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The main goal of Empowering Refugee Children (ERC) is to give young refugees a place to pursue educational opportunities. Through its scholarship programme, ERC also aims to elevate refugees' stories and voices.
Tanya Sachdev, a high school student, founded the organisation due to her passion for positively impacting the world. It started in 2021 when she heard an NPR report on the Afghan Refugee Crisis 2021. It was then that she realised how little she knew about the Global Refugee Crisis and the struggles that refugees face.
UNHCR states that more than half of the world's refugee children "do not get an education."
As of 2018, 4 million refugee children were out of school out of 7.4 million school-aged refugees. “School is where refugees are given a second chance...We are failing refugees by not giving them the opportunity to build the skills and knowledge they need to invest in their futures.” -- Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
ERC is a 501c3 registered nonprofit by the US Government; it is also considered a registered charity.
Donations go towards a bank account registered under Empowering Refugee Children (ERC) 's name.
100% of donations go towards improving educational accessibility for refugees through ERC's scholarship program. All donations will be tax-exempt due to the 501c3 status.
The ultimate goal for ERC is to keep taking strides in helping improve educational accessibility and provide more scholarships/resources towards refugee education. The organisation focuses on partnering with local and global organisations to make a difference in other people's lives.
ERC focuses on empowering refugees through education. Half of the world's refugees are children, and only 3% of refugees can pursue higher education. As a volunteer at a local refugee organisation, Tanya worked with a Syrian refugee who dreamed of getting a History degree from a four-year college. Still, due to financial limitations, she was unable to. Refugees from across the world who seek higher education can apply for our scholarship. For example, ERC recently handed out a $1000 scholarship to a refugee initially from Tanzania who now lives in NC. Though it is a drop in the bucket, they hope to continue trying to make a difference.
You can get involved by visiting the website www.empoweringrefugeechildren.org
Editor's Note: Thank you Tanya for being an inspiration and positive light in the world.
- Deb Carr