Fathiya, a Palestinian refugee in Indonesia, discovered a life-changing passion for animation after joining her brother in a workshop led by a local CWS partner. Despite initial struggles with the technical and language barriers, her perseverance paid off, enabling her to contribute to real projects and opening new doors for her future. When Fathiya joined her brother in an animation …
Emergency Appeal: CWS’ Emboldened Commitment in the Face of Adversity
February 14, 2025
Appeal Name: CWS’ Emboldened Commitment in the Face of Adversity Date Issued: 14 February 2025 Appeal Code: 6210 Appeal Amount: $5 million over 18 months Church World Service was born in the wake of the devastation of World War II. People of faith came together “to do in partnership what none of us could hope to do as well alone.” …
Stories of Change
Top: Glow and Grown project; Middle: Colorful Minds project; Bottom: RISE project
Nurturing Safe and Inclusive Schools: The Impact of CWS Child Protection Programs
For years, CWS Thailand has been at the forefront of child protection, implementing programs designed to foster inclusive, safe and supportive learning environments. Through initiatives at three schools—Wat Sao Thonghin School, Radburana School and Chumchonmoobanpattana School—CWS has empowered students with essential life skills, emotional resilience and social awareness. Each program is uniquely tailored to address the needs of children from diverse backgrounds, supporting their overall well-being and long-term development.
Colorful Minds: Encouraging Self-Esteem and Empathy
The 10-week Colorful Minds program at Wat Sao Thonghin School empowered 174 primary students by boosting self-esteem, reducing bullying and fostering an inclusive environment. Through engaging activities like icebreakers, emotional regulation exercises, teamwork challenges and cultural appreciation lessons, students developed stronger social and emotional skills.
Creative outlets such as drawing and role-playing helped them express emotions, build empathy, and collaborate more effectively. While younger students initially found some concepts like diversity challenging, program adjustments ensured their engagement and learning. Many participants expressed a keen interest in continuing, with feedback highlighting improved emotional awareness and stronger peer relationships.
Glow and Grown: Fostering Inclusivity and Cultural Understanding
In partnership with the Bangkok Refugee Center, 60 primary school students took part in a four-day Glow and Grown project focused on fostering a safe and inclusive learning environment.
Through team-based games, group discussions and interactive exercises, students developed empathy, cultural awareness and positive social skills. Their active participation led to meaningful connections and improved interpersonal interactions. By the end of the program, bullying incidents had decreased and many students expressed enthusiasm for future sessions.
RISE: Supporting At-Risk Youth for a Brighter Future
Currently underway at Chumchonmoobanpattana School, the RISE initiative supports approximately 240 junior school students facing socio-economic challenges, including poverty and disengagement from education, which often contribute to long-term challenges, making early intervention essential to their well-being and future success.
Through a structured curriculum focused on emotional regulation, self-awareness and social responsibility, RISE provides a safe and supportive environment where students can build resilience and leadership skills. While working with vulnerable youth presents challenges, fostering a positive school culture creates a ripple effect that benefits not just the students, but also their families and communities.
A Commitment to Child Protection and Youth Development
CWS remains dedicated to enhancing child protection and youth development through targeted educational programs. By equipping students with essential life skills, fostering resilience and creating inclusive learning environments, these initiatives lay the foundation for brighter futures. Looking ahead, CWS aims to expand these programs to reach more at-risk youth, further strengthening community support systems and ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive.
Learn more about CWS Thailand here.
