Stories of Change

Razaz (top) and Jameela (bottom) teach young refugee women new skills in Henna and Makeup Art

Persevering Through Passions: Jameela and Razaz

Beyond every refugee are stories, passions and hobbies that make them unique. Each newcomer brings to their host country new valuable skills that, when given the chance, can help make our lives a little brighter. This is true for Jameela and Razaz who live in our PURE* Group Home for Youth seeking asylum in Indonesia.

On paper, one might assume the two young women are from completely different worlds. Jameela is from Iraq and Razaz is from Sudan. When you look closely, however, you’ll find that the two women have one very big thing in common: they are driven by their passions.

Jameela is a self-taught make-up artist and talented student. On Saturdays, when she is not working on her schoolwork, she volunteers at the Refugee Talent Project, where she teaches other young refugee women and girls makeup techniques. By doing this, Jameela is not only helping other women develop new skills, but she is empowering them by revealing how talented and capable they are.

Like Jameela, Razaz developed her own passion and artistic talent, henna, at a young age. At the CWS group home, she felt compelled to share her talent with her peers and established her own henna class for the residents. She shared, “I enjoy sharing my skills. It makes me happy. I enjoy seeing my students improve their skills by the week. One of my students at [the] group home initially didn’t know how to draw henna at all. Now she can do it by herself.”

For both Razaz and Jameela, the title “refugee” has never stopped them from pursuing their passions while uplifting others. As Razaz stated, “Being a refugee shouldn’t be a barrier for you to learn new skills, as I believe that all women are strong and resilient enough to break those barriers.” With each brush stroke, these women are taking down barriers and painting new opportunities for all they encounter.

*PURE, which stands for “Protecting Urban Refugees through Empowerment” is a CWS-run program in Jakarta, Indonesia that helps unaccompanied refugee youth and asylum seekers navigate life in their new home. The program provides shelter and community and offers classes and vocational training to teach the youth life skills and help them develop a stable livelihood.

You can learn more about our work in Indonesia by clicking here.

Stories of Change

Participants of Youth Talent Show

Youth Talent Show: WE ARE HERE

This month, the Youth Talent Show titled “WE ARE HERE” brought together an inspiring display of talent and resilience from Ukrainian youth. The name, inspired by Alicia Keys’ song, resonated deeply as these young performers asked a poignant question through their final performance: “WHY ARE WE HERE?” This question, far from being merely philosophical, echoed the lived experiences of these children and teens who have spent over two years away from their homeland, adapting to a new culture and language. 

Despite the hardships and barriers, they sometimes face, these youth stood tall and proud, declaring, “WE ARE HERE.” Their performance showcased not just their maturity and the traumas they’ve endured, but also their incredible resilience and talent. The show had it all—humor, parodies, rock music, classical duets, folk dancing and singing. Each genre was represented, making the event full of hope.

The chant, “We are here, we are here for all of us” echoed from Odesa to Kharkiv to Borodyanka, highlighting the collective spirit of the Ukrainian youth at the show. The talent show commenced with a play depicting an airport scene, symbolizing the start of a new journey as people arrived for the first time, carrying bags and leaving behind the lives they once knew as all of the youth members have recently experienced.

Marina and Alison, case managers at CWS who organized the Jersey City Talent Show, reflected on the event: “We found kids, talented and not, who wanted to do something and show their talents. As a Ukrainian, I could not be happier” Said Marina.

Diana, a participant youth member, shared her thoughts: “Since I became part of the CWS Youth Program, almost everything has changed in my American life—my attitude towards people, my English language skills and I’ve made many new friends. I feel warmth from the people there, and I’m very happy to come every weekend. I expected our performance to be very successful and it happened so, with many people attending. I think it can change people’s attitudes towards Ukrainians and CWS.”

Kirill, another participant, echoed similar sentiments: “My English has improved, and I’ve made new friends, even finding my girlfriend, who is Ukrainian. I’m excited and ready to have practiced the whole show with others. People were happy and excited like me. I want to thank Marina and Alison for their service and work; they are such good people.”

