Populations Served

We’ve Served Refugees from 18 Countries on Four Continents

Although Nile Sisters Development Initiative originally served African refugees, the organization currently welcomes and assists three populations:

• refugees
• immigrants
• special low-income residents

Who Is a Refugee?
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) defines the term refugee as being someone who, “owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country.”

Ethnic or tribal war and religious violence are the leading reasons people flee their native countries.
Visit the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees website.»

Who Is an Immigrant?
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) defines the term immigrant as being, “any person not a citizen of the United States who is residing in the US under legally recognized and lawfully recorded permanent residence.”

Other acceptable terms for this status are Permanent Resident Alien (LPR), a Resident Alien Permit Holder or a Green-Card Holder.
Visit the US Citizenship and Immigration Services website.»

Who Else Qualifies for Service?
Special low-income residents fall outside other established social, health, or employment safety nets. This population includes asylum seekers, parolees, and refugees who have resided in the US for longer than five years but who have not yet reached full economic self-sufficiency. Our programs and assistance in navigating the US healthcare system can be both a last resort and a first step toward independence.

Our client roster includes families from all the countries listed below.

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