LHI Looks Back on 2023

by Brigid Rowlings, LHI Communications Director

LHI’s COO Walker, Director of Monitoring and Evaluation Jaron, and Founder and Director Hayley distributed aid to survivors of the earthquakes that devastated Turkey and Syria in February.

Looking back over the past year, we cannot believe all you have helped us to do! Here are the highlights!

The LHI Community Center in Serres, Greece

LHI’s Director of Monitoring and Evaluation Jaron and founder of our Utah programs Carlissa lent some elbow grease to improvement projects at the LHI Community Center in Serres.

It was a year of continued growth and innovation at the LHI Community Center, which is located near two refugee camps in Serres, Greece. The LHI Greece team was thrilled to receive new computers for the education program and new shelving for the community center’s aid warehouse. After talking with the women who attend programs at the Female Friendly Space, the team also adjusted the way we distribute clothing, school supplies, baby items and other aid. Instead of handing out parcels, the team instead created “free shops” where beneficiaries can select their own items. This small change not only provides people with a sense of dignity, but also brings a lot of excitement and joy.

The LHI Greece team set up a free shop where parents could shop for baby items including these handmade teddy bears.

utah programs

LHI team members and volunteers loaded this container of aid for Jordan in October.

Our Utah team prepared and shipped 18 containers of material aid to places like Bangladesh, where thousands of Rohingya refugees living in a large refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar were impacted by a fire in March, Afghanistan, where 6.6 million people have been internally displaced by conflict and natural disasters, and Gaza, where over 80% of the population has been displaced. The team also sent 7 shipments to the US/Mexico border to help shelters there provide warm clothing, hygiene products, and baby kits to migrants.

The US Office for Refugee Resettlement provides local resettlement agencies with a list of items that must be in apartments of resettled refugees. If the items aren't donated, they must be purchased from the family's small stipend. LHI's Utah team relies on donations from you to keep our warehouse stocked so that we can provide all the items resettled refugees need!

The Welcome Program has grown so much that we had to expand our warehouse! So far this year, LHI volunteers have set up 285 apartments for refugees resettling in Utah. And, in addition to our long-standing partnerships with the International Rescue Committee and Catholic Community Services, LHI is now working with Cache Refugee and Immigrant Connection to make sure that resettled refugees in Logan, Utah come home to an apartment furnished with everything they need.

ukraine

The battery powered incubators you helped us provide put to good use at Bashtanka Hospital in Mykolaiv, Ukraine.

Last year, we asked you to help us get Ukrainians through a cold and uncertain winter and you responded! We were able to provide generators, battery powered infant incubators, sleeping bags and long underwear throughout Ukraine. Our teams in Ukraine have also been able to get consistent material, medical and psychological aid to frontline communities all year long.

LHI's Ukraine country director Serhii (center) organized LHI's response to the dam collapse, including finding this truck which pumped thousands of tons of water out of homes and businesses.

When the Kakhovka Dam in Kherson province ruptured in June, our teams responded not only by helping those displaced from their homes, but also by pumping thousands of tons of water out of homes and businesses. 

Moldova

Participants in the Story Time Project performed some of the Ukranian folk tales they had read for family and friends!

Looking back on all the work our Moldova team has done with Ukrainian refugees, it is hard to believe that our community center in Balti and our Storytime Project are not even a year old! Both programs provide social emotional support activities for participants and keep Ukrainian language and culture alive.

Children at the LHI Community Center in Balti participate in a yoga class, part of the social emotional supports offered to Ukrainian refugees.

jordan

LHI Founder and Director Hayley Smith toured one of the modular classrooms LHI was able to build for Syrian refugee children in Jordan.

In Jordan, it’s all about kids and kids! The first set of kids are the Syrian refugee children who have benefitted from the 3 modular classrooms we built this year. Because Jordanian schools are already at capacity, building classrooms means that Syrian children can attend school. 

This family turned the 2 milk goats they received from LHI into a herd of 25 in just 2 years!

The second set of kids are the 1,200 Shami milk goats we have distributed to Syrian refugee families. The families who benefited had been goat herders in Syria, but had to leave their herds behind when they fled civil war. Having milk goats allows these families to improve their family’s nutrition and move towards self-sufficiency as they sell milk and grow their herd. One family we visited this year had turned the two milk goats they received two years ago into 25! The income they earned from goat milk and goat products allowed them to leave the refugee camp and rent a home. 

emergency response

LHI's COO Walker distributed aid to an earthquake survivor in Turkey.

LHI specializes in responding to emergency situations quickly, talking to the people impacted, and finding out what they most need. In February, we were able to assist both Turkish and Syrian people impacted by earthquakes by providing medical and psychological first aid, hygiene kits, and food packages. 

LHI responded to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza quickly, finding partners on the ground to help us source aid and get it to civilians who need it in Gaza.

In October, we arrived in Egypt and got right to work finding the right partners to help us get aid to the over one million people displaced in the Gaza Strip. We established a partnership with the Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA) who helped us get food and medicine into Gaza.

We Couldn’t Have Done It Without You!

Whether you are an LHI volunteer or a donor, whether you’ve tied blankets or assembled hygiene kits for a service project, or whether you are a partner or a grant provider, you are a part of our team. Thank you for your support this year. We look forward to working together again in 2024 to meet needs around the world. No politics. Simply humanitarian.

Travel Journal: Full Circle in Serres, Greece

By Carlissa Larsen, Founder and consultant of the LHI Utah Programs

On her recent trip to the LHI Refugee Community Center in Serres, Greece, Carlissa was recruited by Jaron, LHI's Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, to construct a space for the professional development program!

Carlissa Larsen has been with LHI for 7 years. She started as a volunteer and founded the Utah programs. She worked as co-director for Utah operations, and is now a consultant for our Utah programs. She recently traveled to Jordan and Greece to see the impact of LHI’s work on the ground for the first time!

SO THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN AID FROM UTAH IS UNBOXED!

For years, I helped gather, organize, and load shipping containers of humanitarian aid for LHI in Utah. With every shipment that we sent we would receive photos of that aid being distributed in places like Jordan, Lebanon, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Somalia, Greece and other locations around the world. But I’d wanted to see the impact of the work we do in Utah in real time on the ground. So I was super excited to help with a distribution at the LHI Refugee Community Center in Serres, Greece!

