Partners Relief & Development Blog

The latest stories, images and films from the places we're working to see children affected by conflict and oppression experience free, full lives.

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Field Notes: Karen State, Myanmar

One of the things we remind each other of at Partners is that this work is not safe, but it is good. The heartbeat of our work, our ability to go further and faster to the frontlines where war is threatening the lives of kids, is often because of our amazing staff. 

Many of them were once also children growing up in the middle of war. These are their homes, their families, and their communities. Their belief that children deserve free and full lives takes them into the danger. 

As our team members travel to our project sites, delivering supplies, meeting with the community and its leaders, sitting in family homes, holding little ones and listening to what they are going through, they move with a love that can be felt. We can’t all travel with them, but we want you to have a window into what it's like to be on the ground in the hard-to-reach places. 

Hence, Field Notes, a series that will take you into excerpts of our team members' trip reports. A glimpse into some of the big and little moments of love in action that happen along the way, that you are fueling in the here and now. 

We’re starting in Karen State, Myanmar, with Partners’ Southeast Asia Health Department Manager as she travels across the state to visit the Karen Clinics and Village Health Workers that you support. 

Before the trip, our team outlines its purpose and the trip risks:

Purpose of the trip

To support the Village Health Workers’ (VHWs) activities and treat scabies.

To upgrade the VHWs’ knowledge and provide training if the situation allows.

To visit 20 project villages, meeting with the families and children to check on how they are doing.

To visit the Karen clinics and leaders to improve the collaboration for health care in the community.

To show love and care by providing health care and treatment along the way.

Risk 

Death or injury from aerial bombing or fighting 

Sickness or physical injury from the bad road and weather 

More cost and not enough finance 

The training or trip plan fails due to fighting in the local area during the visit. 

*Some days and notes are omitted for security and length reasons. 

Day 3: We start travelling again after breakfast, about 8:00 am, and arrive at noon at a village in Karen State

We visited the township clinic and spoke with the staff. After that, we left for Eden Farm, Partners’ headquarters in Karen State, the final destination of that day, and arrived at 5:30 pm. Staff members (omitted for safety) and some VHWs were unpacking the medicine boxes and preparing for each village group.

Day 4: We started the VHW training at 8:00 am. Twelve VHWs joined the training. We started teaching about the diseases that can be caused by unhealthy food and snacks. Then I taught about the NEWSTART 8 habits of healthy living. After that, we gave UV long-sleeved tops to the VHWs and took a group photo. After lunch, we taught the stretching exercises for those who sit for long periods. Then, we reviewed vitamins and drug use and taught stretching exercises for labour workers. We ended the training at about 4:00 pm. 

Day 5: We were invited to give a speech at the chapel of a Junior College. The students were happy. They were allowed to ask questions and confide any health problems. After the meeting, some brave students told us about their dreams and asked for advice.  We saw some students had itchy skin problems, and one of the female students had skin allergies. We asked the teacher to accept medicine from us.

After that, a VHW took us to a family who recently had a small baby. We also saw a lady with arthritis and gave her health advice. She lost her niece (she was shot dead while running away from the Myanmar Army) a day ago in a plain area.

We then spent the evening with the village youth group. The youth enjoyed their time together at the riverside, catching fish and eating. 

Note: The students are studying in the jungle. We could see their courage in their faces. Still, 90% of the villagers are living in the farmhouse or outside the village, including our VHW family, to avoid the airplane’s bombing.

Day 6: We visited a couple of clinics, and we talked about the clinic’s activities and left some epilepsy medicines for the clinic to treat the patients. We also met with a VHW who could not attend the training because she has a 5-month-old baby boy and her husband is building a new house. We chatted for a while and took some photos with the family before we left. We came across youth singing at a church. We had dinner and spent the night in the village. 

Note: There are bunkers near the house, and the family sleeps in a tent beside it. (We noticed every house has its own bunkers; some are well built, covering the top with big logs. Because this village is also a target village for the Myanmar Military.) Some families move to their relatives on the Thai Side.

Day 7:

We passed through a village (that was empty), houses, the church, and the village schools. We also passed a burnt house before we arrived at the temporary school by a small river. After we passed the bamboo bridge, we arrived at the VHW’s shelter. There are about 8 houses there. We visited them and spent the whole afternoon talking with the families. They shared their experience of airplane bombing and told the story of four brothers who were hit by bombs. It made me tear up and have no words. She (the VHW) has trauma of war because she lost her husband 6 years ago and experienced an airplane attack in their village. Whenever she hears an approaching airplane, she runs restlessly without acknowledging where she is heading until she becomes out of breath.

Note: The villager shelter place was bombed by an airplane a month ago, and one child died, and three of his brothers were injured. They are still at the clinic, and one of the boys had his legs amputated; the others have severe injuries. We saw the houses in the village were abandoned and ruined. The big village with a middle school is quiet like a ghost town.

Day 8:

We packed and carried all our things for a long trip to visit a village and a family with 4 girls with disabilities. We gave financial support, found out more about their health problems, and helped to connect them with the health clinic. 

We then visited a VHW who gave her job to her daughter. A staff member (ommitted for safety) taught her how to record the medicines and about the new drug uses for scabies and anti-itching medicines. We also visited the village clinic, which is a 15-minute walk from the village, near the stream, and had a bath and took dinner there. We checked the medicines there and spoke with the new clinic staff. 

After dinner, we visited another shelter group, which is a 20-minute walk from the clinic. We visited 5 houses and their families. The children are excited to see us. Then, we come back to the village and spend a night at the VHW house.

Day 9: Before we left the villages, we talked with some villagers, visited the previous VHW, and took a photo with them. Then continue to visit more villages by motorbike for about 1 hour. The VHW is 8 months pregnant with her first child. Then we visited a family with a 2-month-old baby who was likely not feeling well from oral or throat pain. We talked to the mother and encouraged her to take the vitamin tablets.  The other children have itchy skin, but it is not severe. Then, we traveled to another village and prepared to do the training the next day.

