Interviews
Partnering With Women Through Health Education: Q&A with Devina Shah
“One transformed woman is the start point for the change to other women of this community.” – Rehema Mohammed
Reproductive health is often viewed as a taboo topic in many communities across the globe. And yet, working with key influencers within a community can enhance a woman’s understanding of reproductive health and can lead to flourishing communities.
World Relief is partnering with communities to contribute to the reduction of maternal and child mortality through the SCOPE project. Today, Devina Shah, Senior Technical Advisor, shares more about the project and how it’s enabling World Relief to go further, connecting more women and children to quality health care.
As we look forward to International Women’s Day on March 8th and Women’s History Month, we’re committed to partnering with women through health education and leadership development and creating lasting change for generations to come.
Can you start by telling us a bit about your background and why you are passionate about this project?
I have been interested in healthcare from a young age. I was born and raised in Kenya where access to medical care can be limited. I was 14 when my dad passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack. Due to a lack of ambulatory care, we couldn’t get him to the hospital in time. That early formative experience was foundational to my understanding of health inequities and accessibility to medical care — I began to understand that access to health care (a basic human right) was highly dependent on geography and socio-economic status. I wanted to work to change that.
After my family moved to the U.S., I went to college and studied Biology with the dream of going to medical school. Along the way, I learned about public health and decided to get my Master’s in Public Health instead. I really became enthralled in the work. After about a decade of working on global maternal-child public health programs in a variety of settings, I went back to school to get a degree in nursing. I spent time on the Labor & Delivery floor, assisting midwives and OB-GYNs with deliveries, before coming back to global public health. I now work as a birth doula a few times a year, supporting women with hospital-based births and providing prenatal and postpartum support.
For me, the SCOPE project really brings together all of my passions from both clinical and public health settings to ensuring women and children in remote parts of the world have equitable access to quality health services.
That’s amazing. So, what is SCOPE and why is it so important?
SCOPE stands for Strengthening Community Health Outcomes through Positive Engagement. It’s a five-year project funded through USAID. In Haiti, Kenya, Malawi and South Sudan, 170,000 maternal and child deaths occur annually. The SCOPE project is addressing this problem by contributing to the reduction of preventable maternal and child deaths and illnesses.
SCOPE is filling an important need because community health is a critical part of the primary care continuum to address people’s health needs. Extending preventive, promotive and curative health services into communities is critical to ensuring access to high-quality primary care.
How exactly is the SCOPE project utilizing World Relief’s existing model of community-based outreach?
Much of World Relief’s work is done in partnership with local faith and community leaders. Through the SCOPE project, we work through community groups such as Care Groups, Men’s Groups and Couple’s Groups to bring people together to disseminate evidence-based information around reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health.
We also train faith leaders who are influential actors within their respective communities to pass on the same messages. Lastly, we strengthen the capacity of community health workers, like Rehema, on effective counseling and provision of services within their respective communities.
Rehema is a SCOPE-supported Community Health Worker and Care Group volunteer in Kajiado, Kenya. Reproductive health and family planning have long been taboo topics in her community. But, as a young mother who holds a diploma in community and social development, Rehema has become a trusted voice in her community. After receiving training from World Relief’s SCOPE project, Rehema began mobilizing women to share key lessons on maternal and child health. Now, these women are further mobilizing other women in their neighborhood to share what they’ve learned.
This project launched in 2019. Did COVID-19 affect any of our planned programs?
Yes. COVID-19 did delay some of our activities. But we were able to pivot and find alternative ways to implement our planned programs by hosting meetings outdoors, limiting training class sizes, ensuring physical distancing, etc. We were also easily able to incorporate COVID-19 preventative messages into our existing programs, and thereby contribute towards flattening the pandemic curve in the geographic areas where we work. Because World Relief is a community-based organization, which hires local staff on the ground, we could reach people in remote hard-to-reach areas with key messages around COVID prevention.
If you could only share one thing about this project to get people excited, what would it be?
As a mom, I always remind myself of the individual woman giving birth in her village. As I nurse my own 16-month old baby, I think of the mama who is nursing her infant. I think of the family being worried that their child is sick or not growing well. Or of the couple who is wondering how to prevent the next pregnancy so they can focus on their current family. These realities and worries are not unique to families in the U.S. These worries are universal.
World Relief is doing amazing community-health work, going into communities that other organizations aren’t reaching. This type of last-mile, grassroots work is hard. Community-based work in rural, hard-to-reach communities requires ingenuity, locally-led solutions and teams that persevere and work hard in circumstances and terrain that are often challenging. By establishing long-term partnerships with local faith communities and local leaders, World Relief is able to engender real lasting change for mothers and their children. We invite you to come alongside us to learn more about what SCOPE is doing, and how you can partner with us!
Devina Shah, MPH, RN is a Senior Technical Advisor at World Relief serving as the technical lead on a four-country USAID-funded RMNCH project. With a focus on family planning and maternal and child health programs, Devina’s 15-year career in global health has included a variety of settings both international and U.S. Devina graduated with MPH from Boston University School Public Health, B.S. in Biology from the University of Florida, and a BSN (Nursing) from George Mason University. She grew up in Mombasa, Kenya and is fluent in four languages: Swahili, English, Gujarati and Hindi. Her most important job is wife to her kind/gentle giant of a husband, and mom to 4-year-old and 16-month daughters – all of whom teach her new things every day!