LHI Greece team members set up a free shop for parents and children to shop for toys, clothes, and baby supplies.

We also distributed food and feminine hygiene pads.

SEWING AND SPA DAY AT THE FEMALE FRIENDLY SPACE

The sewing machines are enjoying a short rest before they go back to work!

The Female Friendly Space offers a variety of crafting and self-care activities. Visiting groups occasionally lead workshops on female health and healing from trauma.

This is the Female Friendly Space (FFS) at our refugee center in Serres. Women who come to the FFS use these sewing machines everyday to mend or hem their clothing. There is also a corner for women to sit and knit or crochet. In addition to sewing, knitting, and crocheting, the FFS offers different activities provided everyday.

Who wore it best nail polish edition!

I hate having my fingernails polished, but when a 13 year old Yazidi refugee came in and motioned for me to come sit next to her so she could paint my fingernails, I let her paint my fingernails! It struck me that on the other side of the world, my 11 year old daughter was also participating in an activity with other young women where they were painting their fingernails. In so many ways, people are the same, no matter where they are or what their circumstances might be. We are separated only by lines drawn on a map.

Thank you Carlissa for sharing your visit to the LHI Refugee Community Center in Serres, Greece with us! To learn more about LHI’s program in Greece, click here!

Look For LHI In Giving Machines!

by Brigid Rowlings

LHI Founder and Director Hayley Smith got to see the LHI logo in lights in Times Square at the opening of the New York City Giving Machines!

LHI is excited to be featured in the LDS Light the World Giving Machines for a second year in a row! This year, LHI is featured in 8 Giving Machines across the US! Where? Scroll to the bottom of this post for all the details, or visit the Light the World Giving Machines web page.

What is a Giving Machine?

LHI's Outreach Director Jessica was so excited to see LHI featured in the Giving Machines in Times Square!

A giving machine is a vending machine, but instead of buying a treat for yourself, you are purchasing an item someone somewhere in the world really needs. For example, if you visit a Giving Machine featuring LHI, you can buy a goat for a Syrian refugee family in Jordan, provide diapers or a hygiene kit that will be included in one of the aid shipments LHI sends around the world, or provide much needed medical supplies to Ukrainians.

Who Can use the giving machines?

Even the world famous street performer and musician the Naked Cowboy can use the Giving Machines!

Anyone! Although the Giving Machines are sponsored by the LDS Church, the organizations that are in the Giving Machines are independent of it. So, in much the same way that you might drop a few dollars in the Salvation Army’s red kettles or donate a gift to Toys for Tots, feel free to bring your credit or debit card over to any Giving Machine near you.

LHI's Director of Monitoring and Evaluation Jaron shared this photo of his grandma visiting the Seattle Giving Machines.

What if there is no Giving Machine near me?

LHI's Development Director Patrick was excited to see LHI in the Giving Machines in his home state of Indiana. But if there is no Giving Machine near you, you can visit our virtual Giving Machine!

No machine? No problem! We have a virtual Giving Machine. Just click here, and you can browse items like water filtration kits, food boxes for Ukranians, and school supplies for refugee children all over the world.

Thank you for including LHI in your holiday giving!

Giving Machines Featuring LHI

Virtual Giving Machine

https://www.lhi.org/giving-machines

Columbia Giving Machines

The Mall in Columbia

10300 Little Patuxent Parkway Columbia, MD 21044

12/6/23 – 12/17/23

Honolulu Giving Machines

Pearlridge Center

98-1005 Moanalua Rd, Aiea, HI 96701

11/18/23 – 1/1/24

Indianapolis Giving Machines

Clay Terrace

14390 Clay Terrace Blvd, Suite 165 Carmel, IN 46032

11/28/23 – 1/7/24

Philadelphia Giving Machines

Fashion District Philadelphia

901 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19107

11/20/23 – 12/3/23

Portland Giving Machines

Washington Square Mall

9585 SW Washington Square Rd, Portland, OR 97223

Starts: 12/19/23

Richmond Giving Machines

Short Pump Town Center

A4511800 W Broad Street Richmond, VA 23233

12/20/23 – 12/31/23

Salt Lake City Giving Machines

City Creek Center

50 S Main St, Salt Lake City, UT 84101

11/21/23 – 1/1/24

Seattle Giving Machines

Alderwood Mall

3000 184th St., Lynnwood, WA 98037

11/20/23 – 12/17/23

Travel Journal: LHI’s Carlissa Traveled To Jordan and Saw Just How Impactful 2 Goats Can Be

by Carlissa Larsen, LHI Utah Program Consultant

Carlissa visited a family that had received 2 milk goats a few years ago. Those 2 goats have produced this herd! The large black and white goat on Carlissa’s left is a stud goat that plays a big role in making more goats!

Guest contributor: Carlissa Larsen has been with LHI for 7 years. She started as a volunteer and founded the Utah programs. She worked as co-director for Utah operations, and is now a consultant for our Utah programs. She recently traveled to Jordan and Greece to see the impact of LHI’s work on the ground for the first time!

Living Conditions for Syrian Refugees in Jordan

80% of Syrian refugees in Jordan live in unofficial refugee camps, often called makeshift or improvised refugee camps like the one pictured below.

 A family was gracious enough to allow taking a photo of their kitchen (below), so that we could share with the world what conditions they live in. Behind the tarp in the back by the white bucket is where the family shower.

The makeshift structure with a dirt floor pictured below is the family's bathroom. For years, I've helped our volunteers who donate hygiene supplies for refugees to our Humanitarian Aid Warehouse. I was humbled to see where those supplies would actually be used for the families receiving them.

Lives in Syria Before

We visited a Syrian refugee family who had fled Aleppo at the beginning of the war in 2011. They lost their herd of goats and their livelihood, but escaped with their lives. They consider themselves lucky because most of their family and friends didn't make it out before they were killed. We sat in their humble home in Jordan hearing their story. Their young daughter, who was born in a refugee camp, wanted to give us something before we left, so she ran to the garden and picked fresh flowers for us.

Goats Change Lives

While in Jordan, I met multiple families that had gone from living in a tent in a refugee camp to living in a house within 2 years of LHI providing them with 2 goats. Prior to receiving goats from us these families had lived in a refugee camp for 10-12 years. Most of their children had been born in the refugee camps. Now, they have goats that provide nutrition, a way to make an income, a sense of dignity, and a new home!

