All posts by RFRT

Queen Margaret College

Queen Margaret College

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Queen Margaret College Year 9 students have helped the Refugee Family Reunification Trust in various ways for more than 20 years. This partnership involves the Trust arranging for a group of former refugees to speak about their journeys, and the students then organise various fundraising events, such as cake stalls. Over those years the students have raised over $24,000 for the Trust.

This programme also includes the students knitting wonderful warm blankets for refugee families. The time, effort, skill and dedication that the students put into making these blankets is greatly appreciated by refugee families, especially in the winter months.

We wish to acknowledge and thank Queen Margaret College teachers and students for their sustained commitment to refugees, and for their practical contribution towards helping some of those who are most in need in our community.

Sahara Marathon Fundraiser

Sahara Marathon Fundraiser

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In February 2025 Jack Keeys and Amy Strang were the first New Zealanders to compete in the Sahara Marathon, a solidarity race for refugee children in Western Sahara.

As part of this event, they raised funds for a number of charities, including $750 for the Refugee Family Reunification Trust. Other charities supported were for refugees with special needs, and a project helping war orphans restore a recently flooded refugee camp. Jack and Amy funded all their own costs.

This epic adventure included running between four refugee camps, across the desert and traversing sand-dunes. This is the 15th year of the event, which includes living with a refugee family in their tent for a week, sharing stories, and supporting local projects.

It was such an incredible experience that they are hoping to go back again next year! Jack and Amy are very proud to have doubled their fundraising goals and also to have helped so many deserving charities working with refugees.

Sahara Marathon Fundraiser Sahara Marathon Fundraiser Sahara Marathon Fundraiser

Cardinal Thomas Williams

Cardinal Tom Williams

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It is with sadness that we remember the passing, in December 2023, of Cardinal Tom Williams. Cardinal Tom was one of our founding Patrons, and we will miss his kindness, support and encouragement.

Cardinal Thomas Williams

Thomas Williams was ordained a priest in Rome in 1959 and served in Palmerston North, Samoa and Porirua East parishes. He was Archbishop of Wellington from 1979 to 2005, and was appointed Cardinal in 1983. Cardinal Tom became a Member of the Order of New Zealand in 2000.

Two Million Dollars for Refugees

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On World Refugee Day 2019 the Refugee Family Reunification Trust reached a milestone well worth celebrating when total donations reached two million dollars.  Kate O’Malley, Senior Policy Advisor at UNHCR in Canberra, gifted the Trust the symbolic ‘two millionth dollar’. Since 2001 the Trust’s generous supporters have helped reunite over 280 refugee families, including paying for more than 780 airfares. Every dollar donated has directly helped refugees because the Trust is run on an entirely voluntary basis.

 

In congratulating the Trust on its work, UNHCR Regional Representative, Louise Aubin, noted that family reunification was so important because it was fundamental to a refugee’s ability to integrate into a new country. “The Global Compact on Refugees, affirmed by the UN Assembly in late 2018 underlines the need for countries to do more to facilitate solutions, including through family reunification,” Ms Aubin said.  She praised the Trust and its partners and donors for showing “a great example of the collaboration and effort needed to ensure the global commitment of responsibility sharing for refugees can be realized.”

The following is the full congratulatory message from Louise Aubin, Regional Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees:
“I congratulate the Refugee Family Reunification Trust on the important work it has achieved through its committed support to refugee family reunification. Restoring family unity is a fundamental aspect of bringing back normality to the lives of refugees. It can ease the sense of loss felt by many who, in addition to family, have lost their country, network and life as they knew it. Family reunification can fundamentally affect a refugee’s ability to integrate in their new country and is often a crucial step in their settlement. The Global Compact on Refugees, affirmed by UN General Assembly in late 2018 underlines the need for countries to do more to facilitate solutions, including through family reunification. The important work of the Trust and the support of its partners and donors over 18 years is a great example of the collaboration and effort needed to ensure the global commitment of responsibility sharing for refugees can be realized.”

Candlelight Vigil at Parliament

RFRT

On 10 September 2015 around 3,000 people attended a candlelight vigil outside Parliament in support of welcoming more refugees to New Zealand. They generously donated $2,259 to the Refugee Family Reunification Trust. The vigil was organised by Amnesty International, Action Station and Doing Our Bit, and was a wonderful expression of support for refugees. We thank them for choosing the Trust as the recipient of the donations.

Major Law Firm’s Gift to Refugee Children

RFRT

One sunny Friday afternoon in August, on the panoramic 24th floor of HSBC Tower on Lambton Quay, four refugee children happily biked around the Simpson Grierson boardroom on their new BMX bikes. For a deaf 9 year old Syrian boy, twin 7 year old girls from Ethiopia and a 10 year old Colombian boy, it was the first bike they had ever had. As part of the firm’s scholarship interviews, the law student candidates took part in a team-building activity involving assembling the bikes and then giving them, with helmets, to these children who had recently arrived in New Zealand.

Thank you to Simpson Grierson for its continuing support for refugees.

United Nations donation marks million dollar milestone for Wellington charity

RFRT

Wellington-based charity, the Refugee Family Reunification Trust, has now raised over one million dollars since its inception in 2001. The milestone was officially reached this week, thanks to a symbolic donation made by the United Nations Refugee Agency, UNHCR.

Richard Towle, Regional Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, made the donation this week during a visit to his home country, New Zealand.

Towle said that the amount of money raised by the small charity over the past 12 years was a clear endorsement of the importance of its work in bringing back together families separated by war or persecution.

The Trust is run on an entirely voluntary basis, with no salaried staff and no premises, so 100 per cent of donations go to refugees. The organization helps fund the costs, including immigration and medical fees and air fares, of reuniting refugees with family members already in New Zealand.

Towle said he was delighted to be able to support the Trust in achieving its fundraising milestone, and hoped generous New Zealanders would continue to support its work.

“Despite the barest of resources, the Refugee Family Reunification Trust has achieved – and continues to achieve – exceptional results, helping reunite more than 150 families, many of whom have been through terrible trauma before reaching New Zealand.”
The Trust was launched in 2001 by Amanda Calder, a qualified lawyer, who became aware of the plight many families find themselves in, while providing free legal advice to help former refugees with immigration applications for family members.

Last year it assisted with 52 applications, providing $152,000 towards such costs, including paying airfares to New Zealand for 30 adults and 34 children.

It has helped reunite many married couples, and children with their parents – including a newborn baby girl who was left behind in Ethiopia, and twin girls now living with their mother after six years apart.

Amanda, who still chairs the Trust, said that many had been living in appalling situations in refugee camps.

“Not only do the family members here face language difficulties in negotiating the immigration process, the fees required by Immigration New Zealand, costs for medicals, and the airfares to bring their relatives here are simply beyond their means,” she said.
“It just seemed so very wrong that because of these costs people could not bring their close relatives, including their children, to New Zealand.
“Right now, we have more families we are fundraising to help in this way, so we really appreciate the support of the donors and fundraisers who contribute so much to support our efforts.”

Elite Beauty Treatments: Do Us A Favour – Treat Yourself!

RFRT

Sincere thanks to Elite International School of Beauty and Spa Therapies, located at Level 2, 265 Wakefield St (by New World, Chaffers St), which kindly chose the Trust to receive proceeds from its 2012 student client sessions. In December 2012 a cheque for $12,352.06 was presented to the Trust – so please support them for all your beauty treatments at great prices, including facial treatments, manicures, pedicures, waxing, electrolysis and massage.