Rachel Clair is a Content Manager at World Relief. Alongside an amazing team of marketing colleagues, she manages the curation and creation of written and multi-media content for World Relief’s global platforms. With more than 10 years of experience creating content for churches and non-profits, she is passionate about developing content that challenges both individuals and communities to lean into all of whom God created them to be. She holds a BFA from Stephens College and is currently pursuing a certificate in a Spiritual Formation at the Transforming Center in Wheaton, IL.
From Sandwich Artist to CEO: Get to Know Myal Greene
On July 20, 2021, Myal Greene was named President and CEO of World Relief. Myal has been with World Relief for 14 years and previously directed our ministry operations in Rwanda and Africa. In his most recent role as Senior Vice President of International Programs, Myal was instrumental in increasing support for our international programming and more than doubling our global reach in the past two years. We’re excited for you to get to know him a little better.
Myal, to know you is to know two things: Your love for Jesus and the mission of World Relief, and your love for your family. We’ll talk a bit more in-depth about your vision for World Relief, but first, would you mind introducing your family to us?
Myal Greene: Absolutely. I met my wife, Sharon, while I was living in Rwanda. She is Rwandan and was a co-founder of the young adult fellowship group I used to attend. We’ve been married for 10 years and have three children. Since having kids I have become a bit of a homebody and love to spend my downtime hanging out with my family. In this current season, that means watching Dude Perfect and playing catch with my boys or having tea parties with my daughter.
Can you tell everybody how you came to World Relief?
Myal Greene: Very early on in my Christian faith, the interconnectedness of Christ and his love for the poor was just very evident to me. I would read all of the books of the Bible through a justice lens. I read books like Ron Sider’s “Rich Christians in the Age of Hunger,” which is still a classic more than 40 years after it was first published.
After college, I began working on Capitol Hill and became active in the young adult ministry at my church. While attending an Urbana Conference with that group, I heard two amazing speakers from World Relief talk about the HIV crisis in Africa and how the church was responding to it. That was the first time I heard about World Relief. Then I found out from my Mission’s pastor that our church had just signed a partnership with World Relief.
Next thing you know, I’m looking at jobs at World Relief. I was offered a job in Rwanda where I held a few posts. I was eventually promoted to serve as the Country Director for Rwanda before moving back to the U.S. to head up our International Programs Division.
What values guide your decisions as a leader?
Myal Greene: You know, not to sound cliché, but I really like to take a biblical perspective and look for leadership examples in scripture. When I teach and preach, I tend to use narrative theology, breaking down a particular story, putting it in context and finding the example in the story.
I also try to be a consensus builder. Any good leader knows you can’t make everybody happy with every decision, but you at least want to help people understand why you made a particular decision and hopefully build support even if it’s not something they agree with.
I also value the power of teams. Our faith calls us to serve in community with others. A key part of leadership is casting a vision for people and ensuring that everyone understands where we are going and what their role is in helping us get there.
How has your time at World Relief impacted your faith, and what has God revealed to you about himself through this work.
Myal Greene: That’s a great question. I think it’s really linked to living in Africa for eight and a half years where I repeatedly saw the blessings and the equipping of the Holy Spirit in all the situations we faced. When I returned to the U.S., I came back with a much more charismatic faith. I’m never shy in my requests to God in prayer! I also think that by working with so many churches and Christians from cultures other than my own, I have come to see the body of believers as God’s chosen means to restore this world. When we are gathered around the risen Jesus and committed to His work of reconciliation and restoration, we can do powerful things.
You’ve been at World Relief for 14 years. How would you say that World Relief has evolved over that time and how would you like to see it continue to evolve over the next 14 years?
Myal Greene: I think our commitment to empowering the church is a lot clearer now than it was years ago. For me, that’s really crucial. From where I sit, I see the organization poised for massive growth in the coming years.
On the international front, we plan to continue the expansion of our work in Africa, Cambodia and Haiti. We’re also responding to the increase in refugee arrivals in the U.S. from places like Afghanistan among others. We’re rapidly increasing our scale, considering partnership opportunities and opening new offices to meet this need.
We also recently completed a strategic planning refresh which we’re getting ready to roll out. Through this collaborative work, we sought to emphasize our shared identity in Christ and foster greater diversity, equity and inclusion within the organization and across our programs.
I’m excited to continue making World Relief a world-class workplace where people can bring their whole selves to work and contribute to an innovative culture. I’m proud of what God has created this organization to be and am incredibly humbled to have the privilege of leading our efforts.
OK, let’s end on a fun note. What is one thing most people don’t know about you?
Myal Greene: So, I used to dig graves.
This sounds like a fabulous story. Please elaborate!
Myal Greene: After high school, my first summer job was as a “Sandwich Artist” at Subway. I hated standing inside all day behind a counter touching food. I told my dad that I wanted a job outside. And, you know, my dad had a friend from the Rotary Club who owned all the cemeteries in town. So, he got me a job, mostly cutting the grass, but at least twice a week we did an interment. Most of the digging gets done with a backhoe but they always made the college kid climb the ladder down to the bottom of the hole.