This family received 2 goats from LHI 2 years ago. They've now grown their herd to 25 and have been able to rent a house with running water and electricity.

Thank you Carlissa for sharing your visit to Jordan with us! It is amazing to see how much just two milk goats can transform the lives of Syrian families living in Jordan.

Please help LHI continue to change lives. You can make a donation to our Gather for Goats program here, or, if you want to get your children or school or youth group involved, check out our Kids Club program!

LHI's Utah Team Welcomes Resettled Refugees Home

by Brigid Rowlings, LHI Communications Director

LHI’s team of volunteers adds small but important touches, like handmade quilts and toys, to the apartments the Welcome Program sets up for refugees resettling in Utah.

In 2021, tens of thousands of vulnerable Afghans including those who’d worked alongside US personnel as translators and interpreters were evacuated from Kabul after the Taliban regained control of the country. Utah offered to welcome Afghan refugees through the federal resettlement program. Soon, hundreds of Afghans arrived. The two official refugee resettlement agencies in Utah, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Catholic Community Services (CCS), were tasked with managing each individual and family’s case. The LHI Utah team reached out to the IRC and asked how LHI could help.

The team quickly learned that:

1. The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program provides a small stipend for each resettled refugee to help with rent, food, clothing, household items, and case management services (as of today, November 3, 2023, that amount is $2,425). 

2. There is a list of items that the Refugee Admissions Program requires resettlement agencies like the IRC to provide in the homes they set up for refugees.

3. If the items on the list are not donated, the resettlement agency has to buy them out of the small stipend, leaving little left for other needs and necessities.

The Utah team knew just how they could help! We immediately began collecting items on the list and assembling teams of volunteers to set up warm, welcoming homes for resettled families. In 2022, we set-up 255 apartments, benefiting 1,020 refugees.  

Each of these bins represents an apartment the LHI Welcome Program is preparing to set up for a newly-arrived family. The Welcome Program team makes sure that all items a family needs is there waiting for them.

When the surge of evacuated Afghan families slowed, LHI decided to continue helping arriving refugee families arriving as a permanent, core part of our strategy to help refugees in Utah. Today, our team works with the IRC, CCS, and now Cache Refugee and Immigrant Connection (CRIC) to make sure that everything a family needs, including 2 weeks worth of groceries, is on hand. Our volunteers make beds, often with handmade quilts and blankets, and leave items like stuffed animals and school supplies to make the family’s home as comfortable and homey as possible. Often it is a stark difference to the refugee camps they had been living in. 

The LHI Welcome Program team works hard to provide families with items like these large bowls that provide a sense of familiarity as they adjust to living in a new place where so much is unfamiliar. These bowls help families from some countries prepare food and eat in a familiar way.

Coming home to an apartment that has been set up with such care can provide a sense of comfort for refugees just arriving in the United States. Anyone who qualifies for resettlement as a refugee has been through a lot. To qualify for resettlement, people must prove that they experienced persecution in their home countries. Often, the United States is the last stop on a long journey that may have included traveling in dangerous conditions and spending time in refugee camps. Although resettlement in the United States offers the promise of permanence and safety, arriving in a new country can feel overwhelming and confusing. Having a warm, inviting place to call home makes things a little easier.

If you are interested in helping LHI’s Welcome Program, there are many opportunities!

Volunteer! We have two main tasks people interested in volunteering for the Welcome Program generally do: pulling items from our warehouse stock for a set up and going to the apartment to set it up. To find out more about volunteering, please contact anne@lhi.org.

Donate items. Resettlement agencies are required to furnish all apartments with specific items before families arrive. If those items are not donated, then resettlement agencies must purchase them out of the already small stipend families receive to get them started. When you donate any of the items on our needs list, there is more money available for families to meet their basic needs. You can order directly from our Amazon wish list, or drop off donations at one of several  locations throughout the Salt Lake area. To find one near you, contact traci@lhi.org.

Donate gift cards. Gift cards to places like grocery stores, Walmart, and Amazon are always helpful! We often rely on gift cards to purchase items that we don’t have on hand in the warehouse, but that are required to be in an apartment. Gift cards can be mailed to Lifting Hands International, 920 E State Rd, Suite H, American Fork, UT 84003 or send e-gift cards to traci@lhi.org. 

5 Facts About Gaza

by Brigid Rowlings, LHI Communications Director

As soon as the scale of the humanitarian emergency in Gaza was apparent, LHI’s Founder and Director Hayley Smith and Director of Monitoring and Evaluation Jaron Malyon were on the ground in Egypt vetting organizations and developing partnerships that would quickly get humanitarian aid into southern Gaza and ensure that aid was distributed to civilians in need.

Our continuous efforts in Gaza involve distributing essential aid through with local organizations linked to the Egyptian and Palestinian Red Crescents. Through our partnerships, we're delivering critical items like ready-to-eat food, medicines, and vitamins directly to those in need.

In partnership with the Middle East Children’s Alliance, we're addressing child malnutrition with medications, vitamins, and fortified foods. Swift relief, including ready-to-eat food, fresh vegetables, and hygiene supplies, is being provided both inside and outside of Gaza. We are also preparing essential food boxes.

To learn more about our ongoing efforts and support initiatives in Gaza, visit our dedicated Emergency Response page.

5 Facts about Gaza. 

The history of the conflict between Israel and Palestine is long and complex, and we encourage you to learn more about the history. 

All facts accurate as of November 10, 2023.

A section of fence that separates the Gaza Strip from Israel.

Image Credit: JACK GUEZ/AFP/Getty Images

1. People Can’t Leave the Gaza Strip

Since 2007, Gaza has been under an indefinite blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt. Until October 7, 2023, 17,000 Gazans had work permits for Israel, but now, no one can leave. Even if they could, there's fear of not being able to return. A few severely injured individuals were recently taken to Egypt, after weeks of negotiations for foreign passport holders to leave, with some still stuck in Gaza.

2. The humanitarian situation in Gaza was critical even before October 7 .

In 1948, many Palestinian refugees fled to Gaza, forming a significant part of the population. Gaza has experienced multiple invasions and occupations until 2005 when Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ordered a complete disengagement.

In 2006, Hamas gained a substantial number of seats in Palestine's parliamentary elections, subsequently taking full control of the Gaza Strip. Most of the international community has now designated Hamas a terrorist organization, leading to aid cutoffs. A recent poll shows that many Gazans do not support Hamas due to reduced aid and support. And, since there have been no elections since 2006, Gazans have not had an opportunity to vote and choose their leaders for the past 17 years.

