Washington, D.C.—Church World Service today condemns the Trump administration’s proclamation that establishes a new travel ban for individuals from 19 countries. The ban includes sweeping travel restrictions for 12 countries, and partial restrictions for 7 other countries. The proclamation bans people, based on their nationality, from traveling to the United States with few narrow exceptions. The administration justifies this latest …
Stories of Change
Diana and her children receive essential winter supplies, including clothing and footwear
Carrying Hope Across Borders: Diana’s Story of Strength, Survival and New Beginnings
When war forced Diana and her family to flee their home in Ukraine, they arrived in Moldova with little but hope for a safe future. Thanks to the CWS winterization project and the resilience of a mother’s love, they’re building a new life—one step and season at a time.
A Family Uprooted by War
When war broke out in Ukraine, the peace that thousands of families had once lived in became shattered. For Diana and her two children, the days became marked with the sound of sirens and feelings of constant fear for their lives.
On August 31, 2023, Diana made the difficult decision to leave her small village with her children and, together with her mother, fled to Chisinau in search of a safer place to live. Once they arrived, the two women had to start from scratch, figuring out how to build a new home for themselves and their family.
In Chisinau, Diana rents a small apartment and works as a cleaner to support her family, but the income she makes from her new job makes it difficult to cover their daily needs. With her two young children still in school, Diana’s mother helps with caregiving while Diana works, each of them lending a hand to build a stable life as best they can.
As seasons change, families like Diana’s who have been forced from their homes are forced to face a new challenge: the bitter winter cold.
Hope and Warmth for the Winter Ahead
The CWS winterization project, in partnership with local organization Diaconia, provided a ray of hope for Diana and her family, who were able to receive essential supplies like clothing and footwear, along with other much-needed items. Now, they are better equipped to stay healthy and warm as temperatures drop.
“This help is vital for us. It is very important,” shared Diana. “You know that you can rely on someone and most importantly that you are not alone on this journey.”
Despite the challenges her family has faced, Diana remains hopeful. She dreams of the day when the war will be over, and she and her family will be able to return home, tend to their garden and taste the cherries in their backyard.
“Among strangers it’s hard. However, I am happy to have my children and my mom close by. It’s hard, but I know I’m not alone on this journey. We will be fine.”
Although the future is still uncertain, Diana and her family are a testament to the strength in resiliency and the power in never losing hope for a better tomorrow.
This story is possible thanks to CWS’ membership in ACT Alliance, a global coalition of churches and agencies engaged in development, humanitarian assistance and advocacy. You can learn more and support CWS’ work with Ukrainian refugees in Moldova here.
Fact Sheet – Benefits Restrictions for Humanitarian Arrivals in Reconciliation Bill
June 2, 2025
On May 22, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a multibillion dollar reconciliation package that dramatically expands funding for immigration detention and deportation and slashes funding for key benefits and services that strengthen families, communities, and local economies. If signed into law, the bill would restrict access to health care benefits and food assistance for many otherwise-eligible humanitarian arrivals. …
Church World Service Celebrates the Beginning of Pride Month
Washington, D.C.—Church World Service today marks the beginning of Pride by celebrating our LGBTQ+ neighbors and calling for equal protections under the law for all. The organization stresses that as the Trump administration eliminates protections for asylum-seekers and refugees, the global LGBTQ+ community will be particularly impacted. Many people who are displaced are persecuted, ostracized, or under threat simply for …
Weaving Rights and Voices: Indigenous Empowerment in Paraguay’s Lower Chaco
May 30, 2025
In Paraguay’s Lower Chaco, Indigenous communities are advancing justice and leadership through rights training and women-led gatherings—fostering a future rooted in dignity, advocacy and collective strength. Weaving Networks, Sharing Knowledge: A Gathering of Indigenous Women In Pozo Colorado, Paraguay, a powerful gathering of Indigenous women from the Enxet Sur people offered a chance to learn through shared stories, identity and …
From Floods to Futures: How One Group Helped a Community Rise Again
May 21, 2025
After severe floods devastated Kenya’s Tana Delta in 2024, CWS launched a recovery effort through the Mwanga Project, helping nearly 1,800 people rebuild their livelihoods with tools like livestock, training and agriculture support. Through that support, the Kipini Disability Fellowship emerged as a model of resilience—turning poultry and goat distributions into a sustainable, community-driven path to recovery and empowerment. In …
Stories of Change
Aimerance in her garden
From Crisis to Cultivation: Aimerance’s Journey to Hope and Empowerment
After fleeing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Aimerance Bosco found hope and stability through the Wezesha Project, transforming from a struggling mother into a thriving farmer who now nourishes her family and empowers others in her community.
From Displacement to Determination: Aimerance’s Path to Empowerment
Aimerance Bosco spends her days caring for her four children, tending to her crops and supporting a strong community of other female farmers. But life wasn’t always so peaceful—only several years ago, Aimerance was forced to flee conflict in her home in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Suddenly, her family faced an uncertain future in a new country.
Unfortunately, the challenges didn’t stop once they arrived at the Nyarugusu Refugee Camp in Tanzania, and at first, life was difficult. Food rations were limited, forcing her family to survive on just one meal each day, and the lack of income made it nearly impossible to buy basic necessities like soap, clothing and school supplies for her children.
“We depended entirely on food aid, but it was never enough. I felt helpless because I had no way to provide for my family,” Aimerance shared.
