I came as a refugee, but today, I am both a refugee and a humanitarian aid worker.:CARE

I'm writing today, on World Humanitarian Day, to introduce you to Fatuma Adan Mohammed, who works for CARE in the Dadaab refugee camps in Kenya, where thousands of refugees seeking relief from famine, drought and conflict arrive each day.

Here is Fatuma's powerful story in her own words:
Twenty years ago, when I was three years old, my family and I were welcomed at the Dadaab Refugee Camps. We had run away from the fighting in my home country, Somalia. The people we found here in Kenya showed us what it means to be sincere and honest with strangers. They gave us water and medicine. I got an education. When I saw new refugees arriving from Somalia, so weak and scared, I wanted to help them like people once helped my family.

I came as a refugee, but today, I am both a refugee and a humanitarian aid worker.

I work with CARE's program to help women who have been victims of sexual violence. Since I grew up here, and was educated here, I know that women are affected by sexual violence. I wanted to do what I could to help those women.

There are now more than 400,000 refugees here like me. The camp was built for 90,000 people. Because I am a refugee, the borders of this camp city are also the borders of my world.

As a humanitarian worker, I will continue to do what I can to help other refugees so they can look back and remember that they were welcomed and given help when they needed it most — that after the horrible experiences they went through to get here, kindness can come from strangers.

Fatuma is only 23 years old. She can no longer remember her life before she lived at the refugee camp. She hopes to one day become a professional counselor, but right now her mission is to do all she can in Dadaab. She's proud of the work she's doing — and so are we.

Fatuma not only helps women who have survived violence or rape during their flight from Somalia, she serves as a role model to the women, men and children in the camps. And she's not the only one! Today, more than 1,600 refugees work for CARE in Dadaab. They deliver urgent aid and help recent arrivals navigate their new world.

I hope you will help, too. By making a generous gift today, you can help power the great work Fatuma is doing in Dadaab as well as the lifesaving and life-changing work CARE carries out all around the world.

As you know, the situation in Dadaab is growing direr, and there is no end in sight to the influx of 1,500 refugees a day. CARE is on the ground in and around the camps in Dadaab delivering food, water and other services to the rapidly growing refugee population.

Tens of thousands of CARE humanitarian workers, like Fatuma, do their part to ensure our projects reach the people in need all over the world. Today, please help honor World Humanitarian Day by supporting CARE's vital work with refugees in Dadaab and poor and hungry women, children and families around the world.

Your tax-deductible gift today can help us continue to empower people suffering during times of crisis and to help communities around the world overcome poverty, hunger and violence.

Thank you for all that you do to help others in need.

Sincerely,

Liz McLaughlin
Executive Director, Foundations Unit
CARE