Marina and Alison elaborated on the logistics: “Our team picked Saturday as the day Ukrainian parents could bring their kids. Some parents traveled over an hour to watch their kids do amazing things. These kids, having been in the U.S. for only this short time, immediately bonded, becoming friends and chatting online while at home. The connection they made was exactly what we hoped to see. These kids are now heard, seen and visible.”

The show included Ukrainian humor, as Marina explained to us, “If you are dating me and come to our house and my mother offers you slippers, do not ever say no to that offer.” A Ukrainian version of Romeo and Juliet, an Egyptian belly dance, and other performances brought a touch of various cultures, even though all performers were Ukrainian. The entire show lasted two hours, leaving the audience in awe.

Marina summed up the event, saying, “The kids’ parents were grateful, and this is a gift to me.”

The “WE ARE HERE” Youth Talent Show was not just a display of talent but a testament to the resilience and hope of the Ukrainian youth, reminding us all of the power of community and the importance of being seen and heard.

To learn more about CWS New Jersey, visit their website.

Stories of Change

Lauren at her CSU graduation

Becoming an Advocate for Unaccompanied Children

Lauren’s journey to becoming an advocate for unaccompanied children is a story of growth and discovery and reveals how we can all be a helping hand to our newest neighbors. Originally from New York, Lauren always valued the diverse groups she was a part of which piqued her interest to learn Spanish. This interest motivated her to move to California where her path would eventually lead her to CWS.

She first moved to California in 2018 to attend Santa Monica College. Uncertain about her future, she found herself drawn to the Spanish language and the complexities of immigration issues. “I started studying Spanish in Santa Monica College and I got an associate degree in Spanish,” she explained.

While at Santa Monica College, she encountered Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and began to delve deeper into immigration policies and their impacts. She also met individuals from Venezuela who were directly affected by these policies. “I started learning about the situation in Venezuela, the refugee situation and global migration,” she recalled. This personal connection fueled her desire to learn more, and she decided to transfer to California State University to pursue a degree in International Studies with a minor in Global Migration Studies.

At CSU, Lauren’s academic journey continued to intersect with her growing interest in refugee and immigration issues. She joined the BUILD program, an undergraduate research initiative, and worked with a faculty mentor on research focused on the experiences of asylum seekers and refugees in Costa Rica. “I had a very firm understanding of the reasons why these children were coming to the U.S.,” she noted. Following this deep educational experience, Lauren accepted an internship opportunity with CWS in Orange County.

Lauren’s internship at CWS allowed her to apply her knowledge and skills in a practical setting. One of her most significant achievements was creating the “Know Your Rights” presentation for unaccompanied children, which aimed to make complex legal information accessible to children. “This presentation was for my capstone course. I’m very happy with the way it came out because it’s going to be used to help the kids,” she said with pride.

The supportive and compassionate culture at CWS made a lasting impression on Lauren. “I feel like I had a really great experience, especially because of the culture at CWS. The Orange County office is extremely supportive, welcoming and very compassionate,” she reflected.

Lauren’s internship also provided her with a deeper understanding of the processes involved in supporting unaccompanied children. “I didn’t understand the process… but it was interesting to find out the processes that exist to reunify the kids,” she said. This newfound knowledge challenged many of the misconceptions she had encountered and revealed support systems in place to help unaccompanied children.

As Lauren looks to the future, her goals remain rooted in helping others. “I want to help people, I don’t know which group of people I’ll help, but that’s my main aim and my main goal,” she stated. With her drive and commitment to supporting our newest neighbors, CWS is sure that Lauren will achieve this goal.

To learn about internship opportunities with CWS click here. You can learn more about CWS Orange County here, and CWS’ HSPRS program on our website.

Stories of Change

Doña Santos with her vegetation

Doña Santos Perseveres

In the community of Cunta, a small rural village in Honduras, Doña Santos, is inspiring change, despite the various challenges she has faced. Doña Santos recently became widowed, something which affected both her and her children drastically, but she did not let grief stop her. In a short time, she went from helping to sell vegetables from someone else’s land to having her own cultivation space. Now, she has a team of young people from the community who support her in distributing the vegetables she harvests, and she is already planning to open her own local enterprise.