Representatives from our partner Middle East Children’s Alliance distribute aid to a Gazan mother whose family has been displaced.

3. An estimated 1.5 million Gazans have become displaced since October 7.

Rocket strikes, destroyed homes and neighborhoods, a decimated healthcare system, and low supplies of food and water are some reasons people have become displaced. On October 13, IDF planes dropped leaflets in northern Gaza advising residents to move south ahead of a ground invasion, which also contributed to the displacement of so many people.

4. The healthcare system has been decimated.

Nearly half of Gaza’s hospitals and over 70% of primary care facilities have shut down because of damage from airstrikes, dwindling fuel supplies, and simply from running out of medicine entirely. Remaining hospitals are barely functional, conducting surgeries, even for children, without anesthesia. The lack of essentials like water and iodine hampers the ability to provide sanitary care.

Dr. Mohammed Qandil at Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis told the New York Times: “We are making hard decisions…All the people who come here, we cannot save them. The hospital doors are open, but the care we are able to give — it is negligible.”

Children and families have sought refuge at schools run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency within Gaza. These children walk amongst debris from a recent airstrike.

Image credit: Mohammed Abed/AFP via Getty Images

5. Children are disproportionately affected by the crisis.

According to a 2021 report by the Euro-Med Monitor, 91% of children in Gaza were already suffering from conflict-related trauma. 

A recent  study found that 51% of Palestinian children had a friend or acquaintance die from political or military violence even before the current conflict began. “[Children’s] sense of the world is shattered. They don't feel secure in their families. They don't feel secure in their relationships with others. They're constantly on guard.”

Building Community and Strengthening Bonds at the LHI Ukraine Capacity Building Conference

by Ihor Tereshchenko, LHI Ukraine Partnership Manager

Even baby Mark, the smallest representative from our operating centers across Ukraine, came out for LHI's second capacity-building conference in Lviv, Ukraine!

Did you know that LHI has 7 operating centers all across Ukraine? Our teams at each operating center have figured out ways to best support fellow Ukrainians and deliver humanitarian aid. On September 21-24, LHI held its second capacity-building conference, bringing together representatives from our operating centers as well as from our Moldova program to learn from each other, share best practices, and engage in wellness activities.

LHI has 7 operating centers in Ukraine. Representatives from each center came to Lviv for our second capacity-building conference.

Ihor, LHI’s Partnership Manager in Ukraine, shared this recap of the conference. Ihor joined LHI in August after working for the Ukrainian Red Cross. Thank you, Ihor, for sharing!

A Balanced Blend

The conference achieved a harmonious balance between sharing and learning, and created a safe space for forming and deepening interpersonal relationships. Participants benefited from rich content and expert insights through workshops on ways to efficiently and effectively manage humanitarian work, fundraising, and establishing and maintaining a social media presence.

Ihor helps representatives from one of our operating center share best practices.

The event also facilitated wellness sessions, such as art therapy, meditation, and a tea ceremony. Relationships were formed and strengthened through sharing professional and personal experiences, and paved the way for future collaborative projects.

Conference participants recharged with art therapy.

Conference participants, many of whom work on the front lines or with people who have evacuated from the front lines, take a moment for meditation and self-care.

Relaxing and enjoying a tea ceremony.

Attendees gave the conference rave reviews!

Personal feedback from attendees underscored the event's success in addressing their diverse needs. The agenda was particularly commended for its relevance and thoughtful structure. The practical workshops stood out as valuable, offering hands-on experience that participants could apply directly to their work. Jaron, LHI’s Director of Monitoring and Evaluation  said, “I think this conference is one of the most valuable elements of our capacity-building support for Ukrainian humanitarian teams. Our focus on the well-being of our partners, and providing opportunities for learning and growth, greatly improves the ability of our aid workers to give meaningful support to those most in need. Plus, the new collaborative relationships (and new friendships!) between Ukrainians from all corners of the country will continue long into the future.”

LHI Founder and Director Hayley captures this moment of collaboration and connection.

Networking and collaboration opportunities were hailed as pivotal aspects of the conference. LHI Moldova’s Roman said, “Joining the conference with the LHI Moldova team, we got to know many of the people and projects in Lviv for the very first time - and what a truly beautiful and impressive experience that was! These interactions contributed significantly to the sense of community among attendees and created a platform for potential future initiatives.”

LHI Founder and Director Hayley, Director of Monitoring and Evaluation Jaron, and COO Walker say a fond farewell to Ukrainian team members.

Hayley, LHI’s founder and director, reflected: “Spending quality time with our Ukrainian team members was so wonderful! I loved seeing our teams from different regions of Ukraine come together, away from the frontlines. Our team members work so hard, some in very dangerous situations, and this conference was a great opportunity to thank them face to face!”

Most of all, the conference left our teams in Ukraine refreshed, inspired, and feeling united in our mission. Ukraine country director Serhii said, “LHI’s leadership and our friends can be far away; still, our hearts feel no distance. Our bonds will strengthen while we help Ukrainians together, and our conference was a great chance to meet face-to-face, share our experiences, and brainstorm new projects.”

A Testament to the Power of Collaboration

The LHI Partners Conference 2023 surpassed expectations, offering a comprehensive and enriching experience. It equipped participants with knowledge, skills, and valuable connections necessary for advancing their humanitarian missions. The event was a testament to the power of collaboration and shared commitment to making a positive global impact through humanitarian efforts.

If you’d like to learn more about our humanitarian aid efforts in Ukraine and Moldova, please visit our Ukraine response page and our Moldova program page.

Travel Journal: LHI’s Carlissa Traveled To Jordan and Saw Just How Impactful 2 Goats Can Be

by Carlissa Larsen, LHI Utah Program Consultant

Carlissa Larsen with a boy whose family received milk goats through LHI’s Gather for Goats program.

Carlissa Larsen has been with LHI for 7 years. She started as a volunteer, worked as co-director for Utah operations, and is now a consultant for our Utah programs. She recently traveled to Jordan and Greece to see the impact of LHI’s work on the ground for the first time!

Living Conditions for Syrian Refugees in Jordan

We visited this refugee camp in Jordan. 80% of Syrian refugees in Jordan live in unofficial refugee camps, often called makeshift or improvised refugee camps like the one pictured above.  

