Dear RJ,

Strong. Resilient. Compassionate. These words only begin to describe the hundreds of thousands of incredible women we have worked with in our programs around the world.

This Friday is International Women’s Day, so we want to take a moment to highlight just a few of these amazing women, many of whom have overcome unimaginable hardships:

María

When María Sánchez was a child, she and her parents fled Colombia, where they were among the many innocent civilians who were victims of the country’s armed conflict. When she and her family reached Panama, they settled in the Darién, where her father opened an agricultural business and started to make plans for their future.

“When my parents came to Panama as refugees, they had to take a similar route to what people are taking through the jungle today — they had no other choice,” María says, who now works with HIAS Panamá. “I see the reflection of my parents in the people that I’m supporting here in the Darién. It makes me think about everything they had to go through.”

See how María is helping refugees today >>

Antonina

On February 25, 2022, Antonina Prokidyanchik was evacuated from Kramatorsk, Ukraine, which was under fire from Russian aircraft and guns. She left behind everything — and nearly everyone — including her two brothers, who would soon be fighting in the war.

As Antonina struggled with the trauma of her escape, she lost her will to live. She couldn’t eat or drink. Then, Antonina’s daughter told her mother about HIAS’ psychological counseling.

Read more about how Antonia is healing her trauma >>

Evelin*

Evelin*, a 35-year-old transgender woman from Honduras, is a participant in HIAS Mexico’s programs. She was a sex worker in her home country and suffered constant physical and psychological abuse from her clients and others in her community for being trans.

“I originally moved with the hope of building a new life,” Evelin said. “I began working in sales and opened up my own small business selling food items and repairing clothes. But one day, my friend was murdered, and shortly after, I endured my own attempted murder… That’s why I needed to move again to find safety. There’s so much hate and discrimination against the LGBTQ community.”

Hear more about how Evelin has been getting the support she needs through HIAS Mexico >>

While these are just three stories of the remarkable, resilient women that HIAS serves every day, supporters like you help us make a difference for hundreds of thousands of women each year, all with their own unique stories worth telling.

Without your support, we wouldn’t be able to help amazing, resilient people like this. Thank you for standing with us — and with them — all year.

Beth Oppenheim
Chief Advancement Officer

*Evelin’s name has been changed to protect her identity