Who We Serve

Hamidullah and Jimmy: Stories from the Field

In times of crisis, forced to flee all they know just to save themselves and their families, people can lose so much. The first step in rebuilding is having a roof over one’s head and a chance to rest in safety. But a home is more than just a building—it is hope that life will go on after tragedy. We take you to Bangladesh and Uganda where refugees are finding a community.

Driving Mission Agility: Stories of Recovery

Responding immediately and effectively to emergencies like the typhoons that struck the Philippines in 2020 is central to the CRS mission. It is private donors who drive mission agility. While CRS carefully stewards all gifts, the flexibility of unrestricted support allows us to innovate, leverage and partner in ways that maximize efficiency and impact.

A New Generation of Leaders

Nidelson Murga is a 21-year-old father of two. He had been out of work for more than five months when his grandmother introduced him to CRS. Nidelson enrolled in YouthBuild, a CRS workforce development program that prepared him for both the job market and life broadly.

Strengthening Families: Brian’s Story

Brian Njoroge is an active 4-year-old boy. But when his mother first brought him to a health center at age one, he was listless. He was malnourished and suffering from an undiagnosed developmental delay. But thanks to a dedicated group of religious sisters trained through a CRS project, Brian’s parents got him the help he needed and he is thriving.

Transforming Lives Through Sustainable Agriculture

Farmers in Central America are learning to manage their water supplies by capturing rainwater and using natural barriers to prevent runoff and erosion. Andrés Velasquez Bravo has been a farmer for 20 years, but has never before seen such healthy crops and high profits. Andrés is also teaching his neighbors to adopt the agricultural practices that have brought him increased yields, decreased costs and safer conditions.

Driving Mission Agility: Girli’s Story

Girli Ascalona lost everything when Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines in 2013. Five years later she and her children still lived in the dangerous ruins of her community. The TV cameras left, but CRS stayed. Driving our mission forward, CRS built a new community for those still suffering in the wake of Haiyan. Girli’s family was one of the first to move in.

Strengthening Families: Reyna’s Story

Reyna’s mother faced an unthinkable choice: work to feed her children or stay home to make sure they were cared for. When she made the desperate decision to work, Reyna was taken away by the courts. But there is no substitute for the love of a family. CRS helped Reyna reunite with her mother and then provided the support they needed to remain together for good.

Building Homes and Futures: Annet’s Story

With her baby sister on her back, Annet Konga fled a violent civil war in South Sudan. She led her three siblings to safety in Uganda, where they took shelter in a tent in Bidi Bidi refugee camp—exposed to the elements and with no guarantee of safety. CRS built Annet a permanent home, with running water and locking doors. Securely housed, they can finally begin to heal and rebuild, together.

Transforming Livelihoods Across Generations: Félicité’s Story

Félicité Raminosoa is a farmer in Southeast Madagascar cultivating more than high value vanilla. She is teaching a new generation to protect their endangered rainforest home while making a living and building on the legacy of her father.

Empowering Young People: Bayron’s Story

Bayron Alejandro Cazún Castro grew up farming in the traditional way. He thought it was a dead-end life. Until he learned water-smart agricultural techniques with CRS. Now, he works with young farmers, helping them grow healthy crops and preserve valuable natural resources in the community where they live.