Refuge And Hope International

What Refuge And Hope International does

Refuge And Hope International is a faith-based, US-registered nonprofit organization founded in 2004 by Jade and Shelah Acker that delivers integrated humanitarian programs to urban refugees in Kampala, Uganda. Its operations are anchored at the Center of Hope campus in the Kansanga neighborhood of Kampala, where adult refugees aged 15-60 and children under 15 receive English as a Second Language instruction, computer literacy, primary school sponsorship, vocational training, leadership development, counseling, and spiritual programming. Programs have scaled from 12 students meeting in a small room in 2008 to over 500 refugee students served daily, drawn from nine nationalities including South Sudan, Sudan, Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Uganda. The organization operates two registered entities — a US office in Alabaster, Alabama (P.O. Box 221) handling fundraising and communications, and a Uganda branch at 1694 Mitala Rd., Kansanga, Kampala serving as the operational headquarters.

The business model combines charitable donations (processed via Pushpay, Tithe.ly, and traditional channels) with earned income from a portfolio of social enterprises operated under the Hope Unlimited umbrella, including Taste of Hope (breakfast delivery and snack bar, employing five former students), Sewing Hope (textile production from local African fabric), Crafting Hope, Hope Salon, and Hope Events. The organization also operates wholly-owned subsidiaries including the Hope Institute of Language and Life Skills (HILLS), Eagles Eyrie Empowerment (a social impact investment company), Sustainable Ministries LLC, E-Hub, and E.N. Investments. Programs are delivered at no cost to beneficiaries. Strategic partnerships include a core relationship with Work for Life for entrepreneurial training and business mentorship. No proprietary technology platforms underpin the operations; the Tithe.ly mobile app is used solely for donation processing. The organization is governed by a board of 12+ members and led operationally by the Acker co-founders alongside an HR Manager and program-specific staff including ESL teachers and a Sewing Hope manager, with reported headcount of 1-10 employees.

Name

Refuge And Hope International

Legal name

Refuge and Hope International

Website

https://refugeandhope.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Refuge And Hope International is a US-registered faith-based nonprofit founded in 2004 that delivers integrated education, vocational training, counseling, and spiritual programs to urban refugees at its Center of Hope campus in Kampala, Uganda, supplemented by social enterprises generating earned income.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian and Refugee Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment) (BPADAHAI), Refugee & Humanitarian Newcomer Orientation (Resettlement Support) (EDAAADAI), Newcomer & Refugee Student Support Programs (EDAJAGAH), Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH)

Keywords

• Refugee education programs
• Humanitarian social services
• ESL language training
• Community development nonprofit
• Social enterprise employment

Headquarters

HQ city

Alabaster

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Primary revenue stream from individual donors, monthly giving programs, and special campaigns. The organization accepts donations through Pushpay, Tithe.ly, and traditional channels. USA office in Alabaster, AL coordinates fundraising efforts.
2. Social Enterprise Businesses (Hope Unlimited): Income-generating businesses including Taste of Hope (breakfast home delivery and snack bar), Sewing Hope (textile products), Crafting Hope, Hope Salon, and Hope Events. These social enterprises create employment for program graduates while generating revenue to support operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Refuge and Hope International is a faith-based nonprofit that delivers free, on-site programs to urban refugees in Kampala, Uganda, including adult and youth education (ESL, computer literacy, math, science), professional skills and entrepreneurial training, youth leadership development, optional spiritual development activities, and counseling and emergency social services. The organization also operates a portfolio of social enterprises (Taste of Hope, Sewing Hope, Crafting Hope, Hope Salon, Hope Events) under the Hope Unlimited initiative to provide employment and generate revenue, and runs the Hope Institute of Language and Life Skills (HILLS) for vocational education.