Doña Santos is part of CWS’ program in Honduras which supports nutritional food security and family agriculture, focusing on health and nutrition training for rural families to strengthen their capabilities and promote their development. “Water problems have always been an issue around here. I didn’t know how to use the water pump before; everything was much harder. Then, we started learning more,” Doña Santos shares. In addition to her main project of fruits and vegetables, Mrs. Santos has a chicken coop and is already preparing another space to receive a pig.

Families like Doña Santos’ receive technical support and participate in various production activities, environmental sanitation and sustainable practices. Participants also attend meetings with local government and engage in activities related to women’s rights, entrepreneurship and self-care.

After Doña Santos started participating in these training sessions, she learned to use organic fertilizers, improved the quality of her crops and learned to manage her income. She said, “I feel happy because now that I’m in this project, I’ve prospered a bit. I don’t have to buy food for my family anymore; everything comes from the land. We only buy chili. I’ve already been with a group of women learning how to make pickles.”

After many years with a routine that starts at 4:30 in the morning, Doña Santos’ work has become exhausting for her health. Recently she’s experienced knee pain which prevents her from going out to sell her vegetables. Always perseverant, however, Doña Santos already has a solution. “I plan to have a mini market to sell my things. I always try to reinvest the income back into the business,” she said.

Through her perseverance and resilience, Doña Santos is building a legacy for her family to be happy and healthy.

Doña Santos is one of the 21 families in the area participating in the ‘Produce Verde’ project, implemented by our local partner, Comisión de Acción Social Menonita (CASM), with the support of Growing Hope Globally. In total, 750 families are participating across the municipalities of Macuelizo, Nueva Frontera and Azacualpa (Santa Barbara, Honduras). Click here to learn more about our work in Central America. 

One Man, 1,000 Trees


May 8, 2024

Claude and the CWS Plant Nursery he manages *Warning: this story mentions violent incidents which may be difficult to read.* Over two decades ago, CWS program participant Claude came face-to-face with death. Like many of his fellow Congolese, this close encounter was unexpected and came as a result of the civil war that erupted in the Democratic Republic of Congo …

Stories of Change

top: Wen Tan, MBA of Tailor Made Solutions and CWS Harrisburg Site Director Alex Swan middle: members of Harrisburg Young Professionals bottom: child in the Comfy-Cozy Corner

Comfy-Cozy Corners Spread Fun With Sesame Street

Children thrive when they feel safe, secure and have the chance to learn.

That’s why, in partnership with Sesame Street in Communities, CWS offices across the country are building Comfy-Cozy Corners—dedicated spaces where refugee children can engage in play, learning and fun activities alongside beloved Sesame Street characters.

In April 2024, CWS Harrisburg launched its own Comfy-Cozy Corner, a Sesame Street-decorated, supersized area for children to play and read. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with enthusiastic support from community members, partners and, most importantly, the children themselves. One of the earliest visitors, a young princess immersed in Sesame Street stories, epitomized the joy and wonder these spaces inspire.

These Comfy-Cozy Corners provide a child-friendly zone for our youngest newcomers, offering a welcoming environment where they can play, read and learn while their parents or guardians engage with CWS staff to access essential services. 

By alleviating stress and providing opportunities for connection and resource-sharing among families, these spaces play a crucial role in supporting the holistic well-being of newcomer children.

Over the next several months, CWS offices across the Northeast, including New York City, Jersey City, Georgetown, Rochester and Indianapolis, are building their own Comfy-Cozy Corners. With each new Cozy Corner, we reaffirm our commitment to nurturing the potential of refugee children and creating inclusive environments where they can thrive.

To learn more about the work of CWS Harrisburg, click here.

Stories of Change

Top and Bottom: Members of "Mujeres Libres Colombia"

Empowerment and Freedom: Claudia’s Story

Claudia Cardona, changemaker and women’s advocate, has turned her life story into a platform for the voices of many incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women. Through her work and devotion, she has earned a place in national and regional debates, hearings and meetings on the subject. Behind Claudia’s work is a difficult past that has left her with many valuable lessons.

