Success Stories

Many of our international partners have been particularly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is especially true in Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Sri Lanka and Vietnam where WUSC had planned to mobilize more than 200 volunteers this year to support partners in their efforts toward the creation of more resilient and inclusive economies. With office closures and…

 By Alyssa McDonald, WAGES Communications Advisor Volunteer, Ghana Businesses all over the world have felt the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic – and Ghana is no exception. To stop the initial spread of the virus, government-mandated lockdowns were put in place, borders were closed, markets were shut down, and Ghanaian businesses and livelihoods were affected.…

Like it did in many countries, the COVID-19 virus spread quickly in Burkina Faso. The first case was reported in early March and by the end of May, nine out of thirteen regions of the country had been infected. With parts of the country already facing insecurity, COVID-19 presents serious additional and growing challenges for people, particularly those that…

How successful referendums across Canadian campuses are creating opportunities for young refugees to access post-secondary education

In response to COVID-19, the Government of Kenya, much like other governments around the world, initiated lockdowns of businesses and schools and implemented curfews to help curb transmission. Despite these measures, in just a few weeks, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Kenya almost doubled, bringing the total at the time of writing to…

All of Gabriel Ndayishimiye’s hard work over the past few years has recently paid off. This summer, he graduates with a B.A. Honours degree in globalization studies from Huron University in London, Ontario. Originally from Rwanda, Gabriel came to Canada in 2016 through the Student Refugee Program. He will be attending Columbia University in September…

Risk to Girls’ education and safety during COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about widespread lockdowns and school closures around the world, including in Kenya, where more than 2,000 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed.  In a country where 1.2 million primary-school-age children were already out of school before the crisis hit, these closures have…

Samya Al-Qudah, a recent graduate of the WUSC-supported Healthcare Support Worker program, tells us how proud she was when she helped her friend, who had been in critical condition, walk again. Samya is an example of the high return on investment in women’s education in Jordan. “I am proud of myself,” Samya says. “There is…

The story of Sondas Bashiri Each day, Sondas Bashiri looks forward to attending the Vocational Training Corporation (VTC) in her hometown of Irbid, Jordan. Here, she is enrolled in the Medical Office Assistant (MOA) program. Upon graduating from the program, she wants to work in medical administration. Prior to enrolling in this program, Sondas worked…

Tourism is an important economic driver in Vietnam, one that currently employs close to two million workers and contributes 10% to national GDP. With the right skill set, workers in the tourism sector have the potential to earn wages that are double the national average. Unfortunately, the vast majority of young graduates are underqualified and…