One family living in the camp was gracious enough to allow us to take a photo of their kitchen so that we could share with the world what kind of conditions they live in. Behind the tarp in the back by the white bucket is where the family shower.

This is the bathroom. Makeshift bathrooms like this, combined with the fact that Syrian refugees living in unofficial and remote camps cannot often get to a town to shop, are why the hygiene items LHI sends to Jordan from our Humanitarian Aid Warehouse are so desperately needed.

Lives in Syria Before

We visited a Syrian refugee family who had fled Aleppo at the beginning of the war. They lost their herd of goats and their livelihood, but escaped with their lives.They consider themselves lucky because most of their family and friends didn't make it out before they were killed. We sat in their humble home in Jordan hearing their story. Their young daughter, who was born in a refugee camp, wanted to give us something before we left, so she ran to the garden and picked fresh flowers for us.

Goats Change Lives

While in Jordan, I met multiple families that had gone from living in a tent in a refugee camp to living in a house within 2 years of LHI providing them with 2 goats. Prior to receiving goats from us these families had lived in a refugee camp for 10-12 years. Most of their children had been born in the refugee camps. Now, they have goats that provide nutrition, a way to make an income, a sense of dignity, and a new home!

This family received 2 goats from LHI 2 years ago. They've now grown their herd to 25 and have been able to rent a house with running water and electricity.

Carlissa with the herd!

Thank you Carlissa for sharing your visit to Jordan with us! It is amazing to see how much just two milk goats can transform the lives of Syrian families living in Jordan.

Please help LHI continue to change lives. You can make a donation to our Gather for Goats program here, or, if you want to get your children or school or youth group involved, check out our Kids Club program!

The LHI Utah Program Celebrates Our Warehouse Expansion With An Open House!

by Ann Perkins, LHI Utah Resettlement Manager

Author and LHI Utah Resettlement manager Anne with LHI Utah Director Traci, and Marvis, LHI Utah Foreign Aid manager are all thrilled to have more warehouse space!

Recently, we nearly doubled the square footage of the LHI Humanitarian Aid Warehouse in American Fork, Utah! This expansion means that we now have more space to organize housing set ups for resettled refugees that benefit from our Welcome Program. Also, the additional space lets us work on more international and border aid shipments simultaneously. This means that we are able to reach more refugees at home and abroad than ever before!

After a lot of hard work moving into our expanded warehouse space, we had an amazing open house to celebrate! We had hundreds of people show up with clothing to donate, furniture, blankets, and all sorts of supplies.

our first open house!

LHI's Director of Outreach Jessica welcomed hundreds of guests to the first annual LHI Humanitarian Aid Warehouse Open House in American Fork, UT on Saturday, September 21.

Jessica, LHI’s Director of Outreach, greeted guests at the door. Everyone that walked in was given a tour of the new Warehouse space by one of our volunteers, and invited to help work on kits and service projects at different stations and tables throughout the warehouse.

The kids loved making and decorating "You are loved" cards. We enclose these cards in our shipments to let beneficiaries know that we are thinking of them.

Visitors made 1,200 hygiene kits, 1400 school kits, stuffed 100 teddy bears, tied 50 blankets and made hundreds of “you are loved” cards and welcome signs.

Volunteers tied fleece fabric into cozy blankets that will keep beneficiaries all over the world warm!

Recently, 200 children who visit our Refugee Community Center in Serres, Greece received school kits just like these as they prepared for the start of the Greek school year.

We had Crumbl cookies for everyone and even held a raffle for a Kneaders gift basket and LHI swag bags that went to 10 lucky winners.

Thank you to Crumbl Cookies for providing volunteers with a well-deserved sweet treat!

We gave special thanks to eBay and the GCX4Good for generously donating supplies for all of the hygiene kits. We will definitely do an open house next year! 

Thank you ebay and gcx4good! We couldn't have done it without you!

Meet the G.O.A.T.s of our Gather for Goats Kids' Club Program!

by Brigid Rowlings, LHI Communications Director

Meet Zoe Stanfill, the brains behind Goat Girls. The Goat Girls have run 3 fundraisers to raise money to purchase milk goats for Syrian refugees in Jordan.

The Stanfill family are longtime friends of LHI—Vanessa was a team leader for our Welcome Program in Utah, and the family has volunteered in our warehouse and participated in our seasonal Giving Tree program. Perhaps most impressive is the Stanfills’ support for our Gather for Goats program, which was spearheaded by Zoe Stanfill! I just had the most delightful interview with 3 members of the Stanfill family: Vanessa and her two children Zoe, 14, and Jed, 16.

The Stanfill family, Lark, Van, Zane, Zoe, Jed, Vanessa, enjoy a treat while volunteering at the LHI Humanitarian Aid Warehouse.

The Stanfill family was introduced to LHI by a neighbor when they moved to Utah in 2018. From the moment Zoe, then age 9, first heard of the Gather for Goats program, she was dead set on helping a refugee family get one of those goats. She told a few friends about her idea, and they formed a group called Goat Girls. 

The Covid-19 pandemic hit during the Goat Girls' first fundraiser. It became harder to sell Rice Krispy treats because people weren't out and about as much, but the Goat Girls kept at it!

The Goat Girls made Rice Krispy treats out of cereal and Tutti Frutti and sold them to neighbors and passers-by from their front lawn. It took the Goat Girls two years to sell enough Rice Krispy treats to donate a pair of milk goats—which they named Tutti Frutti and Marshmallow after the ingredients they’d spent so much time working with!

When the Goat Girls launched their second fundraiser, they decided to work smarter, not harder. They hosted a $25 dollar a plate dinner for their parents. They cooked all the food, prepared pies for dessert, decorated their pop-up restaurant, and served as the waitstaff. 

Buoyed by their success, the Goat Girls decided to go bigger the following year. They approached a neighbor, Chef Brad, who runs an in-home bakery and asked him to help them host an even bigger dinner. Chef Brad was willing, but suggested what he thought might be an even better money-maker: pizza! Zoe said, “So we decided to do that. And then we're like, it's the day before Mother's Day. So we're like, ‘What if we just send them uncooked and freeze them and cook them for Mother's Day?’”

Chef Brad and the Goat Girls (and Guys!) pizza crew!