That’s amazing. I think we’ve found our title, “From Sandwich Artist to CEO…” Thanks so much for sitting down with us today, Myal!
Mary Milano served as the Director of Fundraising Content at World Relief from 2017-2022.
Welcoming Afghans in San Diego
Since August, World Relief has welcomed and resettled over 1,000 Afghans who had been evacuated out of Kabul. Today, over 34,000 Afghans remain on eight U.S. military bases awaiting their chance at a new life in the U.S. World Relief is diligently preparing to resettle up to 7,000 of these brave individuals between now and March 2022.
The need is great, and we couldn’t do this work without the help of partners like Hope for San Diego.Today, Susie Fikse, Executive Director at Hope for San Diego, talks about why partnering with World Relief is critical to Hope for San Diego’s mission. Read more to find out how you and your community can move with us, just like Susie and Hope for San Diego have done. Together, we can create communities of love and welcome that we all feel proud to be a part of.
First, can you tell us a little about Hope for San Diego?
Hope for San Diego is an independent non-profit with a mission to engage our community to care for and invest in our under-served neighbors. Our focus areas include refugees/ immigrants, sex trafficking, foster care and homelessness—all pressing issues in San Diego.
How did you first get connected with World Relief?
Twenty-five years ago, I was living in Atlanta. The church my family attended was involved with World Relief, and I signed up to bring Thanksgiving dinner to a refugee family. I remember standing at the door of this family’s small apartment. There were eight people living there. They had no furniture in the living room, but they welcomed me and my family and offered us drinks and fruit. We couldn’t really communicate because of the language barrier, but it was a really meaningful and eye-opening experience.
How did you help bring World Relief to San Diego?
Shortly after I took the job as Executive Director of Hope for San Diego, we began working with refugees in the area. Soon we realized that there were many organizations doing many different things for refugees — all of them great, but very uncoordinated.
For a long time, I felt the need for some kind of umbrella organization to help bring all our efforts together and to make sure the work we were doing was helping instead of hurting. I knew World Relief would be a great partner to bring us all together and help facilitate healthy ministry.
We connected with the World Relief SoCal office, and they did a few trainings with us and our church partners. But when the border crisis came to a head a couple of years ago, it became clear that we needed the expertise of World Relief in closer proximity to all these needs! It took some time to figure out how to make it work, but in March, we were able to fund the first full-time World Relief staff in San Diego, and a group of churches assembled to collaborate in building a more effective ministry to refugees.
Aside from funding, how else does Hope for San Diego partner with World Relief?
Our partner churches volunteer in different ways through the connections World Relief provides, whether that is building friendships with refugees, providing tangible support like furniture or shoes, or participating in tutoring programs.
We have also hosted World Relief speakers at educational events, which is a powerful way to help our community build a Biblical worldview of immigration. Likewise, we sent a select group of leaders on a Border Vision Trip, which opened eyes to the complexity of immigration issues facing people just 30 minutes from our homes.
How is Hope for San Diego specifically working to welcome and resettle Afghans in your community?
Thanks to the support of people within our eight partner churches and other community members, we were very quickly able to form two Good Neighbor Teams, mobilize volunteers to set up apartments and deliver groceries, secure 40 mattress donations and pre-paid phone cards, among so many other things. The immediate and continued response from the community has been encouraging.
We believe that relationships designed to support self-sufficiency are the key to long term transformation—both of the refugees and the volunteers that engage with them. Our goal is to create a minimum of 10 Good Neighbor Teams (4-5 people each) through our partnership with World Relief that will commit to building genuine, long-term friendships, helping refugee families orient to American life and create a future here.
We also believe another key element of welcoming refugees is educating our community about their plight and celebrating the diversity that they help create so in January, we’re hosting and event called “From Strangers to Neighbors.” Matt Soerens from World Relief will be there to speak and we’re eager for the ways this will engage and equip others in our community to respond.
Why is partnering with World Relief one of the things you’ve continued to hold onto?
The work of World Relief is more essential than ever before. The gaps between the affluent and the poor continue to widen and World Relief is helping to bridge those gaps. When I see a refugee family of nine living in a two-bedroom apartment and six kids trying to do online school while their parents are working two jobs, I know that we need to come alongside these families to provide support. Without organizations like World Relief, these kids are going to fall further behind, which has long-term consequences for all of us.
What is your vision for the Church in San Diego, and how do you see World Relief playing a role in that vision?
Our vision is to see God renew San Diego so that even people in the most vulnerable situations can thrive. Our city is not experiencing shalom in the way God intended unless all people are thriving, not just those within our churches. The Church is the vehicle God wants to use to bring renewal and hope to our city. But that means we have to step outside the church and outside our comfort zone to build relationships. In order to do that, we need the right opportunities and the right training. World Relief provides that for us.
We are so grateful for partners like Susie and Hope for San Diego who remind us that when we move together, we can be an irresistible force for good and an agent of lasting change. Help create communities of love and welcome this season by moving with us and giving today.
Rachel Clair serves as a Content Writer at World Relief. With a background in creative writing and children’s ministry, she is passionate about helping people of all ages think creatively and love God with their hearts, souls and minds.
