During July, CWS joined the United Church of Christ (UCC) in celebrating its long-time partnership at UCC offices in Cleveland, Ohio and marking a pivotal moment in CWS’ history: the creation of new Covenant Members. Earlier this year, on May 13, CWS members held a historic meeting where they voted to transition from corporate members to a new role as …
CWS Applauds Push to Enshrine Humanitarian Protections against Discrimination Through NO BAN Act
August 13, 2024
Washington, D.C.—Church World Service today celebrated the reintroduction of the NO BAN Act, legislation that would shield against future attempts to ban entry into the United States on the basis of national origin or religion. The bill would expand immigration protections to prohibit discrimination based on religion and limit executive authority to issue restrictions prejudicial against those displaced from counties …
Stories of Change
Top: Michael Mwendwo, Middle: beans grown by farmers in Kitui, Bottom: IoT device
IoTs Support Farmers in Nairobi
The people of Kitui County, Kenya, which is east of Nairobi, had three seasons of failed harvest. The communities in this county were feeling the effects of climate change, and life was extremely hard without successful harvests. CWS started working with these communities in 2021 to improve their resilience by increasing the utilization of technology in climate change information.
Earlier this year, the communities were filled with hope after finally having a successful harvest. Farmers grew a bounty of coriander, greens and beans and shared how they have a varied diet. This dietary diversity has led to noticeable enhancements in their children’s health. They cultivated mung beans, a type of legume, as a source of protein and cowpeas, also known as black-eyed peas, for energy. Additionally, they grew sunflowers and sorghum, primarily to feed their chickens.
What led to this successful harvest after so many failed seasons? A significant factor was a compact IoT device that relayed crucial data to the farmers. IoT, which stands for “Internet of Things,” are devices with sensors that can process data, connect to other devices and exchange that information over the internet.
CWS piloted this project with 160 farmers, installing six IoT devices in gardens over six kilometers with the goal of understanding climate information. Nancy Mwakha, CWS Africa’s Project Officer for the Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Program, noted that this pilot project “helps farmers prepare and plan farming.” The devices can transmit climate changes to soil, tell weather conditions in area, including if it has rained, communicate soil pH levels and gather air temperature and humidity. CWS collects this data, interprets it and then disseminates it back to the farmers.
25-year-old Michael Mwendwo, who is part of a CWS-supported youth entrepreneurship program, monitors and ensures the safety of each IoT device. The boxes provide information that is for a much smaller area, providing significantly more accurate data to the exact location of a farmer’s garden. Based on the data the farmers receive, they can adjust the crops they plant or make modifications to the soil, like changing the fertilizer.
Through just a bit of support, these farmers can overcome any new challenges to their harvests and ensure that their community is fed.
You can learn more about CWS’ work in Kenya by clicking here
How to Prepare for Natural Disasters (Available in Multiple Languages)
OTHER LANGUAGES: ESPAÑOL, UKRAINIAN (УКРАЇНСЬКА), DARI, PASHTO (پښتو), ARABIC (عربي), FRENCH, HAITIAN CREOLE, KINYARWANDA, SWAHILI Are you prepared in the event of a disaster? Have you made an emergency kit? Does your family have a plan? September is National Preparedness Month. Here are some tips for how to prepare for any disaster— for more information and more resources, visit ready.gov! …
Reflection on a Life Changing Moment
Zach Wolgemuth | August 10, 2024
Over 15 years ago in a ‘flash’ my life changed both figuratively and literally. It’s a cool spring evening in May with plenty of stars lighting up the night sky in the rural highlands of Guatemala. My wife and I are living in a small home on the hillside just outside of town. We’ve been in Guatemala for over a …
Stories of Change
Neema in front of her home garden
Empowerment for Peace and Stability
Trigger warning: This story mentions instances of sexual violence and harassment.
For most of her life, Neema has had to conquer dangers and challenges that threatened the safety of her and her family. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Neema’s stability was shattered by the violence of war when conflict broke out in her own family as relatives fought over the land she and her husband had inherited. These challenges reached a breaking point, and Neema and her husband fled to Tanzania.
“We decided to come to Tanzania for security purposes,” Neema explained. She currently lives in Nyarugusu Refugee Camp with her husband and five children whose ages range from four to 15. They’ve lived in the camp for eight years and are being processed for resettlement. “We cannot return to Congo,” Neema stated, adding that their home will be in either Tanzania or another country if they’re granted refugee status.
At the camp, Neema soon learned of the new challenges she would need to overcome, beginning with basic nutrition. “My life was very hard because I couldn’t obtain a variety of food,” she shared. Residents in Nyarugusu camp are not allowed to leave the camp while their cases are being processed, making it extremely difficult to address these challenges without the tools they need.
Through CWS’ Sustainable Gardening program, we equip individuals like Neema and her family with these tools. When invited to join the program, Neema was given seeds, materials and training needed to start her home garden where she can grow her own food. “Before, I didn’t know how to eat a variety of vegetables. Now I eat vegetables like chia, kale and spinach. I didn’t have any knowledge of these vegetables, but now I’m an expert. I’m thankful for CWS. Now food is no longer an issue in my family.”
