Stories of Change

Top: Fati and her goats, Middle: Fati and Gia next to their fuel efficient stove stove (right) Bottom: goats grazing in Kavta

Staying in the Place Called Home

In communities like Ghorjomi, Georgia, the environment has been a century-old friend for residents who have developed their livelihoods on agriculture. Unfortunately, as climate change has caused drastic environmental changes, many individuals have had to leave their homes. Fati and her family are just some of these individuals.

While some people from Ghojormomi have left because they could no longer grow crops, Fati and her family left because there was no space left for them. Fati explained, “There was a disaster caused by a landslide so there was not enough land for our family.” As a result, 19 years ago, Fati and her husband took their belongings and migrated to Kavta, an area in the mountains designated for eco-migrants.

In Ghorjomi, we are working to make sure that families like Fati’s are never forced to leave their homes again. When they do migrate though, we provide them with the tools and support they need to rebuild their lives and community.

Through CWS and our partner RCDA, Fati’s family received goats and fuel-efficient stoves. Unlike in Ghorjomi, in Kavta there is plenty of land for the family and their goats. Gia, Fati’s 20-year-old son, told us, “the stove is beneficial for us because in the winter it’s very cold here and it freezes like in Ghorjomi. The goats are additional financial support for our family.” Since the fuel-efficient stove decreases the use of firewood it also decreases deforestation. This then decreases the risk of landslides like the one that forced Fati and her family out of Ghorjomi in the first place.

While Gia would eventually like to attend culinary school, he plans to settle down in Kavta where he has lived his whole life and is surrounded by the people he loves. He shared, “it’s very good to live in this village because every neighbor is your family member, you know everyone and it’s a lot calmer than the big towns.” He stated, “I like living here. I want to have a home here.”

At CWS we believe that everyone should be able to remain in the place they call home. Through these programs, we are fighting climate change and allowing families like Gia and Fati to build their futures wherever they choose.

Stories of Change

Pictured: Yana. Photos courtesy of Simon Chambers from ACT Alliance.

“Dolce Yana”

After Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago, Yana and her family no longer felt safe in their home in Ukraine. She began the journey toward safety with her teenage son and two of his friends.

They began by traveling to Ternopil by train. Yana recalls that the train was so packed with people desperately fleeing Ukraine that they were forced to stand the whole time. They found rest at a local church and then traveled by bus for four days to Poland. Yana and the boys stayed in Poland for a month. While they were there, they received some great news. Yana’s friend who worked at an animal shelter was bringing Yana’s dogs to Germany.

The group packed their bags and headed to Germany, where they resided for three days. With time, however, it became more and more difficult to find accommodation for both the people and dogs in the group. After some research online, Yana found a home suitable for everyone in Balti, Moldova, and has been living there since.

As her life quickly changed and the stress of war became heavier, Yana’s son and dogs have been a major source of relief and comfort. She told us, “Having my child and the dogs with me is important. I feel safe, and more calm here. There was a language barrier in Poland and Germany, but people in Balti understand Russian.”

In Balti, Yana has made new friends from Ukraine and built a community. She said, “I feel at home here” and even joked that if she could, she would just bring her house from Ukraine to Moldova. “It’s very tiny,” she assured us with a laugh.

One of the ways in which Yana has renewed her sense of home and community is by participating in a vocational training course in seamstressing, sponsored by CWS. She shared that while she never liked sewing, she joined the group to make new friends. Now, not only does she have a brand new friend group, but she discovered that she actually enjoys sewing! She said, “when I took the course, I was surprised to find I liked it. It was like magic, to create something from scratch, to see your vision come to life. I was inspired by a picture of an item and then made it myself!”

The trauma and memories from Ukraine are still very present in Yana’s mind. She said she often thinks to herself, “this is impossible! Why is the war still happening?” Through our program, she has been working with a neurologist to find peace of mind and move beyond the trauma she experienced. Her community has also been helpful in the healing process.

Despite the difficult journey, Yana has found a home she truly loves in Moldova. She is currently working on a business plan for a sewing business and told us, “I want to be the next Dolce & Gabbana. No. I will be Dolce Yana!” We are excited to see “Dolce Yana” continue to pursue her dreams and thrive in her new home.

