Updated as of 24 September 2021 (refined costs).
Below is an immediate summary of our current financial goals and efforts towards which we will use your donations. Please continue reading further for information about S3i, our partners, and our mission and pillars.
Goal #1: Support the establishment of schools for refugee children in processing centers through the empowerment of refugee teachers and educators also in the refugee processing centers. This allows refugees to employ their craft and ensures continued education for children while they await their visas. So far we have purchased and donated nearly $3,000 in supplies to Fort McCoy and are working with Camp Commanders at other refugee processing centers.
Goal #2: Support refugees still trapped in safe houses within Afghanistan. This ensures continued safety, food, and support for these refugees until they can travel across international borders which is currently on hold until international negotiations are completed. So far we have provided $1,500 towards this effort.
Goal #3: Immigration support and visas for refugees to cross the border to neighboring countries from which we can fly them out of Southwest Asia. These visas and immigration legal assistance are costing between $400 and $1,500 for each individual. Additionally, processes are rapidly changing as these neighboring nations adjust their immigration processes in response to the emergency situation.
Goal #4: Align charter flights for refugees from neighboring countries all the way to the United States or other resettlement countries accepting refugees. These flights are estimated to cost at least $1.7M each and can move approximately 150 to 180 refugees. However, these flights are on hold until sufficient funds are available *and* legal transportation options are approved to prevent refugees from being sent back.
As the dynamic situation changes, our goals and efforts may change to match. This is to ensure that your donations are used for immediate support to refugees in the most effective manner possible. If you would like your donation to go towards a specific goal, effort, or family, please list that in the donation notes. Our budgeting team is prepared to track these funds towards specific efforts. Otherwise, your donations will go into our overall budget and be apportioned to whichever effort has the greatest impact at that time.
Who is the Save-Settle-Support Initiative and who are their partners?
The Save-Settle-Support Initiative, LLC (S3i) is an all-volunteer coalition of veterans, retirees, and concerned citizens who are dedicated to helping identify, transport, and reintegrate Afghan women and targeted persons who have fallen victim to the Taliban. Your donations will go to support this mission through multiple efforts and a small portion may be used to enable our operations such as maintaining our databases and web-enabled tools to communicate with refugees and internally. See our website at www.savesettlesupport.org for more details as well as a summary of our mission below.
Our fiscal sponsor for this effort is the Global Water Foundation, Inc. (GDF) who has agreed to legally allow us to use their 501(c)(3) status, making all donations tax-deductible. They receive all donations on our behalf and provide funds to us for our operations. Receipts and statements may reflect the GDF name but will be dedicated exclusively to S3i operations.
Our transportation partner for this effort is Coastal Defense, Inc. (CDI) who has years of proven experience assisting with the transportation of refugees from several kinds of emergencies. They are arranging much of the travel opportunities to relocate refugees from Southwest Asia in preparation for the approval from the Department of State and other agencies to initiate movement. If you would like to donate towards their specific efforts, please see their DonorBox Campaign page.
There are numerous other partners and volunteers with whom we collaborate daily towards our common goal and we greatly appreciate all of their support. This coalition of nonprofits and non-governmental organizations under our umbrella is motivated to save as many lives as we can. S3i will endeavor to serve as a single point of contact for the full spectrum of operations to ensure the most effective support through the process.
How does the Save-Settle-Support Initiative work?
The S3i, LLC mission consists of three pillars: SAVE, SETTLE, and SUPPORT.
Within the SAVE pillar, we are preparing systems and tools to intake refugee information and arrange for their transportation out of Afghanistan. This may include funds for their safe house, food, and supplies until we can move them and at a processing center or refugee camp in neighboring countries.
Within the SETTLE pillar, we have aligned for commercial and charter air travel to transport refugees out of Southwest Asia. This may include several stops along the way depending on international immigration regulations and processes. It also may include a significant stay in a processing center while visas are processed through appropriate agencies.
Within the SUPPORT pillar, we are collaborating with several agencies to commit to long-term support as refugees reintegrate into society. This includes, but is not limited to, housing, transportation, communication, cultural education, financial literacy, and social support services.
Each pillar is made up of teams of volunteers with language skills, technical skills, cultural competencies, licenses, and credentials for their specific roles. We also work with regional community coordinators to collect donations and volunteers who can help within their geographic area but may not be able to join our team directly. Lastly, there are several partner nonprofits and nongovernmental organizations with significant experience in individual components of our mission, such as CDI. We are building a coalition of partners with these organizations to ensure that refugees are supported from first contact to reintegration without losing any along the spectrum of operations.
If you have questions, please contact [email protected] and we will be happy to clarify any concerns you may have. If you have specific financial questions, please contact [email protected] and our financial advisors will be happy to help. NOTE: neither of these emails is used for taking in new requests for support from refugees, please go to the intake form linked on our website to submit new requests for assistance.