Day 10:

We started the training at 8:30 am. A total of 18 VHWs participated. We taught about nutritional information, explained the chemical (preservative) effects, advised on how to choose healthy options, and encouraged eating natural, homemade snacks. Then, the lessons continued with stretching exercises and instructions for the new drug. After the training, they divided the medicines and packed them for their own village.

Day 11:

We travelled to another village. The VHWs took us to see a family with twin boys. The mother is suffering from cold feet and abnormal menstruation. She already received treatment from Kler Mu Clinic and has follow-up appointments. The VHW took us from house to house for scabies treatment. There are many families with scabies. We saw some children with other health problems. We spent a night there.

Day 13: 

We travelled to another village. The people are waiting to get the scabies treatment. We supervised the VHW distributing the medicines, and all the families from the village came and received the treatment. We could not give it to pregnant women, so we gave the family extra medicine for the second time to take in case they still had scabies after she delivered. We carefully divided tablets for the small children and supervised treatment.

After that, we continued to the next village. We could not meet the villagers within the village. They are all staying scattered, avoiding the bombing. We met an old man in front of his house, suffering from back pain from falling from a bamboo tree. Just before his fall, his youngest son stepped on the land mines not far from the village while he was searching for his lost buffalo. We talked for a while and gave him some medicines to relieve the pain. We were meeting the villagers at their hiding place and talking with them, treating scabies in adults and children.

Day 14: 

We visited two villages.The first village has 16 houses and has a primary school. We saw an anaemic mother with her 5 kids who wants to get contraception, but the nearest clinic is a day’s walk away. We explained her that she can get the contraceptive injection from the VHW soon. The village has no toilet yet. They request toilet seats for every house. Then, we went to the next village, which has 12 households and a VHW. They were very happy to meet us, and some old women visited us at night and told us their stories about running from the Myanmar Army. There are many kids with scabies, and we gave anti-scabies medicine to every family. This village also requested toilet seats and water pipes.

Day 15: 

We walked for about 2 hours to the next village with the VHWs’ manager. We arrived at the first section of the village, which has 7 houses. Many children and adults got infected with scabies. So, we took time to give them medicines and explained that they need to take them again as a second dose after one week. 

Then, we continued for another 40 minutes to reach the second section of the village where a VHW lives.  We rested for a while at her house and then visited house to house in the evening, giving anti-scabies drugs and other medicines. We met with the family of a boy with a congenital heart defect, for whom we helped with the referral and transportation last year. He had a heart operation in Thailand and now has a stronger heart and is healthier.

Day 17: Once we arrived at the VHW house, we ate sticky rice and a banana snack and spent time with the family, asking about the situation. The village is in the risk zone, and some families with little kids have moved to a safer place. Most of the villagers have been living here for a long time already and do not want to leave their place. Their children received middle and high school level education and (now) serve in the communities as teachers and village health workers.

Day 18:

The next day, we visited a clinic compound. It was quiet; we did not see many staff or patients because they had moved to another safer area, up the hill, where there are more trees. We visited an IPD (in-patient department/ the place where they keep patients overnight) to see a landmine-injured boy from one of our visited villages. We talked with his mother and other patients’ caregivers, too.

Day 19:

At 6:00 am, we began the long journey home. We sat in the back of the car. The road is too rough and bumpy. We got home at 4 pm. 

After the trip, our team members outline what went well and what they learned on the way that will help guide the direction of the project:

Monitoring and Evaluation:

There is a need for more scabies medicines. These are not easily bought in Thailand at a fair price.

There are improvements in the community, such as better toilet use and hygiene practices, and we are seeing more healthy babies.

Toilet seats, mosquito nets, and water pipes were requested. Even in this unstable situation, these are also basic needs.

Some villages are in the target zone and have been attacked more frequently than other villages. Some lost their families and friends.

Clinics are far, and transportation is extremely expensive for the villagers.

What went well? 

We successfully provided training to 30 VHWs and visited 4 VHWs who could not attend the training.

We treated scabies in approximately 700 people, including 500 children.

This is Field Notes. These are the moments of love in action that wouldn’t be possible without you. Thank you for staying with them and with us, as long as it takes. 

If this is the kind of peacebuilding and risk-taking in the name of love that you want to be a part of, join us. Summer is a challenging time for nonprofits, but wars don’t take a break. Right now, a dear friend is providing a 50% match, so every $2 you give becomes $3.

You can multiply your gift here.  

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Donations Dip, Temperatures Rise: Why We’re Partying with a Purpose This Summer

Ah, summer. The season of sticky, popsicle-stained fingers, arguing over who left the patio door open, and pretending you understand the rules of pickleball. It’s the time of year when our schedules loosen up, our out-of-office replies go live, and, historically for nonprofits, charitable gifts take a bit of a dip.

We get it. Everyone is on vacation mode.

But here’s the harsh truth: conflict doesn’t take a summer break.

While we are adjusting our air conditioning or seeking out the shade, families displaced by war are facing entirely different summer conditions. In Southeast Asia, the arrival of summer means the onset of the brutal monsoon season. Heavy torrential rains turn dirt roads into impassable mud rivers and destroy fragile shelters in refugee camps or temporary hide sites.

Across the Middle East, the summer brings blistering, suffocating heat waves. For refugees living in tents that quickly become pressure cookers in the sun, there is no AC, very little shade, and clean water becomes scarce precisely when it’s needed most. For families across war zones, adding harsh weather on top of their daily fight for survival can quickly become life-threatening. 

The kids growing up in these war zones deserve free, full lives. And they need our love in action just as much in July as they do in December.

The good news? You can enjoy your summer and change lives at the same time. We’re launching our Summer Love campaign, and we want you to host an event to help bridge the gap. Plus, thanks to a generous friend of Partners, every dollar you raise this summer will be matched up to $100,000! That means your backyard hangout just got a 50% impact upgrade.