Beyond establishing food security, Neema has discovered another sense of safety through this program. She shared that before joining, she had to walk to other zones in the camp for food and other necessities. This often exposed her to sexual violence and harassment. “We are often humiliated,” she explained. Now through the program, Neema is able to grow everything she needs for her family in her own backyard and does not have to leave as often, minimizing her exposure to potential dangers around the camp. She added that “through this program any surplus I make from my vegetables I use to buy firewood and anything else that I would normally need outside my camp,” and she has even earned enough to buy herself a phone.
Participants of the program are not only empowered with valuable tools needed to establish safety and wellbeing, but they are also given lessons on gender equality. In this program, both men and women learn about the massive benefits they can reap when women are empowered and couples work together while rebuilding their lives in the camp. One seed at a time, Neema is slowly rebuilding the peace and stability she deserves.
CWS is grateful to our partners, the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund and Canadian Foodgrains Bank, for supporting this work. To learn more about CWS’ work supporting refugees all around the world, click here.
Stories of Change
Youth participants at the United Church of Christ Great Lakes and Western Regional Youth Event
Youth Make a Difference in Combating Period Poverty
In July, the United Church of Christ (UCC) Great Lakes and Western Regional Youth Event, held at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, showcased the power of youth activism and community service. In collaboration with Church World Service, over 200 youth from the West Regional Conference and the Great Lakes Conference came together for a special project aimed at combating period poverty and supporting local unhoused youth.
“We are so excited that the youth could gather this year to learn about sharing with others. Our theme is ‘Love is greater than fear’ and our hope is the youth will leave being inspired to make the world a better place,” said Samantha Barrett, one of the organizers of the UCC Regional Youth Gathering.
The highlight of the event was the assembly of 500 CWS Period Packs. This initiative was a part of a broader focus to end period poverty and ensure that menstrual hygiene products are accessible to those in need. These efforts were a testament to the commitment of UCC youth to making a tangible difference in their communities and beyond.
Rachel Kessel, CWS’ Community Engagement Specialist, was amazed by the energy of the youth and their dedication to social justice. “I was inspired by their dedication and giving spirits of the committed youth. They had so much fun with this project, and they really knew that they were making a difference with the local and global communities.”
In addition to the period packs, another group of dedicated youth assembled Unhoused Kits for The Project, a local agency dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ youth in the Quad City area. Many of these youth experience homelessness and a lack of mental health and other essential services. The UCC youth successfully donated 250 CWS Period Packs, 60 CWS Blankets and 250 Unhoused Kits to The Project, providing much-needed support for these vulnerable individuals.
The remaining 250 CWS Period Packs will be distributed by CWS to other agencies and in emergency situations, ensuring that the benefits of this initiative extend even further.
Jon Skogen, CWS’ Community Engagement Manager, understands the importance of teaching young people about caring for their community. “I was encouraged that the youth were willing to help with whatever was needed—including assembling of the Kits, moving of the boxes and loading of the cars. I was so impressed with how they were being serious and having fun at the same time. They love helping other people!”
This collaborative effort between CWS and the UCC youth not only addressed critical issues but also demonstrated the power of young people to effect positive change. Their dedication and hard work are an inspiration to all, highlighting the importance of community and service.
“This project was only possible because of our partnership with the United Church of Christ and other generous denominations and donors. These amazing partners make an impact around the world. CWS loves working with volunteers of all ages and backgrounds and it is so important to our mission. I hope we inspired these youth to continue to support community service projects for many more years to come,” said David Costellow, CWS’ Community Engagement Manager.
CWS is grateful to the generous donors who make this important work possible. Your support is crucial in enabling us to partner with other groups for these impactful projects and to bring hope to those in need.
To learn more and get involved in the CWS Kits program, visit our website.
How to Advance Pro-Refugee, Pro-Immigrant Policies This August
August 1, 2024
Each August, members of Congress return to their home districts and states for a prolonged recess, often holding town halls and making themselves available to meet with constituents. With fewer than three months until the November 5th elections, Members of Congress are particularly keen on hearing from their constituents, as many will be appearing on the ballot. This August also …
Fact Sheet: Congress Must Restore Access to Needed Resettlement Services for Arriving Afghan Parolees
July 26, 2024
On September 30, 2023, Congress failed to update legislation (as it had done previously in 2022) to extend authorization for newly-arriving Afghan humanitarian parolees to access key refugee services and mainstream benefits. Even as benefits were retroactively restored to arriving Ukrainian parolees in an April 2024 supplemental funding package, Congress failed to include the same fix for Afghans. As thousands …
Debunking Eight Common Myths About Asylum
July 25, 2024
Asylum seekers are ordinary people with lives, plans and dreams for their future. But war, violence and persecution have forced them to leave everything behind for a chance at safety for themselves and their children. More than 6.9 million people around the world were waiting for a decision on their asylum claims at the end of last year. That’s millions …