Hello jay - What’s happening in Somalia is catastrophic. Our team is in Somalia working closely with the Drought Relief Commission and our partner American Relief Agency for the Horn of Africa (ARAHA) to provide life-saving relief. The stories the team sends back are heartbreaking. The situation is dire. But there is incredible hope. An encouraging story is taking shape around the country. The Somali community in the U.S. has been doing amazing work over the past weeks to help families in Somalia. Everyday there is a different fundraiser at a mosque, in a park, at a community center. Their work is not only amazing – it’s critical. They are leading the effort to raise funds for famine relief. Somali medical professionals are preparing to travel to Somalia to provide much needed medical care. And people are reaching out to their networks of family and friends to gather information on the humanitarian conditions inside Somalia. Neighbors for Nations youth advocates are busy themselves… 
(On Saturday night, Neighbors for Nations advocates Mohamed Samatar,
Shukri Abdinur and Ruqia Mohamed were thrilled
to talk with Bono and K’Naan backstage at the U2 concert.)
They’ve been raising money door-to-door and holding car wash and picnic fundraisers. They’re leading a petition drive, trying to get 1,000,000 people to voice their support for more relief to Somalia. Their quick response allowed us to get our staff on the ground and helping in Mogadishu. You’d be amazed at the energy of the young Somali advocates. I’ve attached a photo album so you can see more of what they’ve been up to. The Somali community has a lot planned for the coming month of Ramadan, including: lots of mosque fundraisers; Hoops for Hunger – a youth basketball tournament; Door-to-door fundraising – young advocates are knocking on 150-300 doors each night; A 5k Walk for Somalia in September in Minneapolis’s Cedar-Riverside Neighborhood; car washes, picnic fundraisers and lots of other events. 
(1 million voices for Somalia petition)
If you’d like to get involved with a Somali group that’s already doing something or want to start your own initiative, we’re here to connect you and help you get started. Get in touch with Ruqia Mohamed at 612 872 7060 or RuqiaM@archq.org to talk about the possibilities.
Best, -Daniel Daniel Wordsworth
President, American Refugee Committee
P.S. Here’s a link to an AP article in today’s Washington Post: http://t.co/Om7Tms4. Outlets around the country have picked up this story. People seem anxious to get behind the Somali community’s efforts to help in Somalia. Our phones have been ringing all day. P.P.S. If you can, make a gift for famine response in Somalia. Families desperately need our help.
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