Support for this project was provided by a grant from UMCOR. To learn more about our work and how you can inspire hope, click here.

CWS is a member of the ACT Alliance, a global coalition of churches and agencies engaged in development, humanitarian assistance and advocacy.

Stories of Change

Top: Jemal's Hives, Middle: Jemal and his son, Tornike, Bottom: the town of Ghorjomi

Jemal Loves his Bees!

For most people, a bee is just a striped little bug that pollinates our world and gives us honey. For many, the sight of a bee might elicit fear and the desire to run away. For beekeepers who have a front-row view of the day-to-day lives of bees, however, bees are so much more. They are wondrous and intelligent societies of tiny creatures that play a significant role in supporting our own communities.

This is what we learned from beekeeper Jemal when we visited his home in rural western Georgia. Jemal is part of a small town known as Ghorjomi, which has depended on agriculture for hundreds of years. Unfortunately, due to the rapidly changing environment and harmful activities like deforestation, continuing his way of life has become more and more difficult. Because of this, many of Jemal’s neighbors have chosen to migrate to different cities to find employment.

Like his neighbors, Jemal was worried about what the longer winters and drier summers would mean for him and his family. Thankfully, when he was connected to CWS through our local partner RCDA, Jemal received hives full of buzzing new friends that became his solution. Jemal’s past experience in beekeeping, and the additional training he received through the program, has made him an excellent and passionate beekeeper.

Beekeeping is an ideal practice for someone like Jemal because it’s much cheaper than caring for livestock and can resist the effects of climate change. By selling the honey from his hives, Jemal has been able to bridge the gap in his agriculture-based income. He explained, “we just need a very small amount of help to be able to stay here and not have to leave to find work elsewhere.”

While Jemal talked about his bees, he glowed with excitement. He told us that he loves to observe the behaviors of the hives and finds it interesting that they “have their own laws and regulations.” He added, “it’s difficult to explain, but these are natural creatures that give us both spiritual and economic support.”

During our conversation, a mini Jemal, his son, remained glued to his dad. Jemal told us that they have a good friendship and that he hopes to pass on the practice of beekeeping to his son one day. He shared, “one who knows how to look after bees will never quit. It’s a life-long devotion.” Thanks to this life-long support, Jemal and his family can look to the future with peace, knowing that his family can stay in their beloved home for as long as they’d like.

Stories of Change

Top: Mark's painting, Bottom: Mark and the art supplies he received

A Young Man with A Plan

While war may seem to stop or slow down ordinary life, for children affected by it, it may do the opposite. Children affected by war are often forced to speed up their lives and become little adults. Young boys and girls may feel like they have to step up when a parent is deployed or their families experience a loss. When we met 13-year-old Mark, we recognized that he was one of these young adults.

When Russia invaded Ukraine last year, Mark, his mother and his his little brother were all forced to flee to neighboring Moldova. Like many other Ukrainian fathers, Mark’s dad had to stay behind in Odessa to join the military effort in defending Ukraine. Quickly, Mark stepped up to the plate and began to engage in new responsibilities. He learned how to use public transport, went grocery shopping, helped with housework and he took care of his little brother.

During his school classes at Anastasis, the CWS-supported educational center in Balti, Mark started thinking about how to take care of his mom and brother. He decided he would become an artist and sell his paintings. His first goal was to use the money from his paintings to buy his mom a birthday present.

Mark got to work and took both his school commitments and art lessons at Anastasis very seriously. He was a young man with a plan! To support Mark in his artistic endeavors, we gifted him a brand-new art kit. As soon as he completed his painting, our partners at the center surprised him by buying it from him to showcase in the center. Mark is saving the money to buy a gift for his mom and brighten up her birthday.

Today, Mark is still on his journey to become a successful artist. Through our program, we are making sure Mark can pursue his dreams while also feeling the freedom to have fun and just be a kid. Mark’s beautiful painting is a bright and colorful reminder of what our youngest program participants can do when they are determined, encouraged and full of hope.

As the war continues, you can support other children like Mark by donating here. 