Need some inspiration? Here are a few ways you can turn your summer fun into a force for good:

1. The Classics (with a Twist)

The Neighborhood Lemonade Stand: It’s a classic for a reason. Dust off the folding table, let the kids practice their entrepreneurial skills, and get your neighborhood hydrated. It’s one of the easiest ways to teach your little ones about putting love into action.

The Backyard Grill-Out: Invite your friends over for burgers, hot dogs, or whatever you like to char over an open flame. The catch? Ask your friends to "buy" their plate by donating what they would have spent on a meal out at a restaurant to your Partners fundraiser.

2. Host a Movie Night (Indoors or Under the Stars)

String up a sheet in the backyard, grab a projector (or just gather around the living room TV), and host a movie night with a purpose. To help guide the evening, we’ve put together a document with thought-provoking questions and recommended movies that shed light on the displacement crisis, including:

The Swimmers (2022) – The incredible true story of two Syrian sisters who flee their war-torn home and swim for their lives before competing in the Rio Olympics.

Salam Neighbor (2015) – An immersive documentary that takes you inside a Syrian refugee camp to meet the resilient individuals living there.

3. A Little Friendly Competition

Volleyball or Pickleball Tournament: Gather your friends for some sunshine, trash talk, and friendly competition. Secure a local court or park, organize a bracket, and have each team’s registration fee go directly toward supporting kids in war zones.

Adults Night In: Not feeling athletic? Host a Wine Tasting evening or an elaborate DIY Ice Cream Bar. Charge an entry fee at the door and toast to doing good.

4. Share Your Why

You don’t even have to leave your couch to kickstart this campaign. One of the most powerful things you can do is simply use your voice.

Post the Graphic: Head over to our campaign page, grab our social media graphic that says, “I believe that every child deserves a free and full life,” and post it to your feed.

Record a Video: Take a quick 30-second video of yourself explaining the why behind your drive to support kids growing up in war zones.

Tag Us: Post it, tag @partnersrelief, and invite your friends to join the movement.

Let’s Do This!

Whatever you choose to do, whether it's selling lemonade, smashing a pickleball, or sharing a video, we are here to back you up. We’ve got printable impact posters and a team ready to champion your ideas.

Summer conditions are tough for families in war zones, but our community is tougher. Let's put our love into action.

👉 Head over to our Summer Love page to download resources and submit your Summer Love event today!

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Beyond the Ruins: The Resilience That Defines Lebanon

2026 has been hit with major destabilisation across the Middle East. We watch from afar as borders blur and tensions escalate across nations. From the collapse of the Kurdish territory in Syria to the all-consuming regional war that has affected the globe, the reality is the region has been played as a geopolitical chess game. But beneath the headlines lies a devastating reality. The war in Lebanon, where months of relentless bombing campaigns and clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, has turned neighbourhoods into frontlines. 

Every escalation, every missile, every tactical strike engulfs societies that never asked to be part of the dispute. It does not pause to ask who it consumes. War is unforgiving, it never picks a suitable battleground. It simply arrives, uninvited, on your doorstep. It affects people who want nothing more than to live a free, full life, unburdened by the weight of geopolitics.

Families and children do not choose to be part of a war. It tears through their traditions, uproots their livelihoods, disrupts their peace, and forces them to say an agonising goodbye to the lives they spent generations building.

Lebanon, April 2026

In Lebanon today, one in five people have been forced to flee their homes in the South and the southern suburbs of Beirut. These civilians have been targeted not for what they have done, but simply for where they live. Hezbollah operates freely in these territories, and so, an entire population has been deemed guilty by association. A war waged against an organisation for generations, has consumed the ordinary soul to pay the highest price.

I visited these southern towns recently. Abandoned by the many, stubbornly occupied by the few. Those who remain are wary of any approaching visitors; it could mean a strike, and a strike means an ending. Above, the sky is never truly empty. Jets rip across the sky, hunting for targets, a distant hum of drones fills the rural landscape, a persistent reminder that they are always being watched.

Everyday life has been meticulously dismantled. Bridges lie in ruins, turning the journey of humanitarian aid into a timely and costly mission. Water systems have ground to a halt. Electricity, which was temperamental even in the best of times, has vanished entirely or teases the population for just a couple of hours a day. With GPS scrambled, communications jammed, and the sky heavy with the threat of artillery, survival has become a game of luck.

Lebanon, April 2026

The South is beautiful, with a simplistic narrative, only to be complicated through people wanting division. It is not populated by just one group, it is a tapestry of Christians, Sunnis, Shia, Druze and many other minorities. Today, they are all bound by the same impossible choice: flee and forfeit everything, or stay and ask your neighbours to leave. No one wants to leave their home. To be internally displaced is to watch your dignity, your memories, your possessions, and your livelihood dissolve.

There is a terrifyingly honest saying that has been echoing through Lebanon right now, “if you leave, you will never be able to return”.

Yet, in desperation to protect their multi-faith communities from becoming targets, many Shia families chose to uproot themselves and head North to Beirut. I spoke with a local city council member in the South, his voice heavy with the weight of an unnatural parting.

“We are a mixed religious town. We have no differences over here between Christians and Muslims. In 2024, we received our brothers that are refugees from Khiam, Kfarkela, and Dabbine. They lived here with us. But unfortunately, we received a call that they had to leave. We had to do so, even though they are our friends, they are our families, they are our brothers. Every day we see them, we were shocked with the call that they had to leave immediately. It’s very hard to tell them, to pack their clothes and go away. We are neighbours. We’re very sad for what has happened, they are just civilians like us.” 

Lebanon, April 2026

Even after the Shia families fled to protect their neighbours, the strikes did not stop. The towns were still attacked. Civilians here are at a breaking point, the psychological warfare of constant jets, humming drones, and the looming terror of a ground invasion has slowly chipped away at their mental health.

