In March, 2023, CRS lost one of its most talented, loved staff members with the passing of Rebecca Hiemstra. Rebecca is beloved across the world by so many with who she built life-changing friendships, professional collaborations, and made an unforgettable impact with her commitment, humor, intelligence and passion. She had dedicated her life and career to supporting the needs of others, and doing so in a spirit of solidarity, partnership and friendship.
After three decades of war destroyed Afghanistan's education system, resulting in the country being among the world's lowest for student attendance and literacy - especially amongst girls and women - Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is supporting efforts to ensure that all children, especially girls, have access to education. Since most Afghan families live in remote villages, where the nearest schools can be up to 12 miles away and unreachable by foot, CRS and its partners have launched community-based schools in rural areas. The opportunity for an education close to home dramatically increases enrollment rates, particularly for girls. CRS' education program offers a fully sustainable model of learning that leads to the integration of community-based classrooms into the country's formal education system. Since CRS began supporting community education in Afghanistan in 2006, it has served more than 50,000 students, and witnessed a transformation of the education system in rural areas, particularly among girls. With your support, and in Rebecca's honor, CRS will continue to deliver education, care and assistance for 3,791 of the most underserved girls and boys in rural Afghanistan.
Rebecca first came to CAMME, the Center to Support Marginalized and Exploited Youth, in early 2016. CAMME operates Youth Inspirations Academy, a bilingual French/English preschool and primary school enrolling more than 1,500 children - and growing every year. She built on her work in Rwanda leading summer camps for young girls, helping hundreds of Congolese children learn, grow and have a summer vacation for the first time. She stayed for months before and after, returning in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Even after she moved to Afghanistan, she did not forget, forging connections and runnign marathons on CAMME's behalf. Her fundraising built classrooms at Youth Inspirations Academy, her connections led to more people supporting our work, and her love and dedication for her adopted Congolese friends and family were unparalleled. In North Kivu, the Democratic Republic of Congo's most volatile province, CAMME supports thousands of children who have been affected by compounding crises in the region. In response, CAMME is providing formal education, vocational training, and a wide variety of social services, recreational activities, and micro business development supporting the most affected areas of North Kivu. Through its work and your support, CAMME helps Congo's children create a future free of exploitation, maximize their potential, and empower themselves.
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