Faith Knows No Bounds

Finding Home Again in Iraq

In the Nineveh Plains of Northern Iraq, what was once a diverse community has been fractured from years of violent occupation by ISIS. Many families leave their homes in search of what they hope are more tolerant communities. But to be uprooted and displaced in one’s own country is a heartbreak not easily overcome.

“It was profoundly saddening to be far from my home and my community—akin to losing a cherished part of oneself,” says Silvio Adeeb, who left his hometown of Qaraqosh in 2014.

While away, Silvio dedicated himself to his studies and opened a small shop. But the harsh realities of a competitive market led to its eventual closure. Silvio enrolled in Shared Future, a project funded by USAID and implemented by CRS and local partners that supports the return of internally displaced people in Iraq. He participated in a three-week training focused on building social cohesion in divided communities. Silvio then enrolled in a 13-week training on business development and was awarded a $1,500 grant for his business.

Today, Silvio’s business is thriving, but it is more than just a financial success—it is a connection to home, which, as Silvio says, “is like a mother’s embrace, inseparable from oneself.”

Many times, I contemplated leaving for a foreign land. But now, I have a business that supports my family and me in times of need. I feel rooted in something.

— Sylvio Adeeb, a small business owner in Iraq

Growing on Higher Ground in Bangladesh

Located on the Bay of Bengal next to India, Bangladesh experiences an intense monsoon season annually, which causes destructive flooding to homes and crops. As these monsoons become more frequent and severe, many are being pushed from their land.

For Shahadat Hossain, who lives on the island of Manpura with his wife, father, mother and two brothers, growing and selling vegetables provides his family with a crucial source of income. Leaving is not a choice he wants to make.

Through a CRS project supported by Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies that helps families reduce their risk from natural disaster, Shahadat learned how to protect his crops from monsoon flooding by building strategically raised beds. He also learned how to make his own organic fertilizer for healthier, more plentiful yields of beans, pumpkin, eggplant, green chilis, tomatoes and a variety of fruits.

“With the CRS training, my family can grow vegetables with less money. The vegetables I sell at the market help me to provide financially for my family,” he says.

“Before the CRS training, the desperation in my life was so immense. Cultivation would cost a lot of money, and we were in a state of mental, physical and financial loss all the time.”

— Shahadat Hossain, a gardener in Bangladesh

Empowering Future Farmers in Honduras

In Honduras, where farms account for just over 30% of the country’s land area, small-scale farming families like Nery García’s rely on the most efficient systems and supplies to keep their farms thriving.

Just six years ago, the García family experienced a season of no rain. Their crops dried up. Nothing could be harvested. At that time, the supplies Nery needed to farm—seeds, fertilizer, equipment—had become more expensive.

Determined to support his family and make his farm profitable, Nery joined CRS’ RAÍCES project in partnership with USAID, which helps farmers across Central America adapt to climate change. He was able to replace his irrigation system with one that uses minimal water and doesn’t cause damage. Nery also helped construct a water reservoir for the entire community.

“Now that the structure of the irrigation system was remodeled with the RAÍCES project through CRS, it has been a great advantage. One hundred percent of the project producers are already cultivating,” says Nery.

Today, Nery helps farmers in his village and mentors his sons in the practices he’s learned.

“I dream that my family can be an example—that we can be the link and a resource for other families here in Honduras,” he says.

“Emigrating no longer crosses my mind. In this time that CRS has come and given me a hand, I know I can succeed.”

— Nery García, a farmer in Honduras

A Mother and Daughter’s Triumph in Rwanda

At the Twubake Ejo Hazaza early childhood development center in Western Rwanda, 3-year-old Jeanne d’Arc learns and plays alongside her classmates. This might not seem remarkable, but for Jeanne, who was born blind, it is a triumph.

Jeanne is one of 20 children who enrolled in Gikuriro Kuri Bose, a CRS project supported by USAID that promotes healthy early child development. Jeanne’s mother, Valentine, had tried but could not afford the treatment her daughter needed.

“It was a dark period for me,” Valentine says. “I felt helpless, abandoned and I had no hope that my daughter would be able to see.”

As part of the project, Jeanne was taken to the Rwanda Charity Eye Hospital, where she successfully underwent surgery to help restore her vision.

Valentine, who had long been unable to cover such medical costs, was able to pay for the surgeries using a $100 loan from a community savings group she’d joined earlier that year.

After recovering, Jeanne d’Arc returned home and began attending classes at an early childhood development center, where she now learns and plays alongside other children.

Valentine says, “Thanks to the Gikuriro Kuri Bose project, my daughter can see and learn. And she has hope for the future.”

“Without a doubt, her future will be bright.”

— Valentine, a mother in Rwanda

Learning Leadership and Life Skills in Tanzania

In the Mbeya region in Tanzania, Seva Kevi is thriving. A mother of two, she farms and sells products in the local market, runs her own beauty salon and chairs her community’s savings group. But Seva’s life was not always so prosperous.

“I used to lose a lot of money because I didn’t have that knowledge on how to keep records and track my spending and income,” Seva says.

She joined a CRS project supported by private funds that improves household food security and livelihoods for young people ages 18 to 35.

“With CRS, I learned coffee farming—how to plant coffee, harvest it, process it and market it. I also learned about entrepreneurship,” she says.

By partnering with CRS, more than 500 young people like Seva have benefitted from increased agricultural productivity, reduced crop losses, financial education and improved gender relations. “As women, we are now engaging in more activities,” says Seva. “For example, me. My husband is working away from here. In the past, I used to expect him to do everything. But now I don’t want to—I don’t have to wait for him to come back. I go and do it directly.”

“Before, only men were involved in coffee production. But now that we are aware of gender issues, we realize that coffee planting is for everyone, not just for men.”

— Seva Kevi, a mother and business owner in Tanzania