Enter Jed. Not only does Jed have a driver’s license (those pizzas weren’t going to deliver themselves!), but also a head for dough, both literal and metaphoric. He put together the order forms for the pizzas AND set himself the task of turning a 50 pound bag of flour into dough. How much dough? Jed looked very tired as he told me: “We made eight batches. That expands to six and a half five-gallon buckets worth of dough.”

All told, the team sold 127 pizzas at $10 a pizza. Minus their $300 supply cost, they made almost $1,000 on the pizza fundraiser. And, with the help of Vanessa, they also held an online fundraiser that netted them another $2,000.

Zoe with her neighbor Harold who connected her with a donor family that matched the funds she and her friends and family raised for the Gather for Goats program.

But they weren’t done yet! Their neighbor, Harold, a financial manager, told Zoe about a client whose family’s Doing Good Foundation was willing to match the funds they’d raised for goats that year. Harold taught Zoe about how matching donations benefit nonprofits like LHI and why people with means choose to offer matching funds during a campaign. And, he coached her on the art of approaching a major donor and making a pitch. Did Zoe succeed in winning over the matching donor? Indeed she did! In fact, she just gave an impressive presentation to the Doing Good Foundation family to show them what the impact of their gift has been.

Zoe and Jed have learned a lot about fundraising over the past several years. They have this advice for other kids and teens who are thinking about launching their own goat fundraiser.

1. Make your fundraising appeals personal. Flyers and social media posts are good tools, but calling, visiting or texting friends and relatives individually and asking them for donations gets the best results.

2. Technology is helpful, except when it isn’t! Jed’s online order forms and the QR codes Zoe and Jed put on fliers worked for some, but older friends and neighbors had difficulty navigating them. Put a phone number on your fliers so people who want to make a donation but are having trouble with the technology can contact you.

3. Make it a community effort! Invite friends and neighbors to help out. Fundraising is hard work, but doing it with friends makes it fun!

4. Be persistent. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or for donations. If you don’t get a response, ask again! 

5. People LOVE naming goats! Anyone who donates enough to purchase a whole goat gets to name the goat. People love this. People love this enough to buy a goat!

Thank you so much Vanessa, Zoe, and Jed for taking the time to share your experiences and advice with us! And thank you to other members of the Stanfill family for your support of LHI over the years!

If you are a young person, teacher, or youth program leader and would like to find out more about how you can launch your own Gather for Goats Kids Club Fundraiser, click here!

Gather for Goats: A Path to Self-Sufficiency for Syrian Refugees in Jordan

by Brigid Rowlings, LHI Communications Director

Hayley Smith, LHI founder and director, poses with some of the 3,148 milk goats that we’ve distributed to Syrian refugee families living in Jordan.

“Goat milk?”

“Get your goat!”

“Here we goat again!”

A goat pun is never far from the lips (or typing fingers) of Lifting Hands International staff. It’s not really a surprise, since our Gather for Goats program is one of our longest running and most popular—you might even say it’s the G.O.A.T.! (See what I just did there?)

How it started

Gather for Goats was born when LHI founder and director Hayley Smith was distributing aid supplies to Syrian refugees living near the town of Al Mafraq in Jordan in 2017. When Hayley, who speaks Arabic, asked people what they needed, the response was overwhelmingly, “goats!” 

Many families who fled to Jordan are Bedouin and have a rich background in agriculture and caring for animals. They’ve been raising livestock for several generations. Raising goats and sheep was a prosperous and respected profession. But when the Syrian civil war broke out in 2011, families had to leave everything behind, including their herds, some of which numbered in the hundreds.

Recently, LHI founder and director Hayley Smith was treated to a variety of goat milk products made by recipients of our goats!

Having goats again, people told Hayley, would improve their standard of living tremendously. How? Goat milk provides essential protein, vitamins and minerals. Also, people can sell extra milk and milk products. They can breed the goats to grow their herd and generate income by selling male offspring. 

Hayley, who has a passion for the Arabic language, loves connecting with beneficiaries and finding out exactly what they most need to achieve self-sufficiency and a sense of dignity.

The request made sense, so Hayley contacted a professor of agriculture at the University of Jordan in Amman for advice on the breed and finding a professional goat inspector. After connecting with a local partner org near the Syrian border in May 2017, we distributed our first 286 goats to 143 Syrian refugee families who live in improvised refugee camps across the Mafraq region. And we have only grown the program from there! To date, we’ve distributed 3,418 milk goats to Syrian families in Jordan!

Breed is Key!

We don’t distribute just any old breed of goat. We carefully select Shami-Baladi crossbreed goats, also known as Damascus goats. These friendly Middle Eastern natives are prolific milk producers, yielding 350 to 650 liters of milk annually, and often giving birth to twins and triplets. Baladi goats thrive in hot, arid environments, making them ideal for the beneficiaries of LHI's Gather for Goats program. These goats, sourced by LHI, are the perfect choice for promoting self-sufficiency, excelling in harsh conditions while providing abundant milk and offspring.

Last month, Hayley visited a family that received 2 LHI milk goats 2 years ago, one of which was already pregnant with triplets. In those two years, with a combination of breeding, selling male offspring to buy more females for more breeding, 2 goats into 25! They were able to move out of the camp into a home nearby. That’s goat to be a record!

Some experts think that  Shami goats' long ears help dissipate heat and keep them cooler in hot desert conditions.

We’ve distributed thousands of goats, so aren’t we done yet? Not by a long shot. There are an estimated 1.3 million Syrian refugees living in Jordan, and our waitlist for goats is longer than the ears on a Shami goat. Our goal this year is to give 2,108 milk goats to 1,054 families. With your help, we can provide a simple first step to improved nutrition, self-sufficiency, and the dignity that comes by practicing centuries-long traditions.

Have you goat what it takes to make a huge difference in the lives of Syrian families in Jordan? Visit our Gather for Goats page to make your gift today!

Field Journal: Celebrating Summer Successes in Basarabeasca, Moldova

by LHI Volunteers Davide and Thomas

Thomas and Davide, our outstanding international volunteers in Basarabeasca, Moldova, concluded their role as summer camp counselors and teachers by helping to plan an end-of-summer extravaganza! We thank Thomas and Davide for their incredible work this summer. We know the town of Basarabeasca will miss them terribly!

Davide, Thomas, and Edu pose for a group photo outside the Phoenix Center with the campers who made their summer unforgettable!