Like the women she fights for, Claudia herself was once incarcerated. During her time in prison, she was often an advocate for human rights protection, but since she was unaware of many rights and requests she could make, she usually limited her requests to food and hygiene products.

In 2017 when Claudia was released from prison, she joined the Commission for Monitoring the Unconstitutional State of Affairs of Colombia, and encountered something that left her stunned: the Bangkok Rules*. “I couldn’t believe it,” she stated; after nine years and three months in prison, she learned about this resource that would have helped her had she known about it much earlier.

Less than a year later, and with the knowledge she had been cultivating, Claudia and her colleagues founded Mujeres Libres Colombia. The organization champions the rights of incarcerated women and their families while offering vital assistance, such as psychological and legal support.

“Here, women found a place to vent because they couldn’t talk about this [their experiences and challenges] at home. Here we have a safe space for all,” comments Claudia. She added that when women leave prison, they face the challenge of rebuilding a disconnected family or finding out that their children have suffered abuse; all this while looking for work, trying to integrate into society and recovering psychologically.

While examining the rights of incarcerated women, Claudia also realized the need to protect what she cared most about: her daughter. Soon, Claudia’s daughter would not just become a motivator, but a fellow activist.

One of the moments that inspired Claudia’s daughter was when Claudia was invited to give a lecture in Chile and decided to bring her along. Due to immigration issues, Claudia was detained for 12 hours and ended up missing her flight but encouraged her daughter to continue the journey with a colleague who was authorized as her guardian.

Claudia’s daughter filled in for her mother at the lecture and shared her impactful reflections and memories, such as learning to cook through a phone call while Claudia was incarcerated. “She saw the opportunity in what I was doing to live her process and learn,” Claudia said. In the following years, her daughter became more involved in the activities of Mujeres Libres Colombia.

Since its creation, Mujeres Libres Colombia has been groundbreaking, affecting policies across the region and changing the lives of incarcerated women. For Claudia, however, her pride is found in the women who make up the organization; women who previously struggled to get words out to advocate for themselves, now speak loudly and proudly. She added that many of these women had never left their own cities and now travel and meet other women throughout Latin America.

Beyond the powerful changes she has made in the region, the true value of Claudia’s work is seen in her closest circle. Through her drive, she has forever impacted the lives of the women who now stand by her side and demand their rights be protected. And in an even smaller circle, Claudia’s daughter has been a change maker too; not only in fighting for her own rights but also making up for the time she spent without her mother and turning it into something powerful.

*The Bangkok Rules, formerly known as The United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders, is a guidebook with 70 rules on the treatment and protection of female prisoners.

To learn more about our work in Latin America and the Carribean, click here.

Stories of Change

Top: Anne in her garden, Middle: Anne and Matumaini, Anne, Matuimani and Anne's children

Cultivating Hope and Equality

Encouraging and selfless are a couple of the words used to describe Matumaini Narcecine, a lead farmer at Nyarugusu refugee camp in Tanzania. Since joining the CWS-supported vegetable farming program two years ago, she has become a leader—passionate about uplifting others, especially women, in her community.

As a Burundian refugee, Matumaini has experienced gender inequality. “In our traditions, women they are not people who can find their own money,” she said.

She’s working to change those traditions. Matumaini earns her own money, supports her family and helps other women do the same. Her garden produces enough for her to feed her family and earn an income.

“I am very thankful for this project,” shared Matumaini. “Mothers are moving to a certain stage just because of this project. Women are following me so that I can also give them trainings so that they can get vegetables for themselves and their kids.”

Matumaini has learned about nutrition and implementing a healthy diet for her family of 11. She’s also developed gardening techniques and skills that help increase her harvest. Now, not only is she sharing her knowledge and skills with 15 farmers in the program, but she’s making sure to uplift women like Anne Chibinda, too.

“After meeting her in the church, she collected us group of women and started teaching us about the agriculture,” shared Anne, who is one of 12 women Matumaini has taken under her wing.

“She trained us about organic agriculture… how to make blocks, how to plant and how to use organic fertilizer, especially compost as another alternative instead of manure,” she said.

