Success Stories

“Before I came to this course, I was a worker. After I graduated, I became an employer, and I feel proud of what I have accomplished.” – Yasser, Graduate, Anbar Vocational Training Centre  Unemployment is a major concern in Iraq due to the country’s complex economic, social, security, and political situation. Youth and women face disproportionately…

Sultan Jaber can tell you a lot about hope. An Iraqi born in Kuwait, Sultan moved to the Basra Province of Iraq in 1991, which you will remember, was a time of war and massive upheaval. He returned, as he says, “to my roots” with hope and a determination to help Iraq rebuild. Today, after…

Increasingly, education systems are challenged to deliver education services in adverse contexts such as natural disasters, political crises, health epidemics, pervasive violence, and armed conflict. The year 2020 was no exception, as health systems around the world struggled to cope with the lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Kenya, the first COVID-19 case was…

Every year in August and September, members from the WUSC community across the country prepare to welcome a new cohort of refugee youth to Canada. Through our various sponsorship programs, these youth are given the opportunity to continue their studies at Canadian universities, colleges, and CEGEPs, and now expanded to Canadian workplaces.  In total, WUSC…

Unusual, challenging, and isolating are all words that can be used to describe the 2020-2021 academic school year. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the lives of people around the world, particularly students. Universities, colleges, and CEGEPs across Canada and around the world have shifted to online learning. Resilience is another word that comes to…

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…