The Power Of One, With Kayra Martinez, Founder Of Love Without Borders For Refugees In Need

In this interview, we meet Kayra Martinez, the founder of Love Without Borders For Refugees In Need. You’ll hear how ONE woman harnessed her desire to help refugees in need to form a not-for-profit that has since helped thousands of refugees living in camps in Greece.

Kayra learned by apparent accident when she supplied crayons and paper to kids living in the refugee camps. She discovered that kids who had stopped speaking were able to connect once again -- and that adults were able to move through some of their grief and start to heal. She formed this non-governmental, volunteer-based 501(c)(3) organization so she could fund their creations, support their livelihood, and help them get a fresh start.

Each person she serves receives art supplies and training with artist-led workshops so they can learn to express themselves through art. You can browse her Etsy shop (link below) and choose a piece of their art for yourself or as a gift! 100% of the proceeds go back to the artist to help them get on their feet again.

Thus far, her work has positively impacted thousands of displaced refugees. She has even begun to help find housing for them while fundraising to support their education so they can gain new skills and build a brighter future in a new land. Her organization has also launched a fundraiser via GoFundMe: The Wahid Wahid project, which provides long-term accommodations and retraining support to help refugees build a brighter future.

About Kayra Martinez and Love Without Borders For Refugees In Need:

Kayra Martinez is the founder of Love Without Borders for Refugees in Need. She began volunteering at a refugee camp in Greece alongside her day job as a flight attendant for United Airlines in 2015. While raising funds to help meet basic needs, Love Without Borders also provides refugees with art supplies. The resulting works are exhibited and sold, serving as a source of economic empowerment and offering an opportunity to show the challenges and tough conditions faced by refugees.

website: http://lovewithoutborders4refugees.com

etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/LWBRefugeeArt?ref=search_shop_redirect

instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lwb4refugees/

Go Fund Me: https://www.gofundme.com/f/kayras-fund-for-charity?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=p_nacp+share-sheet&rcid=437f8c23938c443e95a2b69415ff1d05

Show Notes:

0:00 – Introduction

1:47 – The start of a life-changing experience

2:39 – How the program started with a box of crayons and some paper

16:18 – Where the NGOs were failing

22:57 – How to measure success, especially when things are dire, and Kayra’s advice to people taking on similar projects

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