Intensifying this is the "yellow line", a newly enforced buffer zone that has effectively sliced through the heart of rural life. This line doesn't care about ancestral borders. It cuts directly through family farms and communities. To step near it is a death sentence. For a population comprised largely of farmers, their livelihoods have been erased.

Lebanon relief distribution, April 2026

In some areas they are now entirely dependent on aid, desperate for a shred of stability. Yet, even dignity is hard to grasp when war interferes. I heard stories of food aid from large international organizations arriving spoiled, riddled with mold and maggots, simply because it took too long for authorisation to cross into the conflict zones.

“There is nothing left for us here,” a newly ordained priest told me, his eyes reflecting the bleak uncertainty of his community.

In this conflict, hope is difficult to carry.

I spoke to a pregnant woman who had fled to Beirut at the start of the war. Finding the city too expensive and lacking a place to stay, she chose the unthinkable. After a week, she returned to her village near the hostile yellow line. Her doctor has since fled the area. She has no access to routine check-ups, her due date is rapidly approaching, and the journey to the nearest functioning hospital is treacherous.

“We have to drive through a heavily targeted area,” she told me, “just for me to have a safe birth.”

Lebanon, April 2026

The crisis sends shockwaves throughout the country, fracturing the future of the next generation. Children who fled to Beirut have been locked out of classrooms since the war began. For many others I met, education has been a distant memory for over a year, closing their doors first by the skirmishes that preceded 2026.

With hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people (IDPs) searching for sanctuary, public spaces have had to adapt into makeshift shelters. Schools, universities, churches, mosques, and even car parks have become temporary homes. But these spaces are overpopulated. Privacy is non-existent. Sanitation is a luxury; bathrooms designed for a few dozen students are now shared by hundreds.

During the winter months, families slept on thin mattresses laid over freezing marble floors with no heating. Without kitchens, they relied entirely on the grace of daily cooked meal deliveries. Under these conditions, sickness spreads. Most displaced families have empty pockets, unable to afford basic medicine or the transport to see a doctor.

I spoke to a volunteer physician treating families inside a converted school shelter.

“During the winter there were many illnesses, some severe like cancer and others with the flu, everyone needs to be checked. Now that the days are getting warmer, we are seeing people with other symptoms. This has been brought on by stress, chronic fatigue and a severe lack of vitamins”. 

Lebanon, April 2026

Anxiety has a tight grip on many people in Lebanon. Walk through any shelter and you will see a sea of faces illuminated by the screen of their smartphones. People are helplessly scrolling, watching news feeds, drone footage, or social media videos to see if the home they left behind still exists. For many, a pixelated video of a collapsing building is the only confirmation they will ever receive. During the ceasefire, some men risked the journey South to salvage what they could. Many found only rubble; others became targets before they could even reach their village.

Even as diplomats debate over peace talks, the skyline slowly reduces to rubble. Medics, journalists, UN peacekeepers, humanitarians and the Lebanese military have all found themselves in the crosshairs. For the average civilian, the dream of returning home is drifting further into myth.

Yet, if you look closely at the rubble of Lebanon, you do not just see destruction. You see an unbroken resilience. Every war, every economic collapse, and every disaster thrown at this country has failed to crush the spirit of its people. Instead, it forces them closer together. Hardship is a language the Lebanese understand all too well, and their response to it is always community.

Lebanon relief distribution, April 2026

In the neighbourhoods surrounding the overcrowded shelters, I watched ordinary citizens, people who are themselves struggling through Lebanon's ongoing financial crisis, show up with donations. Local businesses are doing what they do best, cooking hot meals, packaging food parcels, and donating clothes and bedding. Volunteer doctors and nurses are working around the clock, offering their skills for free. They are holding each other up, determined to ensure that tomorrow might be just a little bit easier than today.

They have not given up on each other. And we cannot afford to give up on them.

At Partners Relief & Development, we believe that solidarity is an action. It is the cooked meals when a family is unable to gather around their kitchen. It is the medicine provided when a doctor is out of reach, it is the financial support for families that cherish dignity when facing the hardest moments of their lives. The families caught in the crossfire in Lebanon are not numbers on a news channel. They are mothers looking for a safe place to give birth, farmers who want to plough their own soil, and children who deserve a future.

Our local partners are on the ground to restore the dignity that war attempts to steal. They are doing their part by sharing the little they have left. Now, it is our turn to stand with them.

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On the Run

Why we're going "On the Run"

One of the things that makes me most proud of the Partners community is how often I witness people responding to the suffering in our world with love and action.  Whether it’s through financial support, service, advocacy, or prayers - I’m so grateful to be among people who are choosing not to look away.  It’s my conviction that even our small acts of love and solidarity are not wasted. 

The 40th Birthday Experiment

Last year, as I approached my 40th birthday, I was inspired by our community to do a small fundraiser run in support of our work with kids and communities in places like Myanmar, Syria, Iraq, Gaza, Bangladesh and more.   As I trained, I would think about our friends who have had to run from explosions, violence, and worse.   What started as a small experiment grew into a few other people joining in their own run and us raising over $5k.  In the grand scheme of things, I know that’s not a ton of money, but it’s not nothing.  Plus, having a fitness goal greatly helped manage my culinary hobbies :)

How far can we go?

