Rebuild Aid Foreningen | Humanitarian Aid & Community Recovery
Rebuilding lives through humanitarian assistance, resilience, and sustainable recovery
About Us
About Rebuild Aid
Rebuild Aid is a volunteer-driven, membership-based Danish diaspora association that has grown over the years out of a strong community of committed members and volunteers. Today, the association consists of 56 members and 8 active volunteers, who elect a board of four people annually at the general assembly. The board sets the strategic direction, but it is the many volunteers who carry the work and make it possible to create real, tangible change for people living in vulnerable circumstances.
Rebuild Aid began informally in 2007 as a small volunteer initiative where ordinary people used their free time to collect and pack equipment for schools, hospitals, and persons with disabilities. In cooperation with other Danish associations, volunteers filled containers with usable, good-quality furniture, medical equipment, and assistive devices, which were shipped to countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, and Somaliland.
This phase laid the foundation for our identity:
- practical action
- volunteerism as a driving force
- accountability as a standard
- and a strong community at the center
In 2012, Rebuild Aid was formally registered with the Danish authorities (CVR number 38768573).
Since then, the organization has evolved from equipment collection into a broader humanitarian actor, implementing projects within emergency relief, capacity building, and community development.
Over the years, Rebuild Aid has shipped more than 30 containers containing school furniture, hospital beds, medical equipment, and assistive devices for persons with disabilities. These donations have supported institutions in the provinces of Ghor, Farah, Badghis, Herat, and Ghazni — some of the most underserved regions in Afghanistan.
This development did not happen alone. Rebuild Aid stands today on the shoulders of strong partnerships with local organizations in Afghanistan and key Danish and international partners who have strengthened our professionalism, capacity, and long-term engagement.
Development of Our Humanitarian Work
After several years of work focused on material donations, Rebuild Aid expanded its mandate to include humanitarian projects and development initiatives. This transition was made possible through strategic partnerships with SUAO, AWARD, CISU, DERF, GLOBUS, DEMAC, and DRC — each contributing with expertise, capacity building, and funding.
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SUAO – Saifrood Unity and Aid Organization (Afghanistan)
SUAO is Rebuild Aid’s most important local partner and is responsible for implementing our projects on the ground. The organization has strong local anchoring, technical capacity, and experience in humanitarian assistance, healthcare, education, women’s economic participation, and protection. Without SUAO, we would not be able to ensure that aid reaches the most vulnerable families.
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AWARD – Afghan Women Advancement & Rural Development Organization
AWARD strengthens our efforts in education, social development, and women’s rights in poor or remote areas. Through AWARD, Rebuild Aid has delivered hospital equipment, school furniture, and assistive devices for persons with disabilities. Their strong local network ensures access to communities that are often overlooked.
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CISU – Civil Society in Development
CISU provides Rebuild Aid with access to funding, technical guidance, and organizational capacity building. Through CISU’s Civil Society Fund and DERF, we have strengthened our competencies in project management, risk analysis, reporting, partnership development, and accountability. CISU has made it possible for us to implement both humanitarian and development projects, particularly with a focus on youth and women.
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DERF – Danish Emergency Relief Fund
DERF enables Rebuild Aid to respond quickly in acute crises such as earthquakes, floods, and forced deportations. DERF support covers cash assistance, temporary shelter, relief kits, and protection components that reduce humanitarian risks. Their framework ensures that assistance is delivered quickly, transparently, and in coordination with relevant actors.
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GLOBUS (formerly Genbrug til Syd)
The GLOBUS programme enables us to continue our circular-economy-based work, collecting and shipping quality, used equipment from Denmark to schools, hospitals, and disability institutions in Afghanistan. GLOBUS links Danish engagement with global justice through sustainable reuse and educational collaboration.
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DEMAC – Diaspora Emergency Action & Coordination
DEMAC strengthens Rebuild Aid’s role as a diaspora actor through capacity development, networking, and knowledge-sharing forums. Participation in DEMAC’s workshops and international gatherings has enhanced our visibility, organizational maturity, and coordination with other diaspora groups.