Empowering Migrant Youth: Perspectives from the Thai-Myanmar Border
For more than 20 years, hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers from Myanmar have lived inside Thailand along the Thai-Myanmar border—next to their country yet far from their homes. Below are first-hand testimonials of participants in our youth empowerment project along the border. Htet Lin Thu: Educating and Empowering Migrant Youth My name is Htet Lin Thu, and I am …
CWS Challenges Suspension of Refugee Resettlement Program and Freeze of Refugee Funding
February 10, 2025
CWS Challenges Suspension of Refugee Resettlement Program and Freeze of Refugee Funding Lawsuit Was Filed in Federal District Court in Seattle on Behalf of Impacted Refugees and Faith Based Refugee-Serving Agencies (Seattle, WA) – Today, three national and local faith-based refugee-serving agencies and nine individuals filed Pacito v. Trump, the first lawsuit challenging President Trump’s Executive Order (EO) suspending the …
TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress and the State Department to Resume Life-Saving Funds for Refugees and End Stop Work Orders
The Trump administration’s indefinite refugee ban, stop work orders, and failure to reimburse resettlement agencies in a timely manner have had a devastating impact on tens of thousands of refugee families in communities across the country and around the world. The abrupt halt of life-saving funds on January 24 were initiated by “Stop Work Orders” pursuant to the Reevaluating and …
“This Is a Betrayal”: An Afghan Resettlement Worker Speaks Out
February 6, 2025
Taq, a resettlement caseworker in Ohio, has witnessed the devastating impact of recent Executive Orders that have halted refugee arrivals, leaving families like his own in limbo. With loved ones stranded in unsafe conditions and immigrant communities facing growing fear in the United States, Taq shares his hope for policies that honor America’s commitment to those who risked everything to …
Stories of Change
Top: Subdistrict launch event with government and partners in Malaka Middle: Benanine River overflow Bottom: Overflow point along the riverbank
New CWS Program Builds Flood Resilience Through Community Engagement
CWS Japan, alongside local partners, has launched the I-CREATE program in Indonesia’s Malaka District to help communities along the Benanain River strengthen their resilience against recurring floods. By improving early warning systems, enhancing flood mitigation infrastructure and fostering inclusive, community-led solutions, the program aims to ensure long-term sustainability and disaster preparedness.
For communities along the Benanain River in Indonesia, annual flooding is a persistent challenge, threatening access to clean water and disrupting agricultural livelihoods. To help local residents adapt and build long-term resilience, CWS Japan, in collaboration with YCWS and Perkumpulan Masyarakat Penanganan Bencana (PMPB-NTT), has launched the Improving Community Resilience through Enhanced Adaptation and Technical Assistance (I-CREATE) program in Malaka District, East Nusa Tenggara.
A Multi-Level Approach to Community Resilience
At recent community launch events, discussions with local leaders and residents revealed several pressing challenges, including recurring flooding that contaminates water sources, gaps in early warning systems for community members and localized vulnerabilities with high-risk areas along the river.
Many communities depend on the Benanain River for daily needs, but frequent floods contaminate water sources and threaten food security. However, the region’s fertile soil presents an opportunity—when properly managed, it supports thriving agriculture. Despite this, the lack of river water level monitoring means residents often respond only when floodwaters are already rising. Enhancing early warning mechanisms is critical, and certain high-risk areas along the riverbank require targeted interventions to prevent overflow, necessitating both technical solutions and community-driven initiatives.
Community-Led Adaptation and Inclusive Solutions
Despite these challenges, local communities have shown resilience by adjusting their planting seasons to align with changing weather patterns, and the region’s river basin forum, though currently inactive, presents an opportunity to foster collaboration between upstream and downstream villages.
A key priority of I-CREATE is inclusivity—ensuring that disaster preparedness and response strategies consider the needs of all community members, including people with disabilities. By involving diverse voices in planning and training, the program seeks to create sustainable, community-driven solutions that support all community members.
Over the next several years, the program will continue to assess potential risks from dam management, support community participation in improving flood mitigation infrastructure, engage early warning systems and information dissemination, digitally map hazards, risks and evacuation routes and provide technical recommendations for river basin management.
By integrating technical expertise, community knowledge and government collaboration, I-CREATE aims to build long-lasting resilience against flooding, ensuring a safer and more sustainable future for Malaka District.
To learn more about CWS’ work in Asia, click here.
Mustafa and Randa’s Path to Love and a New Life
February 5, 2025
The story of Mustafa Albayati and his wife Randa is one of resilience, love and the transformative power of community. From their chance meeting in Iraq to building a life together in the United States, their journey has been marked by challenges, triumphs and unwavering hope. Here’s their inspiring story, told in Mustafa and Randa’s words. “I first met …
The Work of Welcome: A Call to Belonging and Justice
Stacey Clack |
I have started this blog over and over again, trying to put words to the ache in my chest, trying to weave together hope and righteous anger into something coherent, something that won’t unravel the moment I hit “post.” In the last two days, many of my compassionate, justice-seeking colleagues have received furlough notices. To say the last two days …