Afghans in Spokane reflect on the situation in Afghanistan
Last week, we sat down with Sayed and Hashemi to hear their perspective on the situation in Afghanistan. Sayed and Hashemi had been friends for years before they each decided to move to the United States. They worked for the same company, contracted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Seven years ago, they came to Spokane on Special Immigrant Visas (SIV). Now, their relatives are trying to follow in their footsteps.
“Even with that government, we didn’t feel safe and we moved here,” Sayed said. “Now you see everything’s changing, and it’s much worse than even we were thinking.”
Nine years ago, Sayed was traveling in a car on a routine trip from Kabul to Ghazni when his vehicle struck another driven by Taliban fighters. Sayed said it was “good fortune” that the Taliban let them go – but he knew he had to leave Afghanistan. He arrived in the U.S. as an SIV a year and a half before Hashemi. With assistance from World Relief Spokane, he resettled in Spokane and has lived here ever since.
Hashemi did not have such a close call with the Taliban, but still felt unsafe in Afghanistan. Not only was he working for the U.S. government, but he and Sayed are also from the Hazaras ethnic group, who predominantly follow Shia Islam and have faced persecution for over a century.
“Many times, repeatedly, they [the Taliban] have mentioned killing Hazara people is allowed,” Hashemi said. “No limitation on it.”
Hashemi had also worked with local media in Afghanistan, so his “picture and name was everywhere.” This, in combination with his Hazara identity and connections to the U.S., made him decide to apply for an SIV. Hashemi came to Spokane with Sayed as a reference, and resettled here through our Resettlement and Placement (R&P) Program.
“Actually, it was not really hard,” he said about the SIV process. “It took just a year for me. But I know some people – they came earlier than me, when we have applied at the same time.”
Watching from Spokane
On August 30, 2021, the U.S. military ended its withdrawal from Afghanistan, finalizing Taliban control over the country. Sayed and Hashemi felt the effects of the takeover immediately. Both of their extended families still live in Afghanistan. Sayed has four sisters-in-law who worked in important academic and government positions in Kabul. Because the Taliban does not allow women to work, they have been forced to stay at home.
“Now, they all have no jobs,” he said. “And look at those four critical jobs, in a country like Afghanistan…it’s been two months. They haven’t received any income.”
Sayed said he tried to help his sister and sisters-in-law, but there are problems on both sides. He has applied for humanitarian parole for his family, but has to wait weeks to months to hear back. In Afghanistan, his relatives have experienced difficulty receiving the money he has sent them.
“They don’t have access to their bank account,” Sayed said. “Because, if you go to the bank, you can only withdraw 10,000 Afghani, which is less than $200.”
Other family members who were part of the Afghan military will not go to the bank at all, for fear of being spotted by the Taliban. Hashemi’s family is in a similar situation. One of his brothers had to leave Afghanistan and his family because he had previously spoken out against the Taliban. Another relative was killed while serving as a commander in the Afghan military.
Hashemi has also tried sending money to his family, but like Sayed, they have had problems with the bank.
“My wife’s niece, she is also a dentist, but now she lost her job,” he said. “And now, she is in Kabul, but not living at her dad’s house. In another part of Kabul. She is alone over there.
“Women, girls, they all lose their jobs. They stay home, like prisoners.”
Hashemi and Sayed agree that the hardships their families are facing are not unique to them. They believe all Afghan families are facing these problems, especially members of minority groups. One of their concerns is that when winter arrives, many families will not have the resources to take care of themselves.
“It’s more than a challenge,” Sayed said. “Especially when winter comes. It’s super cold, freezing, in Kabul, in most of the cities in Afghanistan. So they cannot supply their needs.”
Support from the community
Just before the COVID-19 pandemic began and Spokane went into lockdown, the Afghan Jafaria community, which Sayed and Hashemi are part of, formed a connection with Shadle Park Presbyterian Church, one of our local church partners. They have a good relationship with Steve Lympus, the head pastor at Shadle Park.
“He’s helping us as much as he can,” Sayed said.
He and Hashemi both expressed appreciation for the support they have received from Shadle Park’s community. Hashemi said his American-born friends in Spokane often checked on him and his family.
“We have friends repeatedly asking how we can help you, financially,” he said. “They’re praying for us. A lot of people like that, living in Spokane. Thank you so much, to all Spokane.”
He and Sayed agreed that advocacy was crucial for them. They asked their neighbors in Spokane to address their local representatives and advocate increased support for Afghan allies.
“Physically we’re here, but mentally not,” Sayed said. “The situation affects our job, the quality of our job, the way we live here.
“I would ask people in Spokane to understand Afghans and the Afghan community, including the Jafaria community. Because if they understand, we can live better.”
Justin Li | 10/1/21
Abe Ibrahim Helps Refugees Feel More at Home
Mbanzamihigo “Abe” Ibrahim is helping people feel at home. Born in a Tanzanian refugee camp and resettled in the U.S. at the age of 10, Abe is no stranger to feeling out of place.
A Burundian, Abe remembers his first days in the U.S. when, suddenly, everything from music to food to language was different. But after being welcomed and encouraged by World Relief Quad Cities in Illinois, Abe adapted to his new home while holding onto and celebrating his Burundian heritage. Today, Abe works as a caseworker at WR Quad Cities, helping others feel welcomed and embraced in their new community. Abe is passionate about inclusion, representation and walking alongside people as they rebuild their lives.