This year, we’re hoping to invite even more people to join us for what could be a very meaningful movement that we’re calling “On the Run”.  As we run, walk, hike, or bike - we’ll be moving in solidarity with our siblings around the world caught in conflict- telling their story every step of the way.  There are currently 13 participants a part of the campaign so far, and have raised over $3,300 collectively! A message from a current On The Run participant: "My political worldview expanded in high school and college, when I was exposed to scholarship that helped me understand the structures of violence in our world. At the time, I was motivated to fight for justice and peace in our world through intellectual means, which led me to pursue a doctorate degree. But as I've gotten older, I've had a growing appreciation for where the intellectual meets the practical lived reality of those living through crisis. While reading and staying critically engaged is important, it also matters to supplement that work with direct action that meets the needs of those experiencing the most hardship. I decided to join "On the Run" as a way to put my values into action. By talking to folks about the issues Partners addresses, I'm able to draw on my knowledge to help others understand why our financial support and solidarity are crucial to helping women and children in war zones survive. While this is a small effort, raising awareness through fundraising can be a valuable tool in building support for those in need."  Warmly,  Aneliza

Why "On the Run"?

The name is more than just a play on words; it is a recognition of a heartbreaking reality. Right now, millions of people around the world are "on the run." They aren't running for fitness or for fun—they are fleeing conflict, escaping violence, and searching for the basic safety that every human being deserves.

When a family is forced to leave their home with nothing but what they can carry, they are "on the run" from a world that has, in many ways, turned its back on them.

It is easy to look away from the headlines. The suffering can feel too vast, the war too relentless. But at Partners, we believe love calls us to respond and that all of our collective efforts to bring hope and support matter. 

Turning Movement into Mission

By joining the On the Run peer-to-peer fundraiser, we are choosing to stand in solidarity with those who are displaced. We are using our freedom of movement to provide support for those whose movement is forced.

Whether you’re running a marathon, walking your neighborhood, or simply dedicating your next yoga session to this cause, you are helping provide:

Emergency relief for families in makeshift shelters.

Trauma care for children who have seen things no child should see.

Education and healthcare in areas where war has stripped everything else away.

Join the Movement

Last year was just the beginning. This year, we’re inviting you to take this journey with us and see how far we can go together.

Whether you're celebrating a birthday, a personal goal, or simply want to stand for peace, we invite you to start your own "On the Run" campaign. Just last week, a group of friends banded together to participate in a local 5k walk, raising over $1,380 for On the Run! [Start Your Page Here] Together, we can ensure that while many remain on the run from conflict, they are never running alone.

War is relentless, but so is the light of our love. Let’s see how far that love can go. Chris Scott, Director of Strategic Engagement

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A Legacy of Love: The Story Behind Frontline Fund

'To love is to act' In honor of Tyler Hoover.

Our son Tyler moved to Southeast Asia after college with the goal of helping Myanmar refugees on the Thai border. He ended up serving with a mission-oriented adventure outfitter company that invested in remote communities in Northern Shan state. Tyler quickly grew fond of the people of Myanmar, and this fondness grew into passion. His heart ached for the persecuted Rohingya and for the countless villagers forced to flee into the jungle or become refugees. 

Tyler used his ties with the US to be a voice for those experiencing injustice, particularly those whose voices are ignored or suppressed. As we learned of the Rohingya genocide and asked how to help, Tyler had an immediate answer: give to Partners.  He resonated with the Partners motto, “to love is to act,” and with their swift, daring response to crises around the globe. It was the very way Tyler himself had always lived. 

With Tyler’s endorsement of Partners, our family found great reward in giving to the organization. His brother even organized a volleyball tournament at his college to raise funds. 

One of Tyler’s dreams was to one day work for Partners, a dream that never came to be. After Tyler’s death at only 29 years old, we received many messages from people who knew him from different avenues of his life. Here are a few quotes that provide a glimpse of who he was and why we would like to honor him with a Frontline Fund.

“I think of this quote when I think of Tyler: ‘There are three things important in this life to be kind, to be kind, to be kind.’ Tyler was such a remarkable soul. So talented, so sweet, so fun. He had skills we only wished we had, yet he was attentive to teach them and help others out.” ~ A healthcare worker in Myanmar.

“I shared [the news of Tyler’s death] on our Instagram, and one of our past clients from Singapore posted this: ‘We’ll never forget this legend of a man with the kindest soul, craziest adventures, and the biggest heart.’ I just love that clients from years ago who we only had for a few days were impacted by Tyler like this.” ~ Tyler’s employer in Myanmar.

"Tyler spent so much of his time caring about others, like the time the power went out, and his immediate response was for us to check on his grandma!”~ One of Tyler's friends.

Tyler is greatly loved and deeply missed in our family. With his quick wit and bright spirit, he was always a catalyst for fun and laughter whenever we were together. We pray that, out of our loss, beauty can arise as children are given hope while their world is falling apart. 

Thank you for reading our story and joining us to support Partners! 

The Hoover Family.

Right now, we have a unique opportunity to respond to the growing needs for food, medicine, and shelter in conflict zones from Myanmar to the Middle East. To honor Tyler’s selfless support of communities impacted by conflict, you can make a gift to the Frontline Fund today.

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Tea in a Warzone

Kurdistan Region of Iraq, March 2026

We came expecting urgency.

That is often how our work begins. When conflict escalates, we move closer to the uncertainty and to the displacement, because that is where children and families are most at risk. We are used to seeing how quickly war disrupts life: people fleeing with little notice, schools closing, routines breaking apart.

So when tensions in Iran escalated, we arrived prepared.

Prepared to listen. Prepared to respond. Prepared to understand where support might be needed most.

But what we encountered in northern Iraq, in the Kurdistan Region, challenged our assumptions.

At the border, there were no large crowds in distress. No informal settlements taking shape. No visible signs of families in immediate flight. Instead, there was a steady, calm movement of people crossing in both directions.

We spoke with one family heading into Iran. They were not fleeing. They were returning for a visit. They told us that in Kurdish areas across the border, daily life had not been directly affected. They felt safe enough to go back, even temporarily. Safe enough to continue with what felt familiar. It was not what we expected to hear.

Later, as a drone passed by, no one reacted. There was no visible alarm. People continued their conversations. Movement at the border did not stop. The delivery of destruction to somewhere distant passed by almost unnoticed.

