By Theresa Ritzer, Project ReconnectNoor Hakeem is excited to be a dad. Just a few months ago, he and his wife, Sumaya, welcomed their first child. Noor is also happy that he was officially granted asylum status in Germany. Together, Noor and Sumaya have built a new life: family, their own apartment, and a job.Noor … Continued
By Frank Schott, Vice President of Global ProgramsIt was March 1999 and I was on an assessment mission at the Kukes refugee camp in Albania. Refugees had been fleeing Kosovo and the stress on the faces of the refugees that day was palpable. Some kids were playing with a ball, others sat silently under a … Continued
By Kelli HoganEditor’s Note: Kelli Hogan, a marketing manager at Google, was a member of the 12-person NetHope Team K deployment to Greece and its official mission storyteller.Kavala, Greece — A group of hopeful refugees gather around a NetHope team scouting a location for a new access point. “Will we have Wi-Fi today?” asks Salha … Continued
By Kelli HoganEditor’s Note: Kelli Hogan, a marketing manager at Google, was a member of the 12-person NetHope Team K deployment to Greece and its official mission storyteller.Drama, Greece — Children lie, giggling and wiggling, on the floor surrounded by paper and markers. They’re making art, an activity facilitated by Solidarity Now, a UNICEF Blue … Continued
By Kelli HoganEditor’s Note: Kelli Hogan, a marketing manager at Google, was a member of the 12-person NetHope Team K deployment to Greece and its official mission storyteller.Lagadikia, Greece — We met Mohammed as soon as we arrived in the camp at Lagadikia. He is an electrician by trade, and when the NetHope team began the … Continued
By Sybille Fleischmann, Project Reconnect leadIn Leverkusen-Opladen, a small community near Cologne in Germany, employees of the Kolping-Bildungswerk training center help young refugees prepare for and find a job or apprenticeship in Germany. They offer German lessons, tutor the refugees in math and other topics, and arrange internships. Currently, seven young men between 19 and 23 … Continued
By Kelli HoganEditor’s Note: Kelli Hogan, a marketing manager at Google, was a member of the 12-person NetHope Team K deployment to Greece and its official mission storyteller.Lagadikia, Greece — “Everything boils down to soft skills,” says Rami Shakra, NetHope’s Director of Field Connectivity. Rami meets new people effortlessly: He’s friendly, funny and, a deft … Continued
By Kelli HoganEditor’s Note: Kelli Hogan, a marketing manager at Google, was a member of the 12-person NetHope Team K deployment to Greece and its official mission storyteller.Drama, Greece — “Would you like a cup of coffee?” Donaje, 15, asked while I was working outside of her family’s room. Grateful, I accepted and was invited … Continued
By Kelli HoganEditor’s Note: Kelli Hogan, a marketing manager at Google, was a member of the 12-person NetHope Team K deployment to Greece and its official mission storyteller.Drama, Greece — Hussein,18, his mother, and his 15-year-old brother left Aleppo 4 ½ years ago. That was the last time Hussein saw his friend Lawan. Then this … Continued
By Sybille Fleischmann, Project Reconnect leadIn the year since the first Project Reconnect grantees were selected, 24,000 Google Chromebooks have been distributed to nonprofits working with refugees. The laptops are in use at more than 900 locations across Germany. On March 17, 2017, representatives from these nonprofits met in Munich to share lessons learned and … Continued