Abe shares how his role at WR Quad Cities helps him give back to his community in the video below.
*Update: Since this article was first published in 2021, Abe has moved on from his full-time position at World Relief.
Working for World Relief Quad Cities helped Abe achieve his dream of going to college and pursuing a career as a public speaker. In 2021, Abe was crowned Mr. Burundi America through the Mr. and Miss Burundi America pageant in Quad Cities. He took a year off from school and traveled back to Burundi to visit family, and he also got the chance to speak to local schools, where he distributed school supplies and encouraged kids to keep pursuing their dreams.
“They saw me, face to face, and saw how much is possible,” Abe said.
Today, Abe is back in the Quad Cities working and plans to go back to school and complete his Bachelor’s degree. He remains committed to helping refugees in Quad Cities and stays connected to World Relief, contracting part-time as an interpreter. Abe is grateful for his time as a caseworker, and we’re grateful for him too!
“If I never worked with the World Relief family,” Abe said, “I wouldn’t have developed that mindset to make an impact. It became more influential, see, like ‘hey, I can make a difference.’ …Now, there are certain things I can recognize and communicate, and I only have that knowledge because I was a caseworker. It helped me with my community, and it helped me think bigger.”
People like Abe are changing the world, and you can join them when you apply to work at World Relief! World Relief is growing our team to meet the increased needs of our world, and we’re looking for people like you to join us.
Kelly Hill serves as a Content Writer at World Relief. She previously served as Volunteer Services Manager at World Relief Triad in North Carolina before moving to Salt Lake City. With a background in International and Intercultural Communication, she is passionate about the power of story to connect people of diverse experiences.
Steve Moore, Board Chair, Sees a Bright Future for World Relief
As World Relief prepares to announce our new President and CEO, we thought you might like to learn more about some of the people who are playing a critical role in the transition process. Today, we are sharing an interview we conducted with Steve Moore who chairs World Relief’s Board of Directors. We hope you enjoy getting to know Steve as much as we enjoy having him as a part of our leadership team.
To start off, tell me a little bit about yourself. What would you like people to know about you?
Steve: I joined the World Relief board in 2006. That was at the beginning of a nine-year journey as the president and CEO of a network of mission agencies and other Great Commission-oriented universities, churches and training centers. I knew of World Relief, but didn’t have a real understanding of the scope and breadth of what the organization did, so it’s been a phenomenal experience for me to really get a deeper understanding of the organization and have the chance to interact with some really amazing people.
My passions include leadership development with a real focus on next-generation leaders and then also the great commission. In 2015, I really wanted to get back to my roots of engaging with next-generation leaders, so I stepped away from Missio Nexus, and started a new organization called nexleader. In addition to serving as president of nexleader, I’m also the president of Growing Leaders. My wife is a school teacher and we have four adult children that are scattered around the U.S. and Canada.
As the Board Chair, how would you describe what you do?
The work that the board does falls into four categories. The first is strategic formation. We don’t set the strategy for the organization, but we interact with the leadership team and affirm and provide input to the strategy.
The second is capital allocation. It’s our responsibility to approve the budget and that budget should be shaped and informed by the strategy.
The third is risk management. A part of that strategy conversation and the capital allocation process is discerning what appetite for risk do we have and what are the areas that we need to be paying attention to?
Then the fourth area is executive talent management. It’s our responsibility to hire the senior executives, provide support for them, conduct performance evaluations for them and make the appropriate investments in their talent development journey.
Give me your best elevator pitch for World Relief. What do you love to tell people about this organization?
Steve: This is how I love to explain World Relief to people. I say we are a “here” and “there” organization that is uniquely focused on working through the local church.
What I mean by “here” is the work we do with refugee resettlement and other immigrant-related services. “There” means the work we’re doing in a number of countries that revolve around the other technical programs that we implement through the local church.
I know there’s a lot of other groups who talk sincerely about their connection to the local church, but I think World Relief occupies a space that is very unique.
What has been the best part of your time on the board and what’s been the most challenging?
Steve: I think that the best part for me is the relationships with the other board members and our amazing staff. I have grown to love and respect these smart, godly, wise peers and I absolutely love the opportunity to sit in a room with them.
Every board meeting I am personally enriched and I go away with a new insight, which has really been amazing. On top of that, I have found a deep sense of fulfillment in the fact that, as board members, we get to make decisions and reflect on issues that are part of the amazing work World Relief is doing. I feel a deep sense of gratitude to God for the opportunity when I look at our annual report and I see the millions of people whose lives have been positively influenced by this. I know that we have a tiny little small part of it, but it’s a part of it. That’s incredibly rewarding for me.
In terms of the challenging side of it, clearly, the last four years were among the most difficult. It was bad enough to have the presidential determination number go down so low, but then the impact of that on the organization – having to close offices and lay off staff who were making such profound sacrifices and serving in such meaningful ways – was heart-wrenching.
What would you want to share with donors & churches about World Relief’s direction, strategic direction over the next five to ten years, and how the new President/CEO will impact this?
Steve: I think that we, by God’s grace, have emerged from this desert kind of season and it feels like an oasis has come up in the middle of this desert. At the Board level, the conversation that we’re having now is about scale, impact, and really building on the competencies that we’ve worked so hard to develop both here in the U.S. and in our international work. I’m extremely bullish about the opportunities that I think God is giving us in this next season.
