FORGET FOUNDATION
FORGETING AND LETTING GO OF THE PAST INITIATIVE (FORGET FOUNDATION)
Slogan: Promoting Humility to all.
Supporting Reintegration and Community Recovery
Forget Foundation is committed to supporting individuals and families navigating the complex journey of reintegration after displacement. Reintegration is not simply about returning home—it is about rebuilding lives, restoring dignity, and strengthening communities for long-term stability.
Through community-led initiatives, psychosocial support, and livelihood-focused programs, we work to ensure that returnees are supported in ways that are sustainable, inclusive, and locally grounded.
Understanding Reintegration After Displacement
Displacement can disrupt every aspect of a person’s life. It may separate families, interrupt education, undermine livelihoods, and create lasting emotional distress. When individuals return to their communities, they often face new challenges, including social stigma, limited economic opportunities, and barriers to essential services.
Reintegration requires coordinated efforts that address social, psychological, economic, and legal dimensions. A successful reintegration process strengthens both returnees and the communities that welcome them.
Our Approach
Forget Foundation adopts a community-centered model of reintegration. Rather than imposing external solutions, we collaborate with local leaders, families, and peer networks to develop responses rooted in local realities.
- ☼Community-based reintegration support
- ☼Guidance and advisory services for returnees
- ☼Entrepreneurship and livelihood support initiatives
- ☼Psychosocial and peer-based support
This holistic approach recognizes that long-term stability depends on inclusion, economic resilience, and social cohesion.
Why Community-Led Reintegration Matters
Communities play a critical role in determining reintegration outcomes. When communities are informed, engaged, and supportive, returnees are more likely to rebuild relationships, access opportunities, and regain confidence.
Community-led reintegration reduces stigma, encourages dialogue, and promotes shared responsibility for recovery. Learn more in our article on community-led reintegration.
Addressing Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing
Mental health is often an overlooked component of reintegration. Experiences of displacement may lead to trauma, anxiety, and social withdrawal. Without appropriate support, these challenges can limit a returnee’s ability to participate fully in community life.
By integrating psychosocial awareness into reintegration initiatives, communities can create environments that promote healing and resilience. Explore this topic further in how trauma affects returnees.
Promoting Sustainable Livelihoods
Economic independence is essential for sustainable reintegration. Access to skills development, entrepreneurship opportunities, and local economic participation helps returnees regain stability and reduce long-term vulnerability.
Our livelihood-focused initiatives aim to align opportunities with local market realities, ensuring that reintegration benefits both individuals and host communities.
Access to Rights and Legal Identity
Legal documentation and access to services are foundational to reintegration. Without proper identification, returnees may face exclusion from healthcare, education, and employment systems.
Ensuring awareness of legal rights and pathways to documentation strengthens long-term inclusion and participation.
Building Resilient Communities Together
Reintegration is a shared responsibility. Sustainable recovery is achieved when communities and returnees collaborate to rebuild trust, strengthen social ties, and promote inclusive growth.
Forget Foundation remains committed to supporting community-driven reintegration efforts that prioritize dignity, participation, and long-term resilience.
To explore our programs and insights, visit our Blog Insights or learn more about our work.
“Since 2020, we have supported 28 individuals through community dialogues and livelihood programs.”
Top 8 Challenges Returnees Encounter (and How to Overcome Them)
Reintegration is a critical process that goes beyond simply coming home. Returnees often face multiple challenges that affect their ability to rebuild their lives. This guide highlights eight common barriers and offers practical ways to overcome them.
1. Lack of Preparedness
unrealistic expectations, no pre-departure support.
Solution: Pre-departure guidance to manage expectations and ensure safe return.
2. Spiritual and Mental stress
Many returnees experience feelings of isolation, trauma, or reverse culture shock. These emotional challenges can make it difficult to reconnect with family and community.
Solution: Access to counseling, peer support groups, and community-based psychosocial programs can help returnees heal and adjust.
3. Lack of Secure Employment
Securing a job is often one of the biggest obstacles. Skills gained abroad may not be recognized, or employers may hold negative stereotypes about returnees.
Solution: Vocational training, entrepreneurship programs, and job placement initiatives provide pathways to economic stability.
4. Foundamental Necessities
Without safe housing, reintegration can quickly fall apart. Many returnees come back without financial resources to secure accommodation.
Solution: Community housing projects and NGO partnerships are critical in bridging this gap.
5. Social Exclusion
Returnees may be seen as outsiders, judged for leaving, or blamed for past difficulties. This stigma can prevent them from fully rejoining community life.
Solution: Awareness campaigns and dialogue sessions can help communities embrace returnees with dignity and respect.
6. Family Restoration
Returning home can cause shifts in family roles. Children may struggle to bond with a parent who has been absent for years.
Solution: Family counseling and structured reintegration plans can rebuild trust and restore balance at home.
7. institutional Constraints and Policy Impediments
Missing documents, debts, or unclear legal status often create major barriers. Without proper paperwork, returnees can’t work, access healthcare, or secure housing.
Solution: Legal aid programs and government initiatives can provide the necessary support.
8. Barriers to medical Care
Health issues — physical or mental — often go untreated due to lack of affordable care, creating long-term problems.
Solution: Referral systems and partnerships with healthcare providers ensure returnees receive proper treatment.
Case Study: Ngonjiri's Journey
Ngonjiri returned to Kenya after eleven years abroad. At first, he struggled to find work and felt unwelcome in his community in Ngong Township, Kajiado North. With the help of Forget Foundation, he received job training and joined a support group. Today, he works as a gym instructor and volunteers to mentor other returnees.
Conclusion
Reintegration is not a single event but a process requiring support at different stages. From psychosocial to employment and foundamental necessities, addressing these eight challenges is key to a life-long success. With the right tools and resources, returnees can prosper and help constructively to their communities.
OUR PARTNERS