 August 13th 2023, Basarabeasca, Moldova

Our fourth week at the Phoenix Center kicked off with two full days dedicated to preparing for a significant event—a grand end-of-summer party for the kids! 

Thomas and I spent Tuesday and Wednesday fine-tuning every small detail. As volunteers, we played a significant role in setting up sports games and assisting the kids in practicing various exercises they would showcase to their parents and an official jury on Thursday during a competition. Simultaneously, invitations were sent out, food and beverages were procured, and by Thursday, everything was primed. For the occasion, additional members from the LHI Moldova team traveled to Basarabeasca to offer their support and participate in the festivities. Everyone was excited to have our Director of Field Operations, Edoardo, and our photographer, Octavian, join for the day.

Children competed in fun and creative contests. The winners looked forward to collecting their awards!

After a morning of final preparations and anticipation, the celebrations started around 2 p.m. The event began with sports competitions among the kids. They were divided into two teams under two captains— Thomas and me. In between competitions, other beneficiaries of the center performed choreographed dances, both traditional and contemporary. Once everything concluded, all kids from the two teams were presented with awards, and the center's director, Clara, delivered a speech expressing gratitude to everyone involved, including Edoardo, us, and all the others who had contributed to the effort and work in the past weeks. The remainder of the event unfolded smoothly, featuring entertainers for the children, courtyard dances, and a final soccer match. The atmosphere was joyful and, and everyone was left content.

Campers enjoyed showing off their dance moves!

In the evening, Clara organized a staff dinner to celebrate the end of the summer camp, which had occupied the center and its staff for the past several weeks. The mayor and deputy-mayor of Basarabeasca were also in attendance, offering their support for the project, acknowledging our presence, and once again expressing their gratitude for our contributions. On our part, we extended our thanks to the mayor, deputy-mayor, Clara, and the entire staff for their warm and kind welcome. The dinner stretched on for hours, creating a wonderfully pleasant occasion shared with the entire center team.

Edu, LHI Director of Field Operations in Moldova, and Clara, the director of the Phoenix Center, enjoy the day’s festivities.

Friday saw a quieter atmosphere at the center, but a new project was on the horizon. In the late afternoon, a group of artists from Romania arrived to commence work on two graffiti pieces on the center's exterior walls. This collaboration involved a Romanian NGO and the Romanian Culture Institute. After an initial inspection on Friday, the artists returned to start their work on Saturday and throughout the weekend. Given their need for access to the Center, we ended up spending the entire weekend assisting them, even on Sunday.

It was an incredibly eventful week that marked the conclusion of the summer camp and held significant importance for our stay here. Our bond with the center's community grew even stronger, and we received heartfelt and appreciative feedback on our efforts – a truly important validation. We are glad to have played a part in this project thus far.

To find out more about LHI’s work in Moldova, please click here!

Welcoming Little Amal to Boston!

Meet Little Amal, a 12 foot tall puppet of a 10 year old Syrian refugee. Here, she is welcomed in London in 2021 after completing a 5,000 mile journey across Europe. I’m excited to welcome her to my hometown in a week!

by Brigid Rowlings, LHI Communications Director

Little Amal, whose name means “hope” in Arabic, is a 12 foot tall puppet of a 10 year old Syrian refugee girl. She was created by Handspring Puppet Company to bring hope to refugees and displaced people around the world, especially children separated from their parents. She has traveled to more than 97 towns and cities in 15 countries and been welcomed by more than a million people. Her urgent message to us all is “Don’t forget about us.”

When I learned that Little Amal was coming to the United States, and was starting her journey right here in Boston, I wanted to find out how to be a part of welcoming her. I learned that the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) is a partner of Amal Walks Across America and is holding a series of workshops for the community to prepare for Amal’s arrival. Intrigued, I signed up for a session.

Yuna is excited to welcome Little Amal with an assortment of Amal’s favorite food: cookies!

I arrived at the Harvard Ed Portal, a space for collaboration between Harvard University and the communities that surround it. I quickly met Yuna, age 4, and her sister Mina, age 2, who were there with their parents. Yuna had been reading books about refugees which is how she learned about Little Amal. Both girls were excited to tell the group that they’d seen a video of Little Amal’s appearance on the daytime TV program The View.

While Brisa Areli Muñoz, who is directing the Little Amal project for the A.R.T., led us through a poetry exercise, Yuna and Mila worked with Donya, a teaching artist at the A.R.T, to create posters to welcome Little Amal. What did the girls draw? Cookies! They’d learned from The View that cookies are Little Amal’s favorite food.

I was surprised and excited to find out that part of our role at the workshop that day was to think about what might happen when Little Amal approaches the gates to Harvard Yard. If you haven’t seen these gates in person or in photographs, they are a series of elaborate wrought iron gates spaced throughout a brick wall that surrounds Harvard Yard. 

Brisa led our group through a conversation about what Little Amal’s approach to these gates might look like. We talked about the gates as a symbol for barriers—not only to Little Amal, but to many people who may not be able to access education, never mind the elite education of an Ivy League college. Emma, an A.R.T. student intern, shared that at night, the gates are locked and students must show their college ID to enter Harvard Yard. This led us to think about the importance of IDs and documents when crossing borders, and that some refugees and displaced people may not have had time to gather those items before fleeing their homes.

Ken, Emma, and Yolanda workshop a scene depicting Little Amal’s arrival at the gates of Harvard Yard. Thank you to the chairs for playing the role of the gate!

Then, Emma, Yolanda, a recent graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Ken, a fellow community member, and I were tasked with coming up with possible ways Little Amal might interact with the gates to Harvard Yard. My group wanted the experience to communicate some truths about what refugees might experience. We came up with a scenario where Little Amal is turned away because she does not have an ID and can only enter when a person in power intervenes. A riff on this idea was one where two students collaborate to distract the security guard so that the ID-less Amal can sneak in.

My favorite idea, however, is that Little Amal sees a book floating through the Yard on the other side of the gates. She enters through the gates following the promises the book holds. 

I think this is my favorite scenario because although my work at LHI has taught me so much about the challenges facing refugees and displaced people, it has also taught me through our library and education programs in Greece, our classroom program in Jordan, and our Storytime Project in Moldova, that stories, books, and learning offer hope and bring joy. 