Kurdistan Region of Iraq, March 2026

In quiet conversations, local officials shared what many already understood: responding to such moments is not always possible. The risks are complex, and often, the safest course is to carry on. And so life continues beneath that reality.

There is something difficult to reconcile in moments like these. Not the absence of conflict, but its proximity to everyday life. Families travel. Children play. Daily routines persist. At the same time, the presence of conflict is never far away. For us, this raises important questions.

How do we respond in contexts where needs are not immediately visible, but risks remain?

How do we support communities that appear stable, yet may be a brief moment away from crisis?

Not all crises present themselves in the same way. Sometimes they are loud and visible. Like in Lebanon now, where the crisis is 'worsening every hour'. Other times, they are quieter, unfolding just beyond what can be easily seen.

This day, as with any other, we were offered tea. For a moment, everything felt ordinary. And yet, just overhead, reminders of a wider reality continued to pass by. Unseen by some, unspoken by many, but present all the same.

Kurdistan Region of Iraq, March 2026

It is in these spaces, where normalcy and uncertainty exist side by side, that understanding becomes essential. Because even when a crisis is not immediately visible, it does not mean it is not there. It just looks different.

We hold the life-and-death urgency just beyond our sight. The children forced from their homes in Lebanon in recent days—where our partners are currently delivering food—the millions displaced across Syria and Iraq, and the escalating violence throughout the Middle East.

So we finish our tea, gather our things, and move on with plans to head toward communities where families are already facing the full weight of this war, displaced and living in fear. Those plans are now leading us on to Lebanon. In times as complex as these, we are grateful to those who refuse to look away, who join us in responding with love and immediate action.

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A Reflection from Iraq

Students at our Phoenix Learning Center in Domiz Camp, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The overall situation in the Middle East remains concerning. In Iraq, especially, wars and conflicts have already affected people for many years. Many families are still living in displacement camps and face daily hardships. Continued conflicts in neighboring countries are likely to increase their suffering. Life continues, but people closely follow the news and hope that the situation will improve and that these conflicts will end soon.

Minority communities have been particularly affected. For many years, they have faced marginalization, persecution, and ongoing challenges due to the lack of equality, justice, and security in their homeland. In areas that have experienced genocide and severe violence in the past, many people carry deep anxiety and uncertainty about their future. Many still feel that justice has never been achieved.

Students at our Phoenix Learning Center in Domiz Camp, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Children are also deeply affected by these conflicts and wars. Many schools and educational facilities are currently closed, disrupting education. In addition, many children feel scared after hearing their parents and others talk about the current situation in the Middle East and the uncertainty of the future. Although children are influenced by everything happening around them, only a few openly speak about their fears and concerns.

Life has become increasingly difficult for vulnerable people and ordinary families who already struggle to afford basic needs. Inflation has worsened the situation, as fuel and food prices continue to rise, placing additional pressure on families already facing economic hardship.

In disputed regions (like the Nineveh Plain), where minorities live, there is significant uncertainty about the future. For many years, internal and external actors have been involved in these areas, often focusing more on controlling the region rather than rebuilding it. The presence of several armed groups has created additional tension and security concerns for local communities. In Iraq, there is ongoing tension and conflict between American forces and Iranian-backed militias. These groups have targeted key infrastructure, including Iraqi oil fields, hotels, airports, the U.S. embassy and consulate, and military headquarters. In response, the US forces have conducted airstrikes against pro-Iranian factions located in Mosul and other regions across the country.

Student at our Butterfly Learning Center in Chamishko Camp, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. People living in IDP camps in the Kurdistan region are particularly anxious about the current situation. Many fear drones, stray bullets, and nearby military activities. Recently, a woman in one of the internally displaced person (IDP) camps in the Duhok region was injured by stray bullets when local forces attempted to shoot down a militia drone that was targeting an oil field near the camp. The shooting continued overnight, causing fear among the camp residents and preventing many families from sleeping.

Many internally displaced people have nowhere else to go. Their homelands remain under the control of militant groups, lack basic services, security, safety, reconstruction and weak government administration, which creates further chaos and uncertainty. While living in IDP camps is already extremely difficult, the current security situation has added even more risks to their lives.

Despite these challenges, people still hope that calmer days will come and that communities and nations will eventually be able to live in peace and safety. I pray that safety and security prevail throughout the world and that justice triumphs.

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When Frontlines Meet Home Front

A Reflection & Update from Doug, Partners’ Chief Operations Officer

Syria relief distribution, January 2026 Last year, we shared a video titled "The War Zone Is Our Workplace." This year, those words have felt more true than ever. Across the Middle East, our staff doesn’t just work in conflict zones - they call them home. The danger is deeply personal. Just yesterday, our Iraq and Syria Director shared that an attack hit down the road from her apartment, while another landed near her children's school.

Despite the proximity of the front lines, our team continues to move toward the need.

Only a few days ago, three staff members returned from Myanmar, where they were delivering food and medicine to those displaced by the intense fighting. They were operating near the front lines and in the vicinity of frequent air strikes. In January, I was in Syria, standing alongside our local staff to distribute food and hygiene supplies to newly displaced families. Most of the people we met had already been forced to flee their homes four times. 

Syria relief distribution, January 2026 War has the same impact on families around the world; it takes their homes and their material possessions, but the real damage is deeper. It forces people into a life of constant uncertainty and daily survival. It’s not just a loss of things; it’s a constant, systemic attack on their sense of self. Yet against that pressure, parents and community members act with selfless love on behalf of their families and each other. In Northeast Syria, hundreds of people opened their homes this year to families fleeing conflict. They invited the “stranger” in, sharing their resources and daily lives. Love calls us to respond with them.

Our mission remains clear across all of the areas where we work: Free, full lives for children affected by conflict and oppression. In a world that feels increasingly heavy, we carry hope. We step into the gap where others can’t go.