Product overview

Refuge and Hope International is a faith-based NGO offering an integrated portfolio of humanitarian programs and social enterprises serving urban refugees in Kampala, Uganda. The organization operates multiple interconnected programs including: Education Programs (Practical Education Program for adults, Youth Continuing Education, and Primary School Sponsorship), Professional Development (Entrepreneur Training Program and Practical Skills Training), Leadership Development (SMART Program for youth), Spiritual Development (Exploring Christianity, Inductive Bible Study, Weekly Worship Night), Counseling and Social Services, and the Live. Learn. Lead. initiative (Center of Hope, Impact Ministries, I Go The Mile, and Sports). The organization also operates social enterprises under Hope Unlimited including Taste of Hope, Sewing Hope, Crafting Hope, Hope Salon, and Hope Events, along with HILLS (Hope Institute of Language and Life Skills) and Eagles Eyrie Empowerment (E-Hub, E.N. Investments). A mobile donation app powered by Tithe.ly is also available. The programs work together to take refugees from surviving to thriving through educational, professional, personal, and spiritual development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SMART Program: Spiritual Training for Youth in Leadership and Excellence - combines Biblical teachings, personal development, and leadership training for refugee youth.
• Youth Continuing Education (YCE)
• Practical Education Program (PEP)

Products and services

• Practical Education Program (PEP)
• Youth Continuing Education Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500 refugee students served daily at Center of Hope
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Work for Life (iworkforlife.com)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Work for Life to deliver the Entrepreneurial Training Program focusing on foundational elements of starting and growing a business. Students develop business plans and receive ongoing access to business mentors through this partnership.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HIAS: HIAS is a Jewish-American refugee resettlement and support organization providing legal assistance, mental health services, education, and economic support to refugees. It is directly comparable as a refugee-focused NGO combining counseling, education, and community integration services, although with a US-centric operational model.
• Hagar International: Hagar International is a faith-based organization dedicated to the recovery and empowerment of women and children who have survived trafficking, abuse, and other extreme trauma, often in refugee contexts. Comparable for its faith-based, holistic model combining economic empowerment, social enterprise, and trauma recovery — with operational footprint overlapping Cambodia, Vietnam, and Afghanistan.
• Bethany Christian Services: Bethany Christian Services is a faith-based nonprofit offering refugee resettlement, foster care, and family services. It is comparable to Refuge and Hope as a faith-motivated organization delivering holistic refugee support including education, employment assistance, and counseling, though operating primarily in the US.

Broad incumbents

• International Rescue Committee (IRC): The IRC is a major global humanitarian organization providing emergency relief, resettlement, education, and economic recovery programs to refugees and displaced people. While vastly larger and broader in scope, IRC operates similar integrated education-and-livelihood programs for urban and camp refugees, including in Uganda.
• World Vision: World Vision is a global Christian humanitarian organization providing child sponsorship, education, health, and livelihoods programming in refugee and fragile contexts including Uganda. Comparable as a faith-rooted NGO serving refugee and displaced children with education-focused programming.
• Samaritan's Purse: Samaritan's Purse is a faith-based humanitarian organization providing disaster relief, medical care, and livelihood support in refugee and conflict-affected areas. Comparable as a Christian NGO operating in East Africa with a similar donor base and ministry-aligned program model.
• Mercy Corps: Mercy Corps is a large humanitarian organization working in conflict-affected areas on emergency relief, education, and economic recovery. Comparable for operating integrated programs for refugees including in Uganda, though broader and more institutional than Refuge and Hope.
• Compassion International: Compassion International is one of the world's largest faith-based child sponsorship and development NGOs, operating in dozens of countries including Uganda. It is comparable as a Christian nonprofit delivering integrated education, livelihood, and spiritual development services through church partnerships in low-resource contexts.

Emerging players

• Refuge Coffee: Refuge Coffee is a social enterprise coffee company employing refugees in the US, with a comparable mission of refugee economic empowerment through business. While smaller and US-focused, the social-enterprise-as-employment-pipeline model parallels Refuge and Hope's Hope Unlimited ventures.
• Refuge Worldwide: Refuge Worldwide is a UK-based nonprofit community radio station and creative platform run by and for refugees and asylum seekers. Comparable as a smaller grassroots refugee-supporting organization using a creative platform to build community, though with a different operational medium.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCyxuDph6a9W2-hrWrJYViZg
• Facebookfacebook.com/RefugeandHope
• Instagraminstagram.com/refugeandhope
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/refuge-and-hope-international

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Refuge And Hope International