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DRC – Danish Refugee Council (Diaspora Programme)
DRC has supported Rebuild Aid through training programmes, governance advice, and funding for humanitarian projects (e.g., water wells in Ghor Province). DRC helps us professionalize internal systems and link diaspora engagement with international humanitarian standards.
Selected Projects and Their Human Impact
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Assisting the IDPs to Prevent a Human Catastrophe
This project played a critical role in preventing a humanitarian catastrophe among internally displaced families. It ensured access to essential needs such as shelter, food, and basic safety. The key result was a reduction in the risk of hunger, illness, and life-threatening cold for some of the most vulnerable people.
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Herat Earthquake Relief: Providing Urgent Aid to Victims
After the Herat earthquakes, thousands of families were left without shelter. The project provided rapid assistance in the form of relief packages, temporary shelter, and support to the most affected households. The impact was immediate: families in shock and distress were not left without help during the crucial first days, and local coordination ensured that assistance reached those who needed it most.
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Emergency Response and Relief for Flood-Affected Communities
Floods affect thousands of people every year. This intervention ensured that families in remote areas could access basic relief, enabling them to survive the first days after the disaster. Beyond the emergency response, the project strengthened local preparedness and provided practical learning for future crises.
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Empowering the Young in Afghanistan Through Sport
This project provided young people with access to structured sports activities, healthy communities, and new opportunities in a conflict-affected environment. The impact included improved mental well-being, increased physical activity, and a stronger sense of community, offering youth a safe space for development.
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From Return to Resilience: Civic Education and Climate-Smart Livelihoods
A long-term development project focusing on youth and women. It combined civic education, climate-awareness training, and livelihood development. The impact was strengthened decision-making power, practical skills, and greater resilience at community level.
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Cash and Civil Support for Recently Deported Afghan Families
Families deported with almost no belongings are at extreme risk. This project provided cash assistance and legal guidance, enabling families to meet their most urgent needs, access safety, and avoid falling into deep crisis.
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Cash Assistance for Protection and Sheltering of Earthquake-Affected Families
Cash assistance allowed earthquake-affected families to prioritize their own needs — whether medical care, food, or transportation. The main impact was dignity and flexibility, ensuring the aid was targeted and effective.
Rebuild Aid Today
Rebuild Aid is today a modern, volunteer-driven diaspora association that bridges deep local knowledge of Afghan contexts with the standards of accountability, transparency, and quality that characterize Danish humanitarian work. The association stands on a strong foundation of volunteerism and community, driven by people who have roots in Afghanistan and a strong connection to Denmark.
Our work is guided by a strong ethical foundation. We practice transparency in all processes and decisions. Volunteerism is not only a resource, but a defining principle, ensuring that our work is driven by commitment rather than economic interest. Community is central — we lift tasks collectively and view humanitarian responsibility as shared.
Sustainability is also integrated into our approach, meaning both long-term solutions and circular reuse of equipment that makes a real difference in resource-poor communities. Above all, our work is built on a deep respect for human dignity. We act from the belief that all people should have the opportunity not only to survive but to grow, act, and build a safe and hopeful life.
Rebuild Aid is therefore more than an association — it is a community that transforms volunteer engagement into meaningful humanitarian action.
Rebuild Aid and the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Rebuild Aid’s work aligns closely with several of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and our initiatives are naturally grounded in the principles they promote. Even as a volunteer-driven diaspora organization, we strive to contribute to global goals around sustainable development, equality, health, and strong partnerships. The SDGs function as a compass for how we plan, implement, and evaluate our projects.
Our activities contribute directly to goals such as:
- quality education
- health and well-being
- gender equality
- reduced inequalities
- partnerships for sustainable development
Partnerships — central to SDG 17 — are at the core of our identity. The collaboration between Danish volunteers, Afghan communities, and international actors demonstrates how cross-border partnerships create measurable improvement for people in vulnerable situations.
The Future of Rebuild Aid
Rebuild Aid stands at a pivotal point in its development, drawing on a long history of volunteerism while taking steps toward an increasingly strategic and professional role within humanitarian action. Our vision is clear: to transform voluntary engagement into action that creates real, measurable, and sustainable improvements in the lives of vulnerable people — wherever they are.
