For generations, Indigenous communities within Chiapas — the southernmost region of Mexico — have enjoyed a symbiotic relationship with the land they inhabit. The people nurture and support their ancestral lands, and in return, the land provides them food, shelter and clean water. But in recent decades, mining companies have descended upon the region, poisoning …
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Mohamad Mohamud lives in Garissa County — a remote, arid region of Kenya that spans hundreds of miles with little vegetation. Many who live there are pastoralists: people who rely on goats, sheep and camels to provide them with meat, milk and a means to support themselves. Most years, two rainy seasons are a welcome …
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People are abducted and often murdered by criminals or even with the participation of authorities. Families all over Mexico live without answers.
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Every evening in La Unión, El Salvador, hungry diners line up for delicious dinners cooked by the chefs at Comedor Las Estrellas. Perhaps, if the diners are lucky tonight, they will be serving their famous tortilla soup. The dinner they are waiting for is not from a typical restaurant in La Unión, a small rural …
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Sanjay Jagtap has spent the past 25 years of his life as a public bus driver in the state of Maharashtra in India. He always thought sexual harassment was an important but distant issue, something he read about in newspapers or heard about on television. That’s before he had a major wake-up call. Thanks to …
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Photos courtesy of EMAC Empowering Marginalized Communities (EMAC), an AJWS grantee partner in Kenya, has two major goals supporting their local network of LGBTQI+ organizations and fighting against anti-LGBTQI+ stigma in their communities. Amazingly, they found a way to meet both in the most unlikely place: a chicken coop. EMAC supports grassroots groups of LGBTQI+ …
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To drive meaningful social impact, organizations must be at the vanguard of justice and change, developing people-forward programs and practices that center marginalized communities in every aspect of mission delivery. Venus Devnani Named Executive Vice President of American Jewish World Service Today, Robert Bank, President and CEO of American Jewish World Service (AJWS), the leading …
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In early November 2020, Hurricane Eta tore through Guatemala’s Caribbean coast and on to the north-central region of Ixcán, leaving many communities that AJWS supports in tatters. Just two weeks later — communities still reeling from the carnage of Hurricane Eta — disaster struck again when Hurricane Iota slammed into the same areas, leading to even more catastrophic damage. Now, a year after this series of destructive natural …
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Earlier this year in Tamil Nadu, India, an LGBTQI+ couple battled homophobia in court—and won—making an important step to bring greater acceptance and equity to their community. At its core, this is a love story: Adheesh and Nidish (their names changed to protect their identities) are a young adult lesbian couple who fell in love …
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In the Nyanza region of southwest Kenya, along the shoreline of the massive Lake Victoria, young women and girls face multiple barriers to creating the futures they dream for themselves. The area has among Kenya’s highest rates of girls dropping out of school — due to unplanned pregnancy, the need to help support their families …
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