Matumaini has helped Anne grow a thriving vegetable garden. “After training us she did not end there. She continued encouraging us until we understood her, and that is when I saw that I should also have my own garden at my house,” he shared. With Matumaini as her teacher, Anne helps her husband support their 10 children.

Evident by their interaction, Matumaini has not only managed to empower women like Anne but also nurture new friendships along the way. “I’m very thankful [for her],” shared Anne. “She’s a very good teacher.”

Learn more about CWS’ work in Tanzania here.

Stories of Change

Mama Orpa in her corn field

Mama Orpa’s Resilience in a Drought

In a small village in Kupang, West Timor  lives Mama Orpa, who spends her days in the hot sun weeding grass on her plot of land. Mama Orpa works alongside other farmers who work together to grow corn. One thing about Mama Orpa that has been consistent for many years is her resilience. At the same time, however, a new inconsistency has arisen: the changing environment. 

Mama Orpa is not only a farmer in her local farm group but the treasurer as well. Despite the fear amongst her fellow farmers about a changing rain pattern, Mama Orpa clearly states that she is not afraid. Regardless, the effects of the delayed and erratic rain have been unavoidable. “Usually we are overwhelmed by the amount of seeds but now some seeds do not grow because there is not enough rain. Caterpillar pest attacks are also high,” she explained. 

In her refusal to let fear consume her, Mama Orpa soon discovered a source of good fortune when she and her fellow farmers were invited to participate in CWS’ Timor Zero Hunger program. “We received training in corn cultivation, post-harvest processing and double-track planting patterns. As a result, the number of corn stands nearly doubled,” said Mama Orpa enthusiastically. 

Another valuable skill Mama Orpa and her fellow farmers learned was how to make organic fertilizer and pesticides from local ingredients. This has helped them reduce production costs without reducing crop yields. She has also learned how to take scraps from the produce and turn them into food for her pig. “This program has really helped us,” she stated. 

While showing off her corn plants that were vibrant green despite the rain scarcity, Mama Orma said, “I applied to my land what we have learned in this program and the results are like what we see together now.” Together we are seeing that Mama Orpa’s resilience and hard work have paid off. 

To learn more about programs in West Timor, click here. 

Stories of Change

Dr. Delice Y. Lynch

Empathy in Action: A Journey of Community Outreach in The Bahamas

For as long as she can remember, Delice Y. Lynch’s life in the Bahamas has been marked by her passion for helping vulnerable populations. She shared, “Before my transformative experience with the Bahamas Psychological Association…, my efforts were focused on distributing food to those in need, especially during the challenging times of the Covid-19 lockdown.”

n the summer of 2023, she began a new role as a community educator at the BPA, working on the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) project supported by CWS. Delice assumed this position during her after-work and weekend hours. As she explained, the project of took her “outside [herself]” pushing her beyond the confines of her usual routine. “Street by street, I shared vital information on managing stress in crisis situations, leaving helpline numbers for those who needed additional support,” Ms. Lynch said.

This grassroots approach proved invaluable, reaching individuals who normally would not attend mainstream educational programs, such as conferences and seminars. “In our society today, all over the world, but specifically in reference to the Bahamas and, in particular, New Providence, the street-to-street approach is essential for contacting that group of persons in a non-judgmental way.”

Ms. Lynch added, “It has impacted me in that I have become more empathetic with persons living in distressed situations. I understand more fully that “for the Grace of God I move forward.”

As part of the initiative, Ms. Lynch also participated in Psychological First Aid training, earning certification as a psychological first-aid provider. She also volunteered to be on call during national emergencies.

Ms. Lynch found herself using these skills on at least two separate occasions since her involvement in the project. “I’m happy that I had the skills to assist, thanks to the training received,” she said. The streets she walked, the stories she heard and the lives she encountered have collectively woven a narrative of compassion, resilience and the transformative power of human connection.

The CWS Hurricane Dorian Long-Term Recovery Program in the Bahamas concluded in March 2024, supported by grants from Episcopal Relief and Development and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. Learn more about CWS’ work in Latin America and the Caribbean here.