Then, in 2024, Aimerance was invited to join CWS’s Wezesha Project (meaning “empower” in Kiswahili), where she received training in sustainable vegetable farming, group dynamics, gender equality and nutritional education to enhance her family’s diet.
From Survival to Productivity
With her newfound skills and resources, Aimerance established a kitchen garden around her home, growing spinach, amaranth, African nightshade and chaya. Within three months, her family’s diet improved, and her children became stronger and healthier.
Encouraged by her success, Aimerance expanded her vegetable production, growing enough to sell the surplus to her neighbors. The income she earned enabled her to buy basic necessities like soap, clothes and shoes for her children, which she struggled to afford before. The income also helps her to buy different varieties of food, enabling her family to eat balanced meals every day.
Through perseverance and hard work, Aimerance is now able to put food on the table and earn an income. She’s even encouraging other women in her community to participate in the project and build healthier futures for themselves and their families.
Aimerance’s Message of Gratitude and Hope
“I am forever grateful to the WEZESHA Project,” said Aimerance. “Before, I struggled to provide for my children, but today, I am a farmer and a mother who can support her family. This project has transformed my life and given me hope for the future.”
Her journey is proof that with the right support, resilience and determination, families like Aimerance’s can transform their lives and build a brighter future.
We would like to thank our partners, the Canadian Foodgrains Bank and the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund for allowing this assistance to be possible. You can learn about our programs in Tanzania here.
Take Action: Urge Your Members of Congress to Reject Reconciliation Bill that Slashes Human Needs Programs to Fund Mass Detention and Deportation
May 20, 2025
Congress is currently in the midst of debating a budget reconciliation bill that seeks to divert massive funds to immigrant detention, deportation, and border militarization and strip access to programs that connect immigrant and U.S.-born families, children, and communities to basic resources. As of May 19, House Republicans are negotiating and “marking up” the package, which they hope to move …
Maria Bahati’s Journey of Gender Transformation and Family Empowerment
May 16, 2025
Maria Bahati, a young refugee in Tanzania’s Nyarugusu Camp, transformed her family’s future through CWS’s WEZESHA Project—overcoming gender barriers, gaining farming skills, and inspiring her husband and community to embrace gender equality. Her journey highlights how empowerment and collaboration can lead to lasting change. Breaking Barriers: Maria’s First Steps Toward Empowerment Forced to flee her home at a young age, …
Stories of Change
Daria at the Anastasis Educational Center
“I Feel Safe”: How Daria Found Peace, Purpose and Community in Moldova
Daria, a courageous 14-year-old from Ukraine, was forced to leave her home and family behind as war threatened her safety and peace of mind. In Moldova, she found not only refuge but a renewed sense of purpose at the CWS partner-led Anastasis Educational Center—a place where she could learn, grow and dream again without fear.
A Childhood Interrupted by War
At just 14 years old, Daria already knows what it means to be strong in the face of hardship. In a world where war has shaken her sense of peace, she has not only endured but has also learned to face each challenge with courage. Born in Kramatorsk, Ukraine into a close-knit and caring family, Daria and her younger siblings had a happy and carefree childhood. However, as the military conflict escalated into a devastating war that destroyed everything in its path, the safety they once knew became increasingly difficult to maintain.
In the fall of 2024, the situation deteriorated significantly, and the local infrastructure was severely affected, leading the family to seek a safer place for their children. “We got used to the sound of sirens and frequent power outages, but this way of living wasn’t good for me. I was always on high alert, constantly haunted by the fear that something bad might happen,” Daria recalls.
Initially, Daria came to Bălți to visit her cousins who had settled there. “In Bălți, I discovered a whole new world,” the young girl shared enthusiastically. “Here, the power doesn’t go out, there are no sirens, no rockets flying overhead and people aren’t sad and stressed.”
Finding peace and tranquility, she decided to stay in Bălți. While her family remained in Ukraine, caught up with work and daily responsibilities, Daria found a new home in Moldova. Her parents completed all the necessary paperwork so that she could live with her aunt, who is also originally from Ukraine.
A New Life at the Anastasis Center
In Bălți, Daria began attending the Anastasis Center*, a place that offered her more than just the opportunity to continue her online studies. Here, she found support, friendship and numerous opportunities for personal growth. “Anastasis is a bridge between what I had in Ukraine and what I can build today. Here, I can continue my studies, discover new things and meet new people. I also realized how much I love volunteering—it’s so important to help one another.”
Daria quickly integrated into the Anastasis Center community, forming strong friendships with other children. She is a dreamer, passionate about animals and determined to become a veterinarian. She actively participates in all the Center’s activities, completes her schoolwork responsibly and happily helps younger children, never hesitating to play and spend time with them.
Although she constantly misses her family, Daria looks to the future with optimism. “Here, at Anastasis and in Moldova, I have the chance to grow. I feel safe and believe I will be able to achieve my dreams with ease.”
Daria’s story proves that even in the most difficult circumstances, the right support and environment can transform a child’s life. At Anastasis, she has found more than just a refuge—she has found an extended family and a place where she can dream again with confidence.
*The Anastasis Educational Center is run by our local partner, Diaconia, and aims to help Ukrainian refugees heal and rebuild their lives. At the Center, program participants can receive psychological support, attend vocational classes, partake in fun activities and access computers to attend online school.
You can learn more about the work we are doing in Moldova to support Ukrainian refugees here.