Kellie’s 2020 Goals: A Year for Impact

In the past few months, I have been able to reflect on iACT’s amazing accomplishments from 2019. The list seems to go on and on. It is truly incredible how much the US-based staff, refugee staff, and the dedicated group of volunteers have been able to achieve. I think that throughout 2020 I will continue to create goals that, as iACT’s Education Program Manager, I can work to carry out this year. 

I full-heartedly believe that iACT will always go above and beyond in helping refugees rediscover their own empowerment—especially in the most vulnerable settings where other humanitarian organizations have withdrawn, aid is sparse, and media coverage is nonexistent. It is always my goal to continue supporting this mission.

Most of my other 2020 goals are very specific to iACT’s early childhood education (ECE) program, Little Ripples. Little Ripples has grown exponentially and continues to run in refugee camps and sites in Chad, Cameroon, Tanzania, Central African Republic, and Greece. The need for sustainable ECE programs is absolutely crucial for all children regardless of the country or context. This is especially true for refugee children who have suffered severe trauma, hardship, and stressors during their young lives. I honestly think author Frederick Douglass said it best: “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken adults.” I want to help iACT continue empowering refugee youth, which will in-turn create a generation of activists breaking cycles of violence.