office building in Sweden)."
What do you think makes BHHF unique?
"In my opinion, what sets Bring Hope apart from other organizations is our capacity to deliver humanitarian aid items quickly and at a great value margin. Thanks to the broad capabilities-based partnership network we can mobilize goods in a timely and efficient manner.
What motivates me is that every dollar donated enables us to provide aid items that in turn are worth twenty times more - doesn't that speak for itself?
However, what is most important is that at Bring Hope we treat every person we meet with the highest respect – not exploiting their vulnerabilities or turning their personal tragedies into our financial gain.
Instead, we believe in empowerment through assisting them in acquiring new skills that would help them to rebuild their lives away from home.
We believe in giving the power and agency back to the people— not victimizing them or exploiting their sorrows. Being displaced is not an irreversible condition that defines one's future. Our beneficiaries just need a helping hand, someone who cares and is there to assist.
Bring Hope is there to offer a helping hand and every step of the way remind them that they have the power to change their future."
“Make your life count. If you can change as little as one person's life and be instrumental in helping a person stuck in a difficult situation, I welcome you to do it. That is a life worth living!”
With a new and ambitious fundraising team, many exciting things are happening in the near future. We are applying ourselves into building Bring Hope's brand and creating a sustainable organisation for the future.
In a few weeks, we will pursue a big fundraising effort for the month of Ramadan and specifically for the final breaking of fast - Eid. Our hopes are to provide meals for the celebration for IDP families in three different camps outside of Mosul. You will definitely hear more about this soon and we urge you to help us in this endeavor.
What this past year has taught us is that community and hope are essential aspects of all of our lives. More of us than ever have had to spend long periods of time away from family and friends.
And so, embarking this project we aim to provide some relief and hope for people living in harsh conditions and away from their home and community.
Follow us on social media and on our website to keep up to date with this campaign and be sure to share it with your friends and family once we start it!
