Refugee Trauma Initiative

What Refugee Trauma Initiative does

Refugee Trauma Initiative (RTI) is a UK-registered charity (restricted fund under Prism the Gift Fund, charity number 1099682) and a separately registered Greek Civic Not-for-Profit Company (Reg. No. 14716360400), founded in 2016 in Idomeni, Greece by Zarlasht Halaimzai, David Altschuler, and Jenny Altschuler. The organization provides trauma-informed, identity-informed psychosocial support to refugees and displaced communities, operating as a services non-profit rather than a technology company. Its core offering consists of four programmes: Baytna (early childhood care and development for refugee children aged 0-6 and their families), Dinami (youth empowerment through sports, arts, and community activities for ages 12-30), Therapeutic Work (individual, group, and family therapy delivered by multilingual clinical staff in Arabic, Farsi/Dari, English, and Greek), and Capacity Building (training, consulting, and the Baytna Hubs / Dinami Hubs methodology-licensing model for grassroots NGOs).

RTI's underlying "technology" is its codified trauma-informed, identity-informed methodology — built on principles of Respect, Understanding, Curiosity, and Context — combined with a multilingual clinical workforce and partnerships that provide referral pathways in refugee camps. Services are delivered directly in Northern Greece (Thessaloniki operational hub) and scaled globally via online therapeutic groups (Zoom-based) and a partner NGO network spanning Albania, Italy, Kosovo, Pakistan, Serbia, and additional European countries. Emergency response programmes for Afghanistan (launched August 2021) and Ukraine (launched 2022) extend the organization's crisis-response reach.

RTI operates as a charitable non-profit funded through donations and institutional grants, with no disclosed equity investors or commercial revenue model. Funder concentration centers on a small set of foundations including Choose Love, Karl Kahane Foundation, and Open Society Foundations. Pricing model: services to beneficiaries are free; capacity-building grants to partner NGOs range from 25,000-45,000 EUR (Afghanistan Response) and up to 25,000 EUR (Ukraine Response); introductory training for grassroots organizations is free. The organization employs approximately 12 full-time staff plus associate therapists, with cumulative impact cited as 6,000+ refugees supported and 1,200+ humanitarians trained over five years. Headquartered in London with operational headquarters in Thessaloniki.

Name

Refugee Trauma Initiative

Legal name

Refugee Trauma Initiative

Website

https://refugeetrauma.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Refugee Trauma Initiative is a UK-registered charity providing trauma-informed, identity-informed psychosocial support to refugees and displaced communities through early childhood development (Baytna), youth empowerment (Dinami), multilingual therapeutic services, and capacity-building partnerships with grassroots NGOs across multiple countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refugee Mental Health Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (624110), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPADAHAJ

MHPSS & Trauma-Informed Support for Displaced Populations

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Refugee, Migration & Displacement Services

SECONDARYBPADAHAI

Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment)

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Refugee, Migration & Displacement Services

SECONDARYBPAGAEAI

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYEDAJAGAH

Newcomer & Refugee Student Support Programs

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Special Programs (Gifted, ESL/ELL, Remedial, RTI/MTSS)

SECONDARYEDAAADAI

Refugee & Humanitarian Newcomer Orientation (Resettlement Support)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Citizenship & Immigrant Integration Education

Keywords

• Psychosocial support services
• Trauma-informed care programs
• Refugee mental health
• Early childhood development
• Youth empowerment programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations and Grants: RTI operates as a charitable nonprofit organization funded through donations, charitable grants, and partnerships with foundations. Registered as a restricted fund under Prism the Gift Fund (UK charity number 1099682) and separately in Greece as Civic Not-for-Profit Company.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Refugee Trauma Initiative (RTI) delivers culturally-sensitive, trauma-informed psychosocial support to refugees and displaced communities. Core offerings include the Baytna early childhood development programme for refugee children aged 0–6, the Dinami youth empowerment programme for young refugees aged 12–30, and direct therapeutic work via individual, group and family therapy in Arabic, Farsi/Dari, Greek and English. RTI also builds capacity of grassroots NGOs through training, technical assistance and seed grants under its Afghanistan and Ukraine response programmes.

Product overview

Refugee Trauma Initiative (RTI) operates as a charitable organisation providing psychosocial support services to refugees and displaced communities, not as a technology product company. The organisation offers four core programmes: Baytna (early childhood care and development for children aged 0-6), Dinami (youth empowerment through sports, arts and community activities), Therapeutic Work (individual, group and family therapy services), and Capacity Building (training and consulting for partner organisations). These programmes are complemented by emergency response initiatives for Afghanistan and Ukraine, introductory training courses, and wellbeing spaces for humanitarian workers. RTI's approach is trauma-informed and identity-informed, focusing on community healing and integration support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Baytna: Early Childhood Care programme for refugee children aged 0-6, meaning 'our home' in Arabic. Provides emotional support alongside high-quality early childhood development.
• Dinami