In the coming years, we will continue strengthening our position as a values-based diaspora organization, investing in capacity building, transparent systems, and partnerships that ensure measurable results. We will further develop our emergency response capacity, expand our development work in education, women’s economic empowerment, youth engagement, and climate-resilient livelihoods, and strengthen our role as a bridge between Denmark and Afghanistan.
Our future direction focuses on three pillars:
- rapid and coordinated emergency response
- long-term development and livelihood strengthening
- building connections and engagement between Danish society and Afghan communities
The future of Rebuild Aid is not about growing for its own sake, but about enhancing the quality, depth, and sustainability of our interventions — always guided by human dignity, responsibility, and community engagement.
Rebuild Aid Mission, Vision and Values
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Mission
Rebuild Aid’s mission is to support people living in vulnerable situations through emergency aid, capacity building, and long-term sustainable initiatives. Our work is grounded in volunteerism and strong partnerships, ensuring that assistance reaches those who need it most.
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Vision
Our vision is to help create a future in which people in vulnerable conditions have the opportunity to act, grow, and live a safe and dignified life. We aim to strengthen communities, increase resilience, and support long-term development that benefits both individuals and society.
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Values
Our work is anchored in a set of core values that guide everything we do: human dignity, volunteerism, transparency, local ownership, and sustainability. These values shape how we plan, implement, and evaluate our work, ensuring that our interventions create lasting and meaningful improvements.
Organizational Capacity
Rebuild Aid is a Danish diaspora-led civil society organization formally established in 2012, driven by membership democracy, volunteerism, and a clear governance structure. The organization maintains transparent financial systems, strong accountability procedures, and structured partnership models. Rebuild Aid has developed systems for financial management, reporting, risk assessment, project administration, and coordination with both Danish and international actors. Our local implementation capacity is ensured through long-term partnerships with SUAO and AWARD.
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Experience and Results
Rebuild Aid has implemented multiple humanitarian and development interventions in collaboration with CISU, DERF, the GLOBUS programme, DEMAC, and DRC’s Diaspora Programme. Experience includes emergency aid (cash, NFIs, protection), school and health equipment, WASH, youth programming, women’s economic empowerment, and civil society capacity building. Projects are implemented in some of the most vulnerable provinces, with a focus on families in crisis, deportees, women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
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Approach and Methodology
Rebuild Aid’s interventions follow humanitarian principles and standards, including transparency, neutrality, and beneficiary accountability. All interventions incorporate MEAL, risk mitigation, gender and protection mainstreaming, and do-no-harm principles. Project design builds on local needs assessments, participatory methods, and coordination with relevant actors, including OCHA, UNHCR, and local authorities. Rebuild Aid prioritizes local ownership, strong partnership coordination, and sustainable outcomes that strengthen resilience and autonomy.
Rebuild Aid – Board Structure
Rebuild Aid is led by a four-member board elected annually at the organization’s general assembly. The board holds overall responsibility for strategy, finances, and the organization’s humanitarian work. It ensures responsible, transparent, and value-driven management of Rebuild Aid’s activities.
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Chairperson
info@rebuildaid.dkProvides overall leadership and ensures clear strategic direction and quality in all activities.
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Vice Chairperson
info@rebuildaid.dkSupports board leadership and helps strengthen partnerships and member engagement.
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Treasurer
info@rebuildaid.dkOversees budgeting, financial reporting, and transparent management of all resources.
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Alternate Board Member
info@rebuildaid.dkProvides support and continuity, stepping in when needed to assist the board’s work.
Contact Rebuild Aid
Rebuild Aid welcomes contact from partners, donors, volunteers, and anyone interested in our humanitarian work. Whether you seek information about our projects, wish to explore collaboration opportunities, or want to engage with our volunteer-based activities, we encourage you to reach out. We aim to respond to all inquiries promptly and professionally.
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E-mail-support
info@rebuildaid.dk
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Address
Runestenen 18
8210 Århus V – DK.
Join as a Volunteer or Member
Become a volunteer or member of Rebuild Aid Association and make a real difference! Gain meaningful experience by participating in empowerment initiatives that transform lives and communities, and be part of our journey toward sustainable development and support for vulnerable groups.
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