Kama DC #GivingTuesday Fundraiser

Help Us Get to 100 Donors!

WHAT IS KAMA DC?

KAMA DC is a grassroots organization in Washington DC which provides a platform for immigrants in the DMV area to share their skills and stories.

KAMA DC is run entirely by volunteers who are passionate about building ties, facilitating cultural exchanges, and starting conversations. We highlight the skills and stories that immigrants bring to our community by hosting skills based workshops, cooking classes, storytelling nights, film screenings, and more.

KAMA DC volunteers began to meet in 2016 and we held our first class in December 2016. We gained official 501(c) non-profit status in 2018.

WHAT DOES KAMA MEAN?

KAMA is an acronym in German - "Kurse von Asylsuchenden, MigrantInnen & Asylberechtigten" - which means "Classes by Asylum-Seekers, Migrants, and Those Who Have Been Granted Asylum." The model started in Vienna, Austria in 2006 and has since spread to multiple cities in Austria, Germany, and the UK.

HOW KINDS OF PROGRAMS DOES KAMA DC OFFER?

CLASSES - we provide a platform for immigrants to share any skills they want with the DMV community. These range from cultural classes (cooking, dance, art etc) to professional skills (entrepreneurship, UX design etc) and everything in between.

STORYTELLING NIGHTS - we host regular storytelling nights for immigrants who would like to share a part of their story. We choose a loose theme and then provide a platform for 5 or 6 performers to share stories inspired by that theme.

PODCAST - Journeys is a bite-sized podcast series featuring immigrants and refugees living in the DMV area. Our mission is to center the voices of immigrants in our community while providing a platform for storytelling, cultural connection and unity.

FILM SCREENINGS AND PANEL DISCUSSIONS - we host expert discussions and film screenings, highlighting the work and expertise of those from immigrant communities.

INSTAGRAM TAKEOVER ACCOUNT - the Immigrants of the DMV Instagram account provides a platform for immigrants to share whatever they would like for one day.

IMMIGRANT-OWNED BUSINESSES - we have started hosting immigrant-led walking food tours which include stops at immigrant-owned businesses in Washington DC. We also hosted our first immigrant-owned business mini market in 2022.