This might not be the most helpful metaphor, but all of the ingredients for a really amazing meal are on the counter in front of us, and we’re about ready to mix those together. The appointment of the next leader is a really critical part of that.
I’m looking forward to the new president and CEO taking the ingredients that are right there, ready to be assembled and make something delicious.
Good things happen in those tough moments and in those dark places. What good things have you seen come out of the last four years, that intense time where it felt like a constant struggle?
Steve: On the board, I’ve been able to be part of a group that is willing to make some really hard choices but do it with a sense that we’re still safe in God’s hands. On top of that, I’ve watched some amazingly gifted, high-capacity World Relief staff members embrace those hard choices and affirm them, even when it meant they were going to have to leave the organization. That was beautiful in its own difficult way. I also feel like I’ve been able to watch a new group of leaders come behind those people and step up and rise to a really challenging set of circumstances. That’s been a really beautiful thing.
In the midst of all that, the combination of those hard choices and the setting aside of self-interest and the willingness of a new group to step up, it forged a level of cohesion and a strengthening of bonds that I think really helped us move into this new season. It’s that really difficult set of experiences that forged us through these fires to a point where we’re able to actually now begin to dream again.
Because we’re doing this interview close to the announcement of the new President/CEO, is there anything that you would like for our donors and partners to know about how that new leader is being set up for success?
Steve: Well, first, I feel like the process that we’ve gone through has been amazing. The commitment to diversity in every step of this process has been phenomenal. We’ve had passionate voices from the very beginning saying we need a diverse group of voices that are a part of this. On top of that, we made a commitment as a board to support this process in prayer. Walter Kim, the President of NAE, and I committed to meeting monthly to pray for the search team, the search process, the new leader and the organization. That has infused a sense of confidence in me that God is guiding us through this journey.
I feel like the next leader is going to be positioned well because we’ve had a really good, thorough process that’s been bathed in prayer.
You were talking about prayer. How would you like people to be praying for the organization during this transition, and even in the years to come?
Steve: Well, Walter and I are not just praying for God’s clear choice for the next leader but for this transition process to be rocket fuel in that person’s tank. I’m not really praying for a honeymoon period for this next leader. I’m really praying for an accelerated momentum kind of season.
We’re also praying for the next leader’s family to be able to make this transition in a way that is grace-filled. We want there to be no distractions to this new leader’s ability to move into this role.
We also are praying that the confirmation in this person’s heart that God has called them to this will be 10 times stronger than the first big crisis that they experience. So when that happens there will be no questions because the clarity of God’s call will be so real that there’s just no possible way they could doubt that. All their energy can be focused on, “Okay, God, I know you put me here. Therefore, I know you’re going to help us navigate this next crisis.”
In addition to that, we’re really praying for favor for that leader with all of the key World Relief stakeholders, the executive team, the office directors in the U.S. and around the world, the whole continuum of private-public funding relationships for favor from God.
Mary Milano serves as the Director of Fundraising Content at World Relief.
Citizenship Classes are Rooted in Community
“I would say for myself personally, I would not have passed this interview prior to studying or teaching this class,” Habie Timbo said, speaking to the challenges her students face in the process to become U.S. citizens.
While most of her time at World Relief Quad Cities is dedicated to her role as a caseworker for the Immigrant Family Resource program, the remainder is spent instructing citizenship classes. Some agencies that work with immigrants and refugees in Illinois do so through organizations like ICIRR (Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights) and are required to host citizenship classes through the New Americans Initiative, or NAI. But for Habie Timbo, teaching citizenship classes goes beyond just fulfilling a requirement – it’s one of her “favorite parts about [her] job.”
Timbo has been teaching citizenship classes since she started at World Relief in 2019, receiving training from the USCIS and a Chicago-based Adult Learning Resource Center. The intricacies of the process were startling at first.
“Citizenship isn’t just a written test, there is a verbal interview to pass . . . students are required to study 100 Civics questions from U.S. history, as well as demonstrate their ability to read, write, and have conversations in English,” she said.
Timbo is no stranger to paperwork and lengthy applications, but the “very long” N-400 application students submit prior to the interview is the “most difficult document she has ever encountered in her life.” Had she not received the appropriate training, Timbo said she would have struggled to complete the N-400 by herself, even with her undergrad in International Studies.
A sense of respect for those ready to take on the challenge is at the root of her determination to help students feel as prepared as possible. In her 7-week citizenship courses, she helps students build the study skills, English skills, and communication skills that are crucial not just to the interview, but to the rest of their lives.
Timbo’s classroom is filled with people from all walks of life. Individual education levels vary across different age groups and cultural backgrounds, and many of the students are parents with children, full-time jobs, or equally important obligations. Each student has their own unique obstacles; sometimes, a little extra empathy is required.
“You have to be very mindful with the places that people are at and be really flexible with your expectations at times. . . sometimes when you see less dedication than you want, it can be difficult, but [it’s important] to just have flexibility and grace,” Timbo said.
Prior to taking the course, one of Timbo’s students had to return to her country of origin due to a death in the family. Her time spent outside of the U.S. resulted in the rejection of her application and interview despite having passed each section – a cautionary tale about understanding immigration laws which led to an unbreakable bond.
