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Article by RET External Relations

In a world drawn to dramatic gestures, the most transformative humanitarian work often happens through quiet, consistent support. While emergency relief captures headlines, it’s the sustained commitment that truly changes lives.

While RET responds to immediate and emergency humanitarian needs, we focus primarily on empowering and transforming communities for the long term so that they’re more resilient in the future. This requires sustained efforts from us, our partners, and our donors.

Let’s examine why steady giving makes all the difference for refugees rebuilding their lives.

The Disadvantages of One-Time Help

While giving once has an impact, it’s generally limited in how we can use it. Why? One-time giving focuses on:

1. Short-Term Thinking: Crisis aid addresses symptoms but not root causes. It’ll help with immediate needs but does not often contribute to building long-term resilience in the communities where it’s needed.
2. Funding Gaps: Programs stall when support fluctuates. While one-time donations can provide a boost, once they’re used for relief work, the search for new funding starts all over again.
3. Lost Progress: One-time gifts help push our work to the goal, but we support communities over longer periods of time, and gaps in funding can mean that children leave school when scholarships disappear.

The Strength of Sustained Support

When support is steady, its impact multiplies. For refugees, consistent help means:

• Predictable nutrition: Kids stay healthy with regular meals
• Consistent education: Students stay on track with uninterrupted education
• Ongoing counseling: Trauma can truly begin to heal through ongoing counseling.

For organizations like RET, reliable donations allow for us to:

• Plan for long-term programs that can have an impact on communities for years to come, eliminate dependency, and ensure sustainability
• Lower administrative costs by ensuring that we can plan for the long-term, from staff and overhead costs to our work in the field
• Create stronger partnerships with local communities, organizations, governments, and over stakeholders–ensuring that every dollar can go even further

How Small but Steady Wins the Race

Just $20 a month doesn’t sound like much. But over time, it transforms lives. In one year, it helps feed a child for six months. In three years, it covers vocational training that leads to real jobs. And over five years, it funds a starter kit for a family food scheme—turning short-term aid into long-term opportunity.

Consistency Beats Heroics

Refugee families don’t need grand gestures—they need people they can count on. When you give consistently, you become part of someone’s journey—not just through crisis, but toward a stable, self-sufficient future. For example, $20 a month compounds over time meaning that:

• In 1 year, it can feed a child for 6 months.
• Over 3 years, it can cover vocational training to help transform a young person’s opportunities for livelihoods.
• Over 5 years, it can help a family set up a local garden that ensure food security for them and their neighbors.

You Can Make a Difference Today

The families we serve don’t need heroism – they need reliability. When you commit to ongoing support, you become part of someone’s journey from survival to stability to success.

Join our community of steady supporters and receive updates showing exactly how your consistent giving creates lasting change.

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