People resettling in a new country often face transportation issues due to factors like language barriers or a lack of driving experience. Through its partnership with Uber and the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Tech For Refugees is making a difference in the lives of refugees by facilitating access to safe transport.
Julia and Yuri Milner launched Tech For Refugees in 2022 in response to the escalation of war in Ukraine. The initiative provides grants to organisations leveraging technology for refugee relief.
Here’s how Uber and Tech For Refugees’ collaboration supports the IRC’s international work.
The International Rescue Committee
The IRC helps people whose lives have been destroyed by disaster and conflict to survive, recover, and start over. The organisation first helped people fleeing violence and persecution in Europe during the 1930s find safety in the U.S.
Now, the IRC works in more than 40 countries and 28 U.S. cities, supporting people living in crisis zones and helping refugees integrate into new communities. The organisation empowers its clients to become self-reliant, with a focus on the needs of women and girls.
Tech For Refugees’ Uber Credit Programme for the IRC
Uber has worked with the IRC since 2017, supplying rides to the organisation’s clients through cash and Uber credit. Uber has also used in-app fundraisers to donate $4 million to the IRC’s efforts in Ukraine and almost $2 million to its work in Afghanistan.
In June 2023, Uber committed $1.5 million over three years to meet IRC client and staff transport needs. In August, Tech For Refugees announced it would support Uber in this mission.
Tech For Refugees and Uber previously collaborated on a programme offering transport to earthquake victims in Turkey. A grant from Tech For Refugees allowed NeedsMap users in the affected region to buy Uber ride credits. Uber covered the fees and costs for all rides that NeedsMap users took and forwarded any payments to local drivers.
Thanks to Tech For Refugees’ expanded partnership with the IRC and Uber, more refugees can overcome the significant challenge of accessing transportation as they:
- Access the IRC’s services.
- Run important errands.
- Register their children for school.
- Travel to immigration and legal appointments and job interviews.
- Attend medical appointments.
- Participate in training to discover more about their new communities.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says “access to transport and services can be crucial” in helping refugees rebuild their lives. Yuri Milner emphasises that Uber’s support provides “a major boost to the IRC’s efforts in support of refugees around the world.”
Nawid Shaeq: From IRC Client to Case Manager With Uber
Nawid Shaeq, a former IRC client, now works as a case manager for the organisation. Uber supported him and his family when they arrived in the U.S. in search of religious freedom. Shaeq, his parents, and his three siblings left Afghanistan in 2008. They moved to India before resettling in the U.S. in 2021 with help from the IRC.
“Uber played a very pivotal role in our resettlement process,” Shaeq says. The family used Uber rides to get to doctor’s appointments, the social security office, and all their other meetings.
“Now that I work at the IRC as a case manager, I truly value and appreciate the Uber services that we have for our clients,” Shaeq adds. “Having Uber credits makes a huge impact in the consistency and the quality of the services that we provide to our clients.”
About Yuri Milner
Yuri Milner is an Israeli billionaire, technology investor, and science philanthropist. He is also the co-founder of Tech For Refugees, the Breakthrough Prize, the Breakthrough Junior Challenge, and the Breakthrough Initiatives.
The Breakthrough Prize recognises outstanding achievements in science by awarding substantial monetary prizes. Meanwhile, the Breakthrough Junior Challenge engages young minds worldwide in scientific inquiry and communication through an annual video competition. Finally, the Breakthrough Initiatives are space science programmes searching for signs of intelligent life beyond Earth.
Julia and Yuri Milner signed Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates’ Giving Pledge in 2012. The couple established the Breakthrough Foundation to realise the commitments of their Giving Pledge, which centre on donating the majority of their wealth to causes that support the good of others. The Breakthrough Foundation funds the Milners’ philanthropic ventures.