“It worked out, but that student worked so hard in my class. I was so proud of her. . . I got to learn so much about her story and her experiences that it’s really impacted me. I built a lifelong friend with a refugee where it’s like, we’re worlds apart, but we’re in the same place, so it’s really awesome,” she continued.
Timbo’s aspiration to put herself in others’ shoes no matter where they’re coming from is a source of hope, encouragement, and positive energy for struggling students. The opportunity to see her them grow and overcome their barriers is its own reward, and the extra effort is something that stays with them as they progress in life.
“The most rewarding part is when students come back later and tell you, ‘I have my citizenship, we’re citizens,’” she said.
Individuals attempting to gain citizenship take on the challenge because they want to feel valued by their community. In helping students realize that everyone is a “lifelong learner,” Timbo also helps them feel less alienated and gain the confidence to “solidify their place in society” once they complete the course.
And the ultimate outcome of those weeks of studying – citizenship – couldn’t be more important. Becoming a citizen grants the right to vote and actively participate in civic engagement.
“It’s really important that we have immigrant populations that are voting for candidates, that are voting on bills, that are voting for the rights of Americans, because we want their voices to be heard, and we don’t want [these] groups to be kind of a silent minority in our community,” she continued.
And those who become citizens often expand their impact by finding other ways to give back. In the past, Timbo’s students have volunteered to teach citizenship classes, and many of them have chosen to continue their educations so they can become guides for future generations of New Americans. It’s a chain of accomplishment and multiplicity.
“This process is not easy. As Americans, we are very privileged to not know what it’s like to have to justify everything about who you are and speak to everything you’ve done. . . it’s hard work, and we definitely should commend and raise up these individuals,” she concluded.
Written by Erica Parrigin
Suad Yusuf is Making Positive Change in West Darfur
Suad Yusuf Ibrahim is a Nutrition Coordinator in West Darfur, Sudan, working with internally displaced people *(IDP) in an IDP camp. When a humanitarian crisis erupted in the great Darfur region in 2004, World Relief Sudan responded to the immediate and long-term needs of vulnerable IDPs and hosting communities. Suad joined the work just a few years later.
With commitment, expertise and passion, Suad helps to implement relief programs in the areas of health and nutrition where severe gaps in the health system exist. Suad took a few moments to share more about her work caring for those in the most vulnerable situations and what positive changes she is seeing in her country. Sit down, grab some tea and meet an incredible woman making an impact in West Darfur.
What is your role at World Relief, and how long have you worked here?
I serve World Relief in the capacity of Nutrition Coordinator for West Darfur State (Sudan), and I have served World Relief in West Darfur for 12.5 years.
Tell us more about your role as Nutrition Coordinator — what do you do and what do you like about your job?
I like my job because it entails attending to the needs of the most vulnerable people in rural settings, particularly children and women. I have witnessed many children and women who would have died due to undernutrition, but they survived because of the life-saving nutrition interventions that World Relief is providing. One thing I really enjoy with my work is seeing children transition from life-threatening severe and moderate acute malnutrition to full recovery.
What improvements have you seen as a result of World Relief’s work in your area?
A few years ago (almost a decade), there was no education, especially for girls and women. Girls were not offered opportunities to go to school. They could only engage in farming, nomadic pastoralism and early marriages. People were very resistant to change in this area. But today, children are going to school and most girls are now graduating and taking up high-level jobs. Most families now want children, particularly girls to go to school.
Another change I’ve seen is the way different community groups interact with each other. Before, the community was very rigid and closed. For example members from other communities including those from the capital, Khartoum, were not allowed to intermingle with community members in West Darfur. Thankfully, this has changed over the years and many people from other communities are now working here in West Darfur. The community is now more cosmopolitan as compared to the way it was a few years back.
What other changes do you hope to see happen in the community in the coming years?
I foresee a situation whereby the nutrition situation will improve. Already, there has been a noteworthy change in the number of women who are taking nutritional supplements. Likewise, community members are now engaging more and more in farming, which is an effective approach to preventing malnutrition.
The causes of malnutrition are multi-faceted and there is more we need to do. Generally, though, the malnutrition situation is showing positive trends. For instance, in the past, if a household had five children, at least two or three would be enrolled in the feeding program. This number has improved over the years, and many families now do not have malnourished children.
When you are not working, what else do you like to do?
Mostly I take care of domestic issues. I am a mother of 4 children so I spend most of my time after work taking care of them.
If someone were coming to visit you from another country, what are the top things you would take them to see?
I would take them to see the traditional dressing for women and men, and I’d want them to see the farmland during the rainy season, particularly in the Jebel area.
*Internally displaced persons are women, men, children, entire families, who have fled their homes and traveled to another region within their country. An IDP camp is where these displaced people have temporarily settled until it is safe for them to return home. Many of these people have fled because of violence in their home village. World Relief provides services within these IDP camps to sustain a basic quality of life for residents.
Dana North serves as the Marketing Manager at World Relief. With a background in graphic design and advertising and experiences in community development and transformation, Dana seeks to use the power of words and action to help create a better world. Dana is especially passionate about seeking justice for women and girls around the world.
