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 … Read More
“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 … Read More
Resilience and the Right to Water
In his rural town in the Lower Chaco region of Paraguay, Leonardo Martinez and his family rely on basic activities like washing their hands, having a clean home, cultivating crops and selling their produce in local markets to survive. These activities may sound simple, but as access to water in this region of Paraguay becomes increasingly scarce, life in rural … Read More
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. … Read More
The Sewing Machine Project
CWS Jersey City office has partnered with Margaret Jankowski and the Sewing Machine project, a partner nonprofit organization, to distribute sewing machines to promote economic self-sufficiency among our clients. Clients from Ukraine, Cuba, Afghanistan, Colombia, Honduras and beyond have benefited from these machines. The machines were purchased with the help of a donor and clients have already used them to … Read More
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 … Read More
The Warm Miracle of Love
Every time a community of friends and neighbors come together for a good cause, a miracle happens. For First Congregational Church of the United Church of Christ (also known as First Church), and St. John’s United Church of Christ, this is a common occurrence. Once a month, these two churches come together at an event titled The Largest Table where … Read More
Andi Crafts a Wonderful Life
On an average day, you will likely find Andi Marlina working hard in her sewing shop, which is full of colorful fabrics and tools. Andi is a skilled tailor in Makassar, a big and bustling city in Indonesia. While her skills and abilities are already impressive, what makes them even more remarkable is that to achieve them, Andi had to … Read More
Building Sanitary Latrines in Hua Chit Village, Vietnam
In the village of Hua Chit, high in the mountains of Ta Hua commune in Vietnam, 46 families live without access to sanitary latrines. The small village is home to 211 people, all of whom are part of the H’Mong ethnic minority group. Due to the limited access of sanitation facilities, many families would relieve themselves near the local stream … Read More
Moving Forward as a Community
Working as a team can be a fun way to get a job done efficiently and effectively. Teamwork is at the heart of our agriculture and livelihoods programs in the Dominican Republic. These programs mainly serve women, youth and older populations and give them the tools to move forward while bringing their community with them. We recently met Angela Ramirez, … Read More