Stories of Change

Top: Daniela in front of the LudoBus, Middle: the Ludobus, Bottom: Daniela and her colleague show us the activities inside of the bus

Bringing Fun and Big Hugs

Just like many kids around the world anticipate the arrival of an ice cream truck, in Moldova, many children look forward to the arrival of the LudoBus! The LudoBus, which means “fun bus” or “play bus” in English, was created by our partner Diaconia to bring education and fun to Moldovan children in rural areas. When thousands of Ukrainians fled to neighboring Moldova at the start of the war, the program shifted to include refugee children living in local refugee accommodation centers.

We recently met Daniela, who is the LudoBus program coordinator. Like the bus, Daniela embodies a friendly, joyful and bright spirit and a sunshine personality. She told us that when the refugee crisis began, they were committed to serving the new families. She said, “Our main goal was to reach as many refugee centers as possible and in the first two months we managed to reach about 15-17 refugee centers.”

The first few months were difficult for the LudoBus team. Many of the volunteers did not speak Ukrainian or Russian, so language barriers created new challenges when trying to connect with children. Regardless, the team used their creativity and, “communicated through facial expressions or with their hands,” Daniela explained. Soon the kids became comfortable and were able to open up to the volunteers and open up about what they were feeling. “They felt free,” said Daniela.

The LudoBus was making dozens of children feel happy again, but its magic didn’t end there. The children’s parents and grandparents also felt the happiness of the program as they saw their children smile and have fun. Daniela shared, “I remember all the hugs we received from their grannies. That was the most amazing ‘pay’ we could receive.” Daniela gleefully recounted an instance in which they were playing with the kids and one of the children’s grandmothers took over the activity because she was so excited to see her grandchildren be happy and have fun. Daniela joked that the grandmother was doing such a good job that she asked herself, “wait, what am I doing here?”

Daniela recalled that CWS supported the program through school supplies. She shared, “at the beginning, we saw that there was a need for school supplies for the older kids that were doing online lessons but we didn’t have the ability to obtain the school supplies.” Through the support of CWS, the program received a major donation of supplies that were distributed to about 500 children. “It was a very big help from Church World Service,” said Daniela.

Daniela exudes gratitude for the support the program received and said she’d like to give our supporters and donors, “a big, big hug and a big, big thank you.” She added, “I know you weren’t there with us but I hope that you can feel through the words that I’ve said that you really helped. Every little small help really counted. I know you cannot enter my mind and see all the smiles that I’ve seen and all the tears that I’ve felt, but I want to give you a great big hug and thank you.”

We are thankful for people like Daniela and our supporters who have helped spread joy and care to hundreds of Ukrainian children. Your love and support is truly like a “big, big hug.”

To join Daniela in showing compassion and continue supporting Ukrainians, click here. 

Stories of Change

Top: Olena with her collegues at Anastasis, Middle and Bottom: Olena teaching at the center

Solidarity and Healing

In war-torn countries like Ukraine, the effects of war go beyond what is visible to the bare eye, and into the minds and hearts of children. While these wounds can be hard to heal, there is always hope. In Moldova we supported one of our partners, Diaconia Social Mission, to establish an educational center known as “Anastasis” where there is never a shortage of hope. The word Anastasis means, “recovery from a debilitating condition” or “rebirth,” which describes well the healing energy and mission of the center.

During a recent visit to the center, our team met Olena Grubina, a Ukrainian refugee who is both a program participant and care provider at the center. When we first met Olena, we were captivated by the way she carefully observed each child while assessing their needs. Olena told us that the same thing that drew us to her is what drew her to the educators at the center. She said, “the educators’ eyes emanate warmth and sincere love for children. This feeling cannot be confused with anything else. You can feel it from the beginning.”

Perhaps the reason Olena was so quick to notice this type of intentional care is that Olena herself has experience in psychology. As a single mother from Ukraine, Olena was forced to leave her career behind to protect her two youngest children, Daniil and Gheorghii, from the war. When she discovered Anastasis, Olena saw the center as an opportunity for her children to heal and a way for her to use her own skills.