Syria relief distribution, January 2026 Iran has known oppression for many years, and now the conflict has spread across the whole region. This is why we are currently seeking ways to support those displaced within Iran, while remaining ready to respond to those who are able to make it out or who are displaced by the fighting in the region.

When we provide relief supplies, we are delivering a much larger message: you are seen, you are prayed for, and you are not alone. That is what it means to be a part of the Partners community.

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Disasters within a Disaster: Thousands Displaced in Northeast Syria 

Photo: Children gather at a Partners' distribution of food packs in Northeast Syria.

“This is a disaster…there is the big picture disaster and then the disasters inside every individual family.”

Little disasters within a major disaster. This is how Shervan, Partners Syria Manager, summed up the unfolding humanitarian crisis for Kurds in Northeast Syria. 

Over the last month, clashes between Kurdish-based forces (the SDF) and the Syrian Military put thousands of families in the crossfire. On Saturday, a tenuous ceasefire between the two groups was extended for 15 days. The UN has reported that over 160,000 people have come through Qamishli, but our team on the ground is hearing estimates closer to 320,00 people. The situation is so volatile that any numbers jump and shift nearly daily. 

The surrounding area is under siege. Roads are blocked, access is limited. To reach Qamishli takes a treacherous journey. Families told our team that along the way, they were interrogated and required to pay bribes to pass safely. For many, it is their third or fourth time being displaced. 

Photo: A mother holds her infant at a school where displaced families are sheltering in Northeast Syria.

“When the siege began, we never thought we would be displaced. We had to quickly pack a bag and jump into our friend's car. We had to leave; we can’t live with extremists. People have been killed and beheaded for being Kurdish.” 

Many pregnant women and young children are among those fleeing. On Monday, we provided cash support to 9 women who are pregnant or have young babies. One is due to give birth this Tuesday. Another is due in ten days. 

A mother, living in an unfinished house, shared, “There is no food, no blankets, no mattresses for us; we have to share with others. Baby formula is our biggest need. My baby doesn’t even have clothes. My community is now scattered across different schools. Everyone has been separated from their original community.”

The atmosphere of fear is palpable. Over the last year, the Kurds have watched violent attacks against other ethnic and religious minorities take place in Syria. They fear that the same situation will unfold after the end of the ceasefire. Reports of the escape of ISIS prisoners only increase their anxiety. 

“Everyone wants to go home. They (the Kurds) feel left alone after all the sacrifices they made to fight ISIS. People don’t want their own country: Alawites, Druze, Kurds. We want to be safe under one Syria.”

Photo: A young boy leans against the wall of an unfinished home where his family has found shelter in Northeast Syria.

Local communities are rallying to help, opening up their homes and cooking meals. But with little international attention or assistance, they simply cannot meet the immense needs alone. 

Snow is on the ground in some areas, and it is bitterly cold with a wind chill that cuts to the bone. Families are living in schools and half-finished buildings without heating, bedding, and food. 

The conditions are brutal. Their stories are not making international news. In the middle of it all, this love-in-action community is listening and responding. Our relief team is on the ground, meeting families and delivering relief. 

Photo: Partners relief team delivering food packs in Northeast Syria.

On Tuesday, 304 people ate dinner and have food for the month ahead, because you rapidly responded so we could rapidly respond.

The world feels heavy right now, crises seem to be in every direction we turn. But we are reminded of the contagion of generosity. The relentlessness of love. 

Photo: A young girl displaced by recent conflict holds a toddler in Northeast Syria.

We can and are reminding families in the thick of crisis that are deeply seen and never forgotten. 

You can help expand our response to reach families here and now by:

Donating. What you give, we’ll distribute. Right now.

Starting a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign. Bake sales, dance marathons, dinner fundraisers. The creative ideas are endless. 

Spread the word. Amplify these families’ stories so they don’t go unheard. 

Thank you for being the kind of community that runs towards the danger when families are in crisis. Thank you for your relentless refusal to let kids suffer when the adults are fighting. We do this together. #toloveistoact

Give Now.

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#Breaking Surge of Conflict in Syria

Our team reports a new wave of displacement of families to the Qamishli area after a surge of conflict in Syria this weekend.

While a ceasefire has been declared between Kurdish forces and the Syrian military, we are hearing reports of continued skirmishes. We are gravely concerned for the children and families caught in the middle. 

The conflict may be complex, but our calling is not. Where kids are suffering, we will continue to stand alongside communities in Syria doing everything they can to keep their families safe.

Our team is assessing now how we can best respond. As the situation rapidly evolves, please pray for the safety of fleeing families and our team. We will keep you updated as our response unfolds. 

Your rapid response fuels our rapid response.

You can deliver relief supplies into the hands of our team on the ground at:

Donate Now

Help children affected by conflict and oppression in Syria live free, full lives.

Your gift provides live-saving relief in times of crisis and helps rebuild communities ripped apart by war.

[partnersrelief]

Yong

She’s from Shan State, Myanmar. She couldn’t find work, so at 18, she moved by herself to Thailand. She found work at a Noodle Shop and immediately realized that her joy of obtaining a job was quickly dashed by the inability to speak the local language. “I didn’t know how to respond. Sometimes, customers wrote their orders in Thai, but I couldn’t read them.”

Language for Yong This ambitious young woman saw a Thai language course for migrants on Facebook and applied. She was accepted and, “After studying Thai at SEED for six months, my life changed. I no longer have to wash dishes, and my salary has increased. I feel so grateful to SEED for accepting me into the class and for being patient with me.” 

The efforts and success are hers, the opportunity is created by people like you who give to support SEED, a Partners-supported educational program where migrants in Thailand can gain the gift of language and education, when circumstances often hold these things out of reach. 

$100 gives a youth living as a migrant in Thailand, the gift of language and education, opening up doors that are typically closed.