Get to Know Our Staff: DR Congo
Liliane Maombi is a passionate leader with 17 years of experience working in the sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) health field in the Goma region of DR Congo. She holds degrees in nursing and reproductive health with a specialization in midwifery, and she cares deeply about coming alongside women as they heal.
Today, Liliane serves as World Relief DR Congo’s SGBV/HIV Officer. She joined World Relief in February 2021 and leads the team in fighting against gender-based violence and the prevention of HIV/AIDS. She approaches her work with creativity, leading awareness workshops, forming youth clubs, creating flyers and collaborating with local authorities and other NGOs to decrease gender-based violence and prevent HIV/AIDs. She cares deeply about the women she works with and feels it is God’s call on her life to come alongside them with compassion and mercy.
Though her work keeps her busy, Liliane took a few moments out of her day to share a bit of her personal story and about her work at World Relief.
We are grateful for Liliane and the rest of our team in DR Congo. We invite you to pray for them as they lead and serve others in vulnerable situations. On Sunday, May 22, 2021 Mount Nyiragongo, a volcano, erupted just six miles from the city of Goma where World Relief DR Congo has an office. The lava flow affected 297,016 people including two World Relief Staff who lost their homes. Our team is on the ground working to assess the needs of those affected. If you want to join World Relief in responding when and where disasters happen you can join us on The Path, and be a part of a community that is able to give monthly where it’s needed most.
Liliane Maombi started working with World Relief in February 2021. She supervises sexual and gender based violence/HIV programming as the SGBV/HIV Officer in the North Kivu Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is her mission and passion to walk alongside and bring healing to women survivors of SGBV and/or HIV who have been marginalized in their communities. She received her BS degree in Reproductive Health, specializing in midwifery, from the Higher Institute of Medical Training of Goma in 2019. She also has received several degrees in the field of Nursing. Liliane has acted as an emergency health professional in the Goma area since 2003 for numerous international non-profit organizations, including CARE International, Save the Children, and the International Rescue Committee.
Get to Know Our Staff: Haiti
In 2021, we’re giving you the inside scoop on the work World Relief is doing in communities around the world through a new series called, Get to Know Our Staff.
Today, we’re excited to introduce you to Esther Pyram, World Relief Haiti’s Integral Mission and Church Empowerment Zone Manager. Esther is a writer, a wife, a sister and a friend. Her prayerful spirit and joyful work ethic are contagious, and today she’s sharing more about her role at World Relief and the transformation she’s personally experienced while leading alongside others in Haiti.
What is your name?
My name is Esther Phtama Pyram Louissaint, a Christian believer. I am a wife, a sister, a friend and a beloved daughter.
What is your role at World Relief?
I have been with World Relief since February 2016. I joined as a field coordinator. Currently, I work as the Integral Mission and Church Empowerment Zone Manager.
What is your favorite thing about your job?
There is nothing more exciting than doing what you know you were called to do. It is a complete joy to serve, to participate in this holistic transformation we are looking for in our community. Therefore, in the past five years, I have always considered myself a servitor rather than an employee.
Can you share some stories that excite you?
I had the privilege of witnessing churches’ growth and seeing them proudly standing up for the most vulnerable. I saw children going to school for the first time in communities where there was no school before and where State Institutions are absent. I have observed church leaders contributing generously and with inexplicable joy to organize community weddings regardless of religious or denominational backgrounds. I saw widows’ homes restored, gardens planted, and crops at their feet to face the new season. I have seen life blooming, and hope being restored for many brothers and sisters.
Yet, the most wonderful part of it all is to witness my own transformation through this process. I have become stronger, more confident, empowered and impacted. I am working with more tact, joy, love and a constant quest for excellence in all areas of my life.
How have you grown in this role?
My relationships with God, with myself, with my family and others have been transformed beyond belief. Areas of my life which I struggled with in the past have been restored, including my finances, my ministries and my dreams.
My increased mental strength allows me to face nasty critics with steadiness and an unwavering attitude. Such critics can no longer put me down. In short, I know who I am: a loved, gifted and blessed girl, and all the assets in the world cannot compensate for such newly built confidence in myself and in Our Loving Father.
What are your hopes for the communities where you live and work?
Like World Relief, I want to see local churches empowered to serve the most vulnerable. I diligently pray, and I long to see women in our communities, and especially those in our local churches, rise to their talents, gifts and abilities so they may answer their divine call and enter their destiny.
I want to see our youth plan their future with more hope, certainty and dignity. I want to see my community rise and move forward on the road to progress, success and development. I want to see families becoming stronger by the days and despite the challenges. I long to see respectable citizens taking the lead in their communities in this new generation. In short, I want to continue witnessing blooming life and daily revival of hope for all.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
I work with a wonderful, competent, and dynamic team under the supervision of Athanase Ndayisaba (World Relief Haiti Country Director). In my spare time I read, sing, pray and write beautiful novels that one day may be published. I inspire others to stay motivated and confident.
It was a pleasure to share a little of me with you.
Do you want to create holistic transformation in communities around the globe? World Relief is growing our team to meet the increased needs of our world, and we’re looking for people like you to join us.
Rachel Clair serves as a Content Writer at World Relief. With a background in creative writing and children’s ministry, she is passionate about helping people of all ages think creatively and love God with their hearts, souls and minds.