Olena immediately enrolled her children into the program and soon became acquainted with the whole team of educators. As the team got to know Olena and learned about her profession, they quickly realized how valuable she would be for the program and hired her as an educator and psychologist. Olena’s work focuses on leading workshops for children between the ages of 12 to 16 that teach the youth methods to adapt to their new environment. While working with teenagers can sometimes be a challenge, Olena’s own experience as a Ukrainian refugee allows her to connect deeply and naturally with the youth. She explains, “I know all these children. Many of them are my neighbors since we now live in the same hotel. I know their parents, their past, and the way they experience the trauma of this war.”

Olena is thriving in her role and feels grateful for her team. She said, “Here I feel a kind of family support; a feminine solidarity. I do my best to bring peace and harmony to these children, who are going through a hard time right now. I would like our center, Anastasis, to be a shock absorber that will help them adapt to their new living conditions.” With her team, Olena is healing the hearts and minds of dozens of children, along with her own.

Continue to support educators like Olena and the children at Anastasis by clicking here.

Stories of Change

Top: Lilia’s solar heater, Middle: Lilia excitedly talks about her projects, Bottom: Lilia and her solar dryer

Lilia’s Fruitful Opportunities

The wonderful thing about giving is that if you give one thing to one person, oftentimes they will multiply that one thing into much more. This is exactly what Lilia, a Ukrainian woman in the country of Georgia, has managed to do in her small village. 

Lilia and her husband are participants in CWS programs that focus on renewable energy as well as livestock, which are implemented by our talented local partner, Rural Communities Development Agency. Through these programs, Lilia and her family have received a solar heater, solar dryer, beehives and chickens.

On the day we met Lilia, the sun was shining brightly. It was a powerful reminder of what’s possible through renewable energy technologies. Lilia told us that during the summertime, her family is able to rely entirely on their solar heater to generate energy, which allows them to save 25-30% of the money they would normally use on things like firewood and electricity. With the money that they save, Lilia and her husband have been caring for their home, which is around 60 years old. This is especially important to them because Lilia’s husband’s family has been in this village for nearly 400 years! In fact, the name of the district that they live in translates to “here live the Kirias” (Kiria is Lilia’s husband’s last name). 

Lilia explained to us that not only are they saving more money, but they are also saving time, which they have invested into new business opportunities. Lilia told us, “The chickens are helpful for us because of the meat and the eggs and because we can also sell the eggs.” Lilia shared with us that it was always her dream to have beehives but that the cost was too high. Through the livestock program, they were gifted the hives and taught how to care for the bees. Lilia’s husband now dedicates his time to developing a special ointment made out of honey and medicinal plants which he dries using the solar dryer. The ointment has been so successful that they are in the process of selling it to pharmacies throughout Georgia. 

Lilia and her husband have also learned how to use honey and the fruits and plants dried with the solar dryer to create a medicinal syrup. They have generously distributed this syrup to their friends, family and neighbors for free. Lilia also told us that during the pandemic, they sent the syrup to relatives in Ukraine who had COVID-19 to help relieve their symptoms. 

In addition to these gifts, Lilia was also invited to join a women’s savings group. In the group, the members pitch in a small amount of money to create a larger sum that they can pull from to develop their own small businesses. Lilia told us that the group helps her not only financially,  but socially and emotionally as well. She said, “Women who live in villages usually stay at home, but through these groups, we are meeting with the other women at restaurants, cafes and other’s homes.” When we asked her more about this group, a big smile appeared on Lilia’s and she showed us a selfie the group took during their last meeting. “It makes me feel great! Everyone liked it,” she said. 

With some simple gifts, Lilia and her family are generating a greater income, developing businesses, creating a legacy for their son and changing the lives of women in the village. We can’t wait to see what more they will do in the years to come. 

Stories of Change

Vitalina and her two sons

Language Lessons Open New Doors

Watching your child struggle in school can be heartbreaking and frustrating, especially if you don’t know much about what they are learning. For parents who have had to leave their home country and don’t speak the language of their new home, this challenge can feel impossible.

