Transforming thinking. Transforming lives.

Education: Primary & Secondary School

Since 2015, FOH has run a school providing access to primary education for more than 1,000 forcibly displaced children, including refugees and asylum seekers, at Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi. Each year, 40 refugee and Malawian students are supported through the Secondary School Sponsorship Program, with girls representing 90% of participants.

Take the Lead Program

In collaboration with Mexoxo and eCornell, FOH provides skills-based instruction to refugees, asylum seekers and other underserved people, especially women. Participants study leadership, entrepreneurship, time management and career exploration to prepare for employment, entrepreneurship and community involvement.

The curriculum includes leading and managing, overcoming challenges, motivation, leadership evaluation, high-performance teams, conflict resolution, priority and time management, performance improvement, career planning, resumes, interviews, networking, personal branding, entrepreneurial mindset, resource assembly, processes and systems, and scaling sustainable opportunities.

School Recovery Program

In Bukavu and surrounding territories in Eastern DRC, FOH’s School Recovery Program serves more than 500 children. The accelerated learning program supports out-of-school minors aged 12 to 17 who have been affected by armed conflict and poverty. It compresses the equivalent of six years of primary education into three years so learners can re-enter formal secondary education or qualify for vocational training.

The program prioritizes teen mothers because stigma and exclusion make them particularly vulnerable to losing access to education, while maintaining access for boys as well.

Higher Education Sponsorship

This program expands higher-education opportunities for marginalized girls in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by supporting college and university studies. It assists with tuition fees and learning materials and gives special consideration to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. FOH states that the program has sponsored girls in Eastern DRC each year since 2021.

Economic Empowerment & Poverty Alleviation

FOH aims to build long-term self-reliance among individuals, families and communities. It provides business literacy to women and youth, access to capital, mentorship and coaching, along with vocational skills intended to strengthen entrepreneurship and women’s economic independence.

FOH reports that 93% of beneficiaries supported over a five-year period sustained and grew their businesses, while 78% employed at least one additional person from their communities. During the COVID-19 response, 1,002 vulnerable households received unconditional social cash transfers.

Food Security

FOH supports smallholder farmers with environmentally conscious agricultural techniques through training, mentoring and coaching, as well as access to agricultural inputs. Communities are organized into cooperatives, supported with hybrid seeds and trained in organic fertilizer production. The program also extends to food-relief assistance for communities affected by conflict, climate or economic shocks, particularly during lean months.

Water & Sanitation (WASH)

In response to water shortages and congestion at Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi, FOH states that it has supplied potable water to more than 1,000 refugee households and nine community schools since 2020. In Eastern DRC, FOH works to improve access to clean water and sanitation in rural areas, with particular attention to schools, health centers and markets.

Tulia Mental Health Project

The Tulia Project combines mental-health therapy, medical referrals and socio-economic reintegration for survivors of armed conflict. Support may include assistance with associated medical needs. FOH also connects beneficiaries from counselling to other programs, including school reintegration and economic empowerment opportunities.