Products and services

• Baytna Early Childhood Care programme Flexible early years programme providing emotional support alongside high-quality early childhood education for refugee children aged 0-6 and their families. Delivered through safe, boundaried, contained, identity-informed and playful spaces grounded in principles of Respect, Understanding, Curiosity and Context.
• Dinami Youth Empowerment programme Youth empowerment programme using sports, arts, social events and project-based learning to support vulnerable young refugees aged 12-30. Includes two part-time paid Youth Leader Traineeships and addresses mental distress and social exclusion through skills development and community connection.
• Therapeutic Work Individual, group and family therapy services for refugees and asylum seekers delivered by culturally aware, language-skilled therapists. Includes talking groups, creative methods (dance, movement, art), and psychoeducation to promote emotional healing, stabilisation and regulation.
• Capacity Building Training and consulting services helping organisations develop psychosocial support capabilities. Includes free training for grassroots organisations, Baytna Hubs and Dinami Hubs programmes for local partners, and bespoke capacity-building support for trauma-sensitive programming.
• Afghanistan Response Programme Partnership and capacity-building programme supporting grassroots organisations working with Afghan refugees and internally displaced people. Provides seed funding (25,000–45,000 EUR), in-person and remote training, and ongoing capacity building support.
• Ukraine Response Programme Emergency response programme supporting organisations working with Ukrainian refugees and internally displaced people. Provides seed funding (up to 25,000 EUR), training and capacity building for community hubs supporting psychological wellbeing.
• Introductory Training to Setting Up Safe Spaces Free three-hour online training covering core principles for setting up safe healing spaces, trauma-sensitive practice, identity-informed practice, and four guiding values (respect, connecting, understanding, curiosity). Designed for grassroots organisations with priority given to those working with newly arrived Afghans.
• Humanitarian Wellbeing Spaces Drop-in online support spaces for humanitarian workers providing safe, confidential, grounding reflective practice where professionals can express difficult emotions and learn wellbeing and emotional regulation practices.
• Therapeutic Groups for Afghan Refugees Online therapeutic groups for Afghan refugees providing safe community spaces, emotional healing, grounding practices and trauma psychoeducation. Separate groups run weekly via Zoom for men, women, young men (16-24), young women (16-24), and the Hazara community, with 6-8 members per group.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 6000 refugees provided with psychological support
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Choose LovecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary strategic partner supporting RTI's programmes in Greece. Funded and collaborated on Baytna Early Childhood Development programme launch in 2016 and Baytna Hubs capacity-building initiative in 2019 with additional support from Open Society Foundations.
• MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaboration partner in referral pathways for vulnerable refugee individuals and families in camps.
• Save the ChildrenminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner in referral systems and collaborative support for refugee families.
• UNHCRminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaboration partner in referral pathways for refugees in need of psychosocial support.
• NRC (Norwegian Refugee Council)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner in collaboration to ensure comprehensive support for refugee families throughout camps.
• Nurture Project InternationalminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaboration partner in camp support initiatives.
• Moving Minds AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance that has featured Baytna as a case study for early childhood development programming for refugees.
• UNESCOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRTI's Baytna programme referenced in UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report Chapter 9 on Early Childhood.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF): Existing referral partner of RTI in Greek refugee camps. Provides medical and mental health services to displaced populations globally and represents a much larger incumbent in overlapping clinical MHPSS delivery.
• Mercy Corps: Global humanitarian organization delivering MHPSS and youth programming in crisis-affected contexts, including for Afghan and Ukrainian refugees. Comparable multi-country humanitarian footprint with similar youth and family support programmes.
• UNHCR: UN Refugee Agency coordinating protection and assistance for refugees globally. Sets standards for community-based protection that RTI's programmes align with and serves as a referral partner in Greek camps.
• Save the Children: Global children's rights NGO with significant child protection, education, and mental health programming for displaced families. Existing RTI partner and the former employer of CEO Zarlasht Halaimzai.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC): Large humanitarian organization delivering MHPSS, case management, and education in refugee contexts globally. Overlaps RTI's refugee MHPSS remit but at much larger scale and broader scope.

Direct peers

• TPO Foundation (Transcultural Psychosocial Organization): NGO specializing in psychosocial support and mental health care for refugees and conflict-affected populations, particularly in the Balkans, Middle East, and East Africa. Closely comparable trauma-informed, culturally-adapted MHPSS approach.
• War Child: International NGO providing psychosocial support and protection to children affected by conflict and displacement. Most directly comparable to RTI's trauma-informed, identity-aware approach for refugee children and youth.
• International Medical Corps: Humanitarian NGO running mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) programmes for refugees and conflict-affected populations, including early childhood development components analogous to RTI's Baytna.

Emerging players

• Refuge: UK-based charity providing specialist therapeutic support for refugees and asylum seekers. Closely comparable niche focus on trauma therapy in mother-tongue, though operating primarily in the UK rather than field settings.

Others

• Choose Love: UK-based humanitarian charity and primary strategic funder/partner of RTI since2016, including co-funding of Baytna Hubs. Comparable in mission (refugee support) but primarily a fundraising/advocacy organization rather than direct service provider.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RefugeeTraumaUK
• Facebookfacebook.com/RefugeeTrauma
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/refugee-trauma-initiative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Refugee Trauma Initiative