So, while I don’t know which direction Brisa and her team will take, I hope it is the magic book. I am excited to find out as I continue to participate in this project and welcome Little Amal on September 7!

To find out more about Lifting Hands International’s work with refugees and displaced people here in the United States and around the world, and how you can help us in this work, click here!

Visiting LHI Projects in Ukraine and Jordan Made a Lifetime of Difference to Me

By Mary Carriero, Chairperson, LHI Board of Directors

LHI Board of Directors Chairperson, Mary Carriero (center in sunglasses), traveled with members of the LHI crew to Jordan and Ukraine to check in on our operations there.

It was a genuine privilege to accompany Hayley Smith, LHI Founder and Director, and Walker Frahm, LHI COO, on a recent trip to visit LHI’s programs in Jordan and Ukraine. In both countries, the needs LHI is addressing are visible, raw and immediate.

While in Jordan, Mary (pictured in a pink hat) helped inspect each goat to be distributed.

On our first stop, Jordan, I immediately saw how desperately the goats we distribute are needed by Syrian refugee families. Goats are in such demand because owning goats so significantly improves quality of life for Syrian refugees in Jordan. In tents and homes, we were offered milk, yogurt and cheese that had all come from the goats. A family spoke of saving the money they earned from selling goat dairy products to pay for surgery needed for their young son’s eye. These are refugee families that have lived in camps for 10+ years. For them, goats are part of a path to a better, sustainable future.

When we arrived in Ukraine, I reflected that appearances can be deceiving. On the surface, Lviv resembles any number of other beautiful, old European cities. But a few weeks before we visited, Lviv was directly attacked by Russian shelling. When we checked into our hotel, we were told the hours for breakfast, the location of the hotel restaurant—and the location of the hotel bomb shelter.

Ongoing attacks force ordinary Ukrainians to make tough choices. Hayley and I were with one of our partners as she dropped her daughter off to stay with family outside of Lviv—she considered it safer than having her daughter with her in the city. Another partner, whose wife had recently given birth, spoke of women in labor at the local hospital needing to be moved to the basement for safety during the attack—and that is where some women gave birth. And, on our bus out of Ukraine to Poland, we sat behind a young mother and her two young children, all in tears as they said goodbye to their father. He, like most Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 and 60, cannot legally leave the country because of a general mobilization order.

Mary (left) visited the LHI Women’s Shelter in Ukraine with LHI Founder and Director Hayley Smith and LHI COO Walker Frahm.

The psychological and physical impact of the ongoing war across the whole of Ukraine’s population is enormous. But LHI is making a real difference in the lives of Ukrainians via services such as food distribution to internally displaced persons (IDPs), psychological support programs, and a shelter providing housing for those needing assistance.

One consistent element in both Jordan and Ukraine was the complete commitment, dedication, and generosity of our local teams. As I met with members of these groups in person, I saw first-hand the strengths of LHI’s model of utilizing locals to get the work done. Each team is intimately familiar with, and personally involved in, assessing needs and providing aid. Our local teams work creatively, collaboratively, and tirelessly to provide solutions that are tailored to these needs, emphasizing stability and sustainability. On a personal level, each group went out of their way to welcome our team with meals, fellowship and smiles.

Mary helped prepare food boxes for distribution to displaced families in Ukraine.

I can’t close this note without touching on the laughter and communion that provide moments of joy throughout this trip. Whether it was sharing underground dining, a theme that ran throughout the trip (we ate in a cave, a WWII bunker and the basement shelter), or the many hours spent in a bus twilight zone (if you know, you know), or desperately seeking 30 Polish groszy (to be able to use the bathroom in the aforementioned twilight zone), this was a group of people who were able to find the humor in everything. When the situations you are witnessing can be so intense, laughter becomes a true gift.

Mary (left) shares a meal with LHI Founder and Director Hayley (2nd from left) and the rest of the LHI crew at the LHI Women’s Shelter in Ukraine.

This trip made a lifetime of difference to me. The key takeaway I came home with is how directly impactful LHI’s work is. I don’t think anyone can have this experience without coming away with a tremendous sense of pride in all that the entire LHI team is doing and has accomplished.

Thank you LHI!

Field Journal: Summer in Basarabeasca, Moldova Part II

by LHI Volunteers Davide and Thomas

Davide and Thomas started week two by introducing the book Stuck by Oliver Jeffers to the campers.

If you missed Part I, check it out here.

Two of our amazing international volunteers, Thomas from the UK and Davide from Italy, have been spending their summer volunteering at an LHI-sponsored community center in Basarabeasca, Moldova. We are excited to share Thomas and Davide’s travel journal, starting from week 2!

July 31st 2023, Monday, Basarabesca, Moldova

LHI volunteers – second week report

The second week in Basarabeasca marked the beginning of our leading our own activities within the community center. We decided to focus on the group of children participating in the daily summer camp, and thought it would be helpful to build most of our activities around a story.

We started with reading a very short picture book to the group, reading in English while providing a Russian translation. The story, Stuck by Oliver Jeffers, is about a little boy that gets his kite stuck in a tree, and, in trying to get it back, throws into the same tree a long list of objects, from the most ordinary to the most absurd. From here, we led several activities, all aimed at both helping the children learn English and having lots of fun at the same time! We made flashcards with vocabulary from the story, learned to make our own kites, drew the tree from the story and along with all the objects the kids would choose to throw at it. All along, we tried to constantly practice the vocabulary from the story.

The campers were excited to try out the kites they made using the story Stuck as inspiration!

The results were extremely positive: kids participated with interest, had fun, and played together while learning some English. On one of the last days of the week, Sonia, a girl from Ukraine, even created her own game, using ours as an inspiration. Our original flashcards had drawings, English vocabulary words, and their translation in Russian. Sonia took this idea a step further, making cards in Ukrainian and Russian to play with us and the other children.

Campers created their own version of the tree in stuck and had a great time deciding what they would throw into the tree.

At the end of the second week, relationships with the staff of the center were also very positive. Day after day, they started to trust us more and give us more responsibility, both inviting us to participate in their activities and giving us the space to implement ours. At the end of the week, for instance, they asked us to organize the outside sport morning activities for the day. 

The town of Basarabeasca has been very welcoming. People ask us what we are doing here, and they are glad to know we are volunteers. Even if it has been just two weeks, we already feel that we are having an impact on the community.

Click here to learn more about our programs in Moldova.