Vitalina, a refugee from Ukraine, came face to face with this struggle when she and her two sons were forced to start a new life in their neighboring country, Moldova. When they arrived, Vitalina was hopeful that the war would be short-lived. Unfortunately, the situation turned out to be much different than they expected. As the war back home intensified, Vitalina knew that her family needed to integrate into the community in Moldova and start a new life for themselves.

Vitalina’s children began attending a school in Balti while also attending online classes through a Ukrainian school. Education became a real challenge for Vitalina’s children due to differences in the program structure and language. Vitalina’s oldest son had also started 4th grade and needed to pass exams in Mathematics, Russian and Romanian so that he wouldn’t fall behind. While these challenges could have been eased through tutoring, paying for tutoring was nearly impossible for Vitalina. She didn’t speak Romanian, the primary language in Moldova, so she was struggling to find a job.

Thankfully, a silver lining appeared for Vitalina when one day she saw an online post about Romanian classes offered through a program sponsored by UMCOR in partnership with CWS. Excited and filled with renewed hope, Vitalina applied immediately. She said, “my happiness was overwhelming when I found out that my son could also attend with me.”

Soon, Vitalina and her oldest son began attending language classes. Both were excited and committed to learning the language. Vitalina shared that as her language skills improved, she was better capable of helping her son with his school work and preparing for his exams. When the course ended two months later, Vitalina and her son wanted to keep learning, so they requested to stay longer. The program gladly invited the pair to stay, and they will begin classes soon. ”We were heard and supported,” Vitalina stated.

In addition to language classes, Vitalina and her family received regular food and hygiene supplies from the project, which have helped them save money that they would otherwise need to spend on basic needs. Vitalina said, “I want to express my gratitude for this opportunity. It meant a lot to me.” By learning the local language, a door has been opened for Vitalina and her children to be able to participate in their new community.

Through our partnership with UMCOR, CWS aims to support 20,000 Ukrainian refugees like Vitalina through food, donations, psychosocial support, legal aid, medical help, and vocational and language training. To join us in achieving our mission, click here.

A Cold, Brutal Winter Looms in Moldova


October 31, 2022

Temperatures are dropping in the European nation of Moldova. Each night is a little longer than the one before it, and the first snowflakes of winter will be here soon. Sadly, most indicators show that it will likely be a long, hard winter in Moldova this year. Energy dependence and poverty have long taken a toll here. The International Energy …

Stories of Change

Children at the Belgrade botanical garden.

Preschool for Jelena

Jelena* was scared to start preschool. She’s a 6-year-old who lives in Belgrade, Serbia, with her family. 

Jelena’s family are from Belgrade’s Roma community. They live in an informal settlement with other Roma families. Enrolling in school and pursuing an education aren’t givens for Roma children, since they are among the most marginalized children in the country. In order to get into elementary school, though, all children must finish preschool (which in Serbia lasts for one year and is before first grade, like kindergarten in the United States).

If Jelena is going to get an education, she had to start with preschool. She refused to go, though, saying she would rather stay home. Her mom and grandmother dropped her off, but she would run home crying. Getting increasingly desperate, Jelena’s mom reached out to CWS’s partner and our Protection through Education program. This program focuses on helping Roma children enroll in school and giving them the support they need to stay in school and not resort to living or working on the streets.  

The program team agreed to help. As a first step, we invited Jelena to join other children on a field trip to Belgrade’s botanical gardens. That way she could meet some of the children who would be her classmates outside of the classroom, in a more relaxed environment. She loved the idea, joined the trip and had a great time. 

Step by step, the program team kept working with Jelena. They visited her family and got to know her. A breakthrough moment came when Jelena told the staff that she wanted to be a hair stylist when she grew up. One team member told Jelena that she had also wanted to be a hair stylist when she was Jelena’s age. She explained that going to school is an important first step in chasing her dreams. She talked about the importance of education and all of the ways that it could help Jelena. Jelena listened closely and then agreed. She would no longer fight the idea of going to preschool.

We’re excited to say that Jelena is thriving in preschool. She started later than the other children, but she’s there every day learning. She is taking the steps she needs to towards her education–with her family and the Protection through Education team there to have her back. We’re excited to see her chase her dreams, one step at a time.

*Name changed to protect identity