What we aim to do:

We're on a mission to bring four young people and their families living as refugees in Malaysia to the United States. These young people are the founders and leaders of Project Stand Up, a youth-led initiative in Kuala Lumpur.

They have been living in limbo in Malaysia for years after fleeing conflict in their home countries. Malaysia does not officially recognize refugees, meaning they don't have the right to work or access to education, healthcare, or other essential services or fundamental rights.

We aim to provide safety and a home to these young people and their families.

How we plan to do it:

In the coming months, it will become possible for small groups of people in the U.S. to sponsor refugees living in other countries to resettle in the U.S. through the Welcome Corps Program.

Private sponsorship groups (like ours) are required raise $2,425 per person to be resettled to cover the costs of their first few months of life in the U.S. Sponsors are also required to secure safe housing before the family arrives, furnish their new home, support them in finding work, enrolling in school, and adjusting to life in the United States. Funds raised will primarily cover the cost of their rent for their first few months, as well as transportation costs, utilities, and other necessities.

We aim to raise a total of $29,100 to help resettle four youth and their families (12 people). We will be sponsoring the families one at a time. The first family is a family of five, and to successfully sponsor them, we need to raise $12,125 by the end of 2023.

Because we know these amazing young people and their families, we could not be more excited and can't wait to have them as our new neighbors!

Who we are and why we are doing this:

In 2016, while living in Malaysia, we met these young people who have become active youth leaders in their communities and beyond. For the past seven years, we've continued to stay connected as they've grown into young adults and have found incredible ways to make meaningful contributions to their communities.

Who are we? We are Jessica, Terri, Lelo, and Philip. We live and work in Washington, D.C., and are all international development and public policy professionals.

Also joining our effort is Amina. Amina met the PSU team while she sought safety in Malaysia as a refugee. Amina was resettled to the U.S. in 2017 and is happy to be now helping others to find a new home.

Here is a little bit more about them:

Through Project Stand Up, this group of youth has made tangible and substantial contributions to their communities. For example:

They speak and present at various events, including global platforms, to raise awareness about the needs of refugee youth.

They work within their communities to empower girls and young women.

They create safe spaces for refugee youth to come together, learn, and have a sense of belonging.

They volunteer at community centers to provide education and activities for young kids.

How you can help us:

Your donations will support the resettlement of these four outstanding youth and their family members. This includes covering the costs of essential expenses such as rent, utilities, food, and transportation. No funds will go towards program overheads or other indirect expenses.

How progress will be tracked and shared: We invite all donors to follow along on our journey. We will regularly update our progress here, including fundraising, securing housing and other essential items, airport pickups, a first meal together, and much more!

What happens if something doesn't work and we can't welcome one of the families? All of the money raised will go towards welcoming these four youth and their families to the United States through the private sponsorship program. While we don't anticipate this, if, for any reason, money raised cannot go towards one of these particular families (for example, their application isn't approved), the funding will go towards another refugee family, and updates will be given to our supporters.

Other information:

Why we aren't providing names: We are not providing the names of the individuals or their family members for protection reasons.

Why we are raising funds before the 'naming' phase of the Welcome Corps application has gone live: we understand the naming phase of the Welcome Corps application will become available by the end of this year. We are raising funds now, so when the application for the phase opens, we can submit it right away.

Are donations tax-exempt? Unfortunately, because we are a private sponsorship group without a 501(c)3 Status, we are unable to provide documentation for tax-exempt donations.

I'd like to donate, but I have questions not answered here: Please feel free to reach out with any questions you might have. You can contact us through this platform, and we'll be in touch.

In addition to donating, I'd like to make an in-kind contribution to support the set-up of the family's new home: Amazing, thank you! Feel free to contact us through this platform, and we will follow up with information about additional ways you can support our efforts, including our apartment set-up list.

To learn more about private sponsorship, visit the WelcomeCorps website.