Welcome to Connecting Worlds
The app not only offers a unique insight into the reality of people living in vastly different circumstances, but the opportunity to discover the hopes, values and beliefs that connect us all.
Created in consultation with Syrian refugees living in Jordan, Connecting Worlds also provides a platform for refugees to tell their own stories in their own words.
Creating conversations that count
We’ve created two different ways for you to connect with a refugee, depending on your interests and what type of experience you’d like to have. Whichever option you choose, Connecting Worlds provides both you and your match with the chance to build a meaningful connection and see new perspectives.
Mentor the next generation
Share your skills by becoming a mentor to a talented young student refugee
Build a friendship
Get matched with someone similar to you to understand what family life looks like for people who have been forced to flee their homes
Connecting Worlds is an amazing platform that breaks down barriers – it draws you outside the bubble of your own experience and connects you with someone whose life is very different, yet who shares the common hopes and dreams that most of us hold.
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Mentor the next generation
Our Connecting Worlds Mentor option lasts 12 weeks – the average length of a semester – and enables donors to build a deeper connection with refugees and a greater understanding of UNHCR, as well as the space to exchange knowledge and experiences with a refugee student.
The students taking part in Connecting Worlds have all received places in our UNHCR Refugee Scholarships Programme. They are extremely motivated individuals, at the top of their class, and are all keen to learn more from people with valuable experience.
We ask people for a minimum donation of $3,200 to participate in Connecting Worlds Mentor. This is the cost of a scholarship for one year. Our scholarships not only cover tuition fees, but additional costs such as transport and materials, along with networking and volunteering opportunities.
Higher education transforms the lives of people who have access to it, along with their families and communities. For individuals, education gives people more choices and opportunities, which in turn leads to more skills and experience within communities. Just 3% of young refugees are currently enrolled in some form of higher education. However, your support can help us reach our target of raising this to 15% by 2025.
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Build a friendship
This is a unique opportunity to learn about family life in the context of conflict, to see beyond stereotypes and to find common ground. Our participants have found many shared interests, from swapping favourite recipes and discussing family life, to exploring values and hopes for the future. Throughout the process, donors will also be able to learn more about the work of UNHCR and the people we help, including reports from the field.
We ask people for a minimum donation of $180 per month to participate in Connecting Worlds Family. Your money will go straight to providing cash assistance for Syrian refugee families living in Jordan.
Cash assistance is more than a vital form of income. In countries like Jordan, it gives refugees independence and agency over how to spend their money. Cash assistance is most frequently used to pay for rent, heating and electric, as well as buying other household essentials and even clearing debts.
I felt like we had been friends for a long time...I wished the evenings would come quickly so that I could chat to her.
How it works
Once you’ve chosen who you would like to connect with, then contact our team to begin. They will guide you through the process and send you the link to download either the Connecting Worlds Mentor or the Connecting Worlds Family version of the app. You’ll then be able to build your profile and get matched with a Syrian refugee based in Jordan. We’ll do this by matching you with a refugee based on your mutual interests, gender and the kinds of conversations you’d like to have.
Once you’ve written your messages, our dedicated team will translate and moderate them before sending them on to your match. The team will also be on hand to answer any questions or concerns you might have throughout the experience.
What's included?
Aside from the chance to share messages with your refugee match, you’ll also receive regular tips and advice on how to develop and nurture a meaningful connection.
In addition, we’ll provide you with exclusive updates from our UNHCR teams on the ground in Jordan, along with reports on how your support is helping to change the lives of people forced to flee.
Connect your world
If you are ready to take part in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, click below to email our team and begin your Connecting Worlds journey.
Other ways to help
If you’d like to support UNHCR, but are not quite ready to commit to Connecting Worlds, then the most direct way to help is by making a donation.
A donation of $180 could cover a month’s worth of cash assistance for a Syrian refugee family living in Jordan, while $550 could provide a tent big enough to shelter a whole family.