The lack of access to water close by is not just a threat to health and hygiene and livestock. It can also put at risk the lives of people looking for water to graze their livestock. Fifteen-year-old Ngura Kapalee gives an account of what he endured before a CWS project made water easily available in his village in Kenya’s semi-arid West …
Chorequepaio is Blooming
Fionuala Cregan | June 1, 2013
In the indigenous Guaraní language in Bolivia, chorequepaio means new flower. It is also the name that ten families gave their community when they moved here seven years ago. Most had worked as labourers on large private estates – long hours under difficult conditions for wages well below the minimum. With support from CWS Chaco Program partner CERDET, they received …
Pakistan and Afghanistan: Two Enduring (and Endearing) Places
Chris Herlinger | May 30, 2013
Those of us at CWS lucky enough to have spent time with our colleagues in Pakistan and Afghanistan know that theirs is a very special part of the world. In the last decade, of course, since the events of 9/11, the region has taken on great geo-political significance. And if you look at the website of our Pakistan/Afghanistan program, you …
How Do You Respond?
Krista Connelly | May 25, 2013
When a natural disaster strikes such as Hurricane Sandy or most recently the Oklahoma tornado, how do you respond? There are those who go on social media such as Facebook and Twitter to express their thoughts and send out prayers. While there are others who sit patiently by the television and wait for an update from their local news broadcast. …
From a Supporter, a Word of Help and Thanks
Chris Herlinger | May 23, 2013
It is nice to be thanked in public. But it is equally nice to be mentioned in a way that elicits helpful understanding. This is what happened when the Rev. Emily C. Heath, the pastor of the West Dover (Vermont) Congregational Church, penned a terrific piece for The Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-emily-c-heath/five-tips-for-ministry-af_b_3315619.html) on tips for clergy dealing with disasters like the …
Oklahoma Tornadoes: What You Can Do To Help
Angela Rupchock-Schafer | May 21, 2013
A huge tornado tore through Moore, Oklahoma, yesterday and earlier tornadoes devastated communities across the Central U.S. As I was watching the news last night and today, scanning my Twitter feed for the latest information, all I can think is, “How can I help?” First off, you can help the most by staying put. Don’t get in the way of …
Marie Antoinette: Empowerment in Haiti
Amy Porter | May 20, 2013
In Port-au-Prince, Haiti, CWS supports the Haitian Christian Service (Service Chretien d’Haiti), which was founded by CWS in 1954. Working with CWS, SCH helps people in times of disaster and provides vocational training, agricultural assistance and economic opportunities to help people to climb out of poverty. Two years before the January 12, 2010, earthquake, CWS also started working with churches …
Three Decades of Service
Matt Hackworth | May 17, 2013
One of the things I love about CWS is its history, and that so many of my colleagues have been around to witness it. The agency is the kind of place where people have come to spend their whole careers. Just a couple of months ago I helped celebrate the tenures of three colleagues who all have been with CWS …
Study … Play … Changed
Bert Marshall | May 15, 2013
“Hi there, how’s everyone doing?” I blurted out in a crowded room full of teenagers who were in the midst of their English class. Without missing a beat, they all responded “Fine! Nice to meet you. Come on in. Welcome.” I asked how long they’d been studying English. The answer: two weeks. Two weeks and they were speaking to a …
WINNING Compassionate Immigration Reform
Rachel Pizatella-Haswell | May 14, 2013
Tuesday May 14, denotes the second day of the bipartisan immigration bill S. 744 mark up process, where the Senate Judiciary Committee will be considering amendments concerning employment-based visas. Although I have only been interning with CWS for 5 months, this day encompasses work that has aggregated over years of advocacy efforts. I began my internship in January 2013, a …