We exist because the vulnerable deserve more than sympathy. They deserve someone willing to act and to stand beside them.
The Vulnerable People Project is a humanitarian organization founded on the conviction that every human life — from the first moment of existence to natural death — carries inviolable dignity. We defend that dignity in the places the world has abandoned.
Mission
To defend the vulnerable from violence by promoting human dignity and inspiring solidarity.
This is not an empty slogan. It is the reason Prince Wafa returned to Afghanistan. The reason our team was in Sudan before the international community acknowledged a crisis. The reason a child in Gaza is receiving a prosthetic limb today.
Vision
A civilization that venerates the dignity, beauty, and worth of every human person.
From the most isolated village to the halls of sovereign nations — a civilization that venerates human life, defending it with fierce conviction across every season and without exception.
It started with one person who needed to get out.
In August 2021, as the United States military withdrew from Afghanistan and the Taliban swept back into power, Jason Jones received a call. A friend's mother was trapped in Kabul. There was no official channel, no government program, no organization ready to move fast enough. So Jason moved.
What began as a single rescue turned into hundreds. The network of safe houses, local contacts, and evacuation routes that VPP built in those desperate first days became the foundation of the Hope for Afghanistan program — a sustained, multi-year operation that has since delivered more than three million meals, drilled wells, opened a women's health clinic, and kept schools running under the Taliban's shadow.
"We didn't set out to build an organization. We set out to save a life. The organization became necessary because the need never stopped." — Jason Jones, Founder
That same instinct — move toward the crisis and build the infrastructure to sustain the response — carried VPP to Nigeria, where Christian and Jewish communities face daily violence. To Sudan, where civil war displaced millions overnight. To Gaza, where the killings never stopped despite the ceasefire and children are losing limbs. To the parishes of Zambia and Malawi. To the ashes of Lahaina, Hawaii.
The Vulnerable People Project is not a large institution. It is a committed community of people who believe that solidarity is not a feeling — it is an act.
The people on the ground.
VPP's team spans four continents. Many of them have lived the crises they now work to resolve. That proximity is not incidental — it is the source of everything VPP knows how to do.
Jason Jones — Founder & President
Founder & President Film producer, author, and human rights advocate. Executive Producer of Bella (People's Choice Award, Toronto) and The Stoning of Soraya M. Author of The Race to Save Our Century and The World is on Fire. Jason founded VPP in 2021 after personally leading the evacuation of an Afghan family during the U.S. military withdrawal.
Armen Chakmakian — Refugee Evacuation & Resettlement Database Manager
As a GRAMMY® Award-Nominated Recording Artist, Composer and Keyboardist, Armen Chakmakian has toured and performed all over the world with artists like Roger Hodgson of Supertramp, Shadowfax, Sophie B. Hawkins and Cirque du Soleil. Many of his compositions could be heard regularly on TMZ, Extra!, Ellen, Teen Titans Go!, MadTV, HBO and Cartoon Network.
"When my friend Jason told me he needed to bring on a crew to evacuate the dangers of Afghanistan, I wanted to help. Every success we've had in helping a family escape to safety has been an incredible experience!"
Lex Pouliot — Manager, Middle East & Special Projects
Alexandrya Pouliot, originally from Colorado, has years of on-the-ground experience through humanitarian and volunteer work with various Catholic organizations across Egypt, Lebanon, India, Indonesia, Mexico, East Timor, Poland, and Ukraine.
She holds a Master of Laws (L.L.M.) from the American University in Cairo. Her thesis, Law as Performance: Sovereignty, Legal Indeterminacy, and the Chinese Private Security Industry, examined how ambiguities in international law, particularly doctrines of state attribution and responsibility, allow states to use private security companies as proxies in extraterritorial operations while avoiding formal legal liability, with a case study focusing on China's deployment of such firms in the Belt and Road Initiative.
Lex is particularly committed to interfaith dialogue, religious freedom, and advocacy for Christian populations in the Middle East.
Prince Wafa, Afghan Operations Director
Prince Wafa was born and raised in Afghanistan. When he was 19 years old he began working with the United States Military as a cultural advisor and interpreter. While serving the US Military during the War Against Terror, he traveled across various cities in Afghanistan to train as a member of the Afghan National Military and Combat Operations. In 2014, he received Special Immigrant Visa status and immigrated to the United States where he began a new life in San Diego.
He returned to Afghanistan in 2021 with the hopes of bringing his wife home to the United States. He witnessed the regime change in Afghanistan and the deeply negative impact they brought upon the Afghans. It was during this time that he was connected with the Vulnerable People Project. VPP assisted Prince and his family so they could evacuate and return safely to the United States.
As an Afghan, Prince has witnessed first-hand the innumerable problems and sufferings his people face daily. He aspires to help as many Afghans as he can. Through The Vulnerable People Project, Prince directs the Coal for Christmas program, which to date has delivered over one million meals and six million hours of heat for vulnerable Afghans.
Prince currently resides in San Diego with his family and runs several businesses. He is immensely grateful to the many opportunities the United States has offered him and the positive impact it has had on his life.
Rida Ahmed — Media Production Manager
Rida Ahmed is the Media Production Manager at the Vulnerable People Project, where she oversees the production and logistics for The Jason Jones Show. In this role, Rida coordinates guest scheduling, streamlines production workflows, and manages broadcast operations to amplify the voices of marginalized communities.
After her family immigrated from Pakistan to America, Rida was born and raised in the vibrant multicultural city of Houston. It was in this beautiful and diverse city that Rida fostered a love for community, commitment to service and advocacy, and developed a deep-rooted sense of responsibility to others. Her faith as a Muslim also fuels her dedication to justice and her passion for fighting for those whose voices are often suppressed by oppressive regimes.
In addition to her media work, Rida has attended industry conferences focused on human rights and advocacy, continuing to build her knowledge in event planning and production strategy.
Ihab Hassan — Social Media Manager, West Bank
Ihab Hassan is a Palestinian human rights and peace activist from Ramallah, West Bank. He holds a Master's in Human Rights from the Catholic University of America and voluntarily serves as Social Media Manager for the Save West Bank Christians Campaign.
Fr. Viktor — VPP Director in Nigeria
Fr. Viktor serves as the Country Director in Nigeria for the Vulnerable People Project where he coordinates parish-based security programs that provide security guards for Catholic parishes, hospitals, schools, and seminaries across the country. Through this role, he works to enhance the safety and protection of vulnerable communities and Church institutions.
Fr. Viktor Ekanem is a Catholic priest of the Diocese of Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. He is known for his dedication to pastoral ministry, evangelization, education, healthcare administration, and humanitarian service. He, in collaboration with VPP, has been actively involved in promoting the welfare of vulnerable persons through community development initiatives, healthcare support, and social outreach programs. He has also contributed to the growth and administration of Catholic institutions, working to improve access to quality healthcare and human development services in underserved communities.
He currently serves as the Hospital Administrator at Divine Love Catholic Hospital in Nigeria. He is the Founder of The Victors and Victorias Foundation, TVVF, a charitable organization dedicated to supporting the welfare and education of orphans and vulnerable children in orphanages across Nigeria.
Emad Diab — West Bank Field Correspondent
Emad Diab Massis is a Palestinian communications and media professional with over a decade of experience in journalism, broadcasting, and strategic communications. He currently serves as Director of Radio Programs at the Nabd Al-Hayat Platform and Online Radio, where he leads editorial planning and content production. He previously directed the Media Department at the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine, overseeing institutional communications and media relations. He holds a degree in Radio and Television Media from Al-Quds University and believes in the power of media to foster dialogue and drive positive social change.