Children, youth, families and communities ask for education. Absolutely. We all watch the transformations from barely surviving, to places of thriving when the educational-light begins to glimmer, and whole communities start believing that there’s still hope. The power of reading, the opportunities of language—children thriving.

Thank you for caring for the Yong's in the world, for extending a hand, and a language, that allow for new seasons that look a lot more like thriving!!

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Creating Safe Spaces in Northeast Syria

Violent. Al-Hol Camp, in Northeast Syria. It’s a refugee camp AND a prison. In roughly one square mile of desert, over 28,400 people, mostly wives, widows, and children of refugees, are detained. 65% children.

Little Aliye* goes to the safe space. She’s lived in Al-Hol for nearly all of the 8 years of her life. Her mother is a team member at the Partners child-friendly space. Each morning, Aliye goes to school, and each afternoon she comes to the safe space to play, learn with friends, and feel a sense of security that is absent elsewhere in the camp.

A local team member shared, “Violence rates are increasing—physical and sexual violence from child-to-child. The team is doing their best to respond to this terrible phenomenon. We are very committed to delivering sessions to children—we do it through song and video. We are trying to spread awareness early so that the next generation is more aware of this matter. This means we work to overcome shyness and the idea of shame, and become more aware of this issue.”  

Without the space, Aliye’s days would be spent in her family tent, with her mother, six sisters, one brother, and a lonesome fan—with temperatures fluctuating between 122-131°F in the summer and 23°F in the winter. Instead, she’s experiencing hope and love in the form of laughter, safety, music, saturated color, honest conversations, and emergency healthcare. Your regular support ensures continued trauma healing in Partners child safe space, emergency aid availability at the only 24-hour medical clinic, and support for the compassionate local team, which all help stabilize this frightening place, which is significant when children mostly do as they please—missing out on education, leaving them vulnerable to extremist ideology.

“We have a session where we ask, What do you want to be when you grow up. One of the children said, ‘I want to become a three-wheeler driver’. He said this because he is very attached to his father, and this is his father’s skill. Every child has an aspiration for the future, but then they say, ‘only if we were not living in the camp. ’ Most of the boys want to become football players. They ask me, Do you know David Beckham? The girls are passionate about different things; some want to be tailors.” 

All want to be safe and unafraid. Let’s stay and make that a reality.

*Pseudonym used to protect identity.

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UPDATE New Aid Cuts Along Thai-Myanmar Border

Continued aid cuts that went into effect on July 31, 2025, in refugee camps along the Thai-Myanmar border are making life increasingly difficult for thousands of people. Here is what you need to know about the current situation of migrant families in this region, from a team member on the ground. 

“Living in a refugee camp comes with many challenges. These families have been displaced from their home country due to a prolonged civil war. Myanmar continues to face a severe humanitarian crisis that deserves global attention.  This is what refugees along the Thai-Myanmar border are experiencing today, including limited access to education, reduced food supplies, and the complete cut of healthcare aid.

Education. 

Since the withdrawal of USAID from many foreign countries, refugee camps along the Thai-Myanmar border have experienced significant setbacks in education. In the past, USAID provided learning materials and essential school supplies, helping many children receive an education. With this support withdrawn, many students who relied entirely on aid can no longer attend school. Families in the camps often have no income and depend solely on assistance, which means that the once-available free education is now out of reach for many children. Many students cannot continue their education, and opportunities to study outside the camps have become even more limited.

Students at Mae La Refugee Camp, Thai-Myanmar border, February 2024.

‘With this support withdrawn, many students who relied entirely on aid can no longer attend school.’

Food

With the reduction in aid, many families are struggling to meet their basic nutritional needs. Previously, refugees received more than 100 Thai baht (per family member each month. At the end of July, this support was completely cut. With limited options within the camps and no legal opportunities to work outside the camps, families are unable to replace the loss of this support. 

Food preparation at Mae La Refugee Camp, Thai-Myanmar border, February 2024.

‘Food prices are rising, and many families are facing serious food shortages.’

Healthcare

Health is one of the most basic human needs, but many refugees are unable to afford proper care. In earlier years, aid helped cover basic health needs, providing some relief for families. Since the USAID cuts, many now face even greater struggles in accessing treatment. For those who could not afford healthcare even when aid was available, the situation has worsened. Many families are deeply concerned about the lack of future support for medical needs.”

Community Health activities on the Thai-Myanmar border, August 2024.

For over 30 years, this community has stood in the gap on behalf of families living along the Thailand-Myanmar border seeking safety and freedom for their children. 

Our efforts to reach families on the fringes with healthcare, education, and personalized care will continue. 

A gift of $90 provides 5 migrants with a guide and translator through the Thai medical system, covering costs for medicine and care. 

Five loved ones. A grandmother. A brother. A best friend.

We stay, with love. 

To stay with us, and them:

Donate to Partners Relief & Development

Help children affected by conflict and oppression live free, full lives.

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Three women and a newborn.

Photo: Eh Ka Pu Moo with her father, grandmother and older brother.

Moo Blut Paw is a community health worker. She completed her medic training at Naw Po Refugee camp in 2024. She used to work at a clinic Partners funds, and now works at a clinic that is a 2 minute motorbike ride away from a pregnant mother named Naw Law Eh Wah. Naw Law Eh Wah is a 29 year old mother of a curious and quiet 3 year old boy, and is pregnant with her second child. Reserved and soft-spoken, this gentle mother thoughtfully prepared for the birth of her baby knowing that she would deliver at home. Local hospitals are targeted locations by the junta and military government, and community members don’t dare go unless they have a life-threatening emergency. 

On February 16, 2025, Eh Wah’s normal pregnancy slipped quickly into a terrifying delivery as they discovered a stuck placenta. She started bleeding internally. She took that 2 minute motorbike ride to the closest clinic, but it was too late.

That day, a healthy beautiful girl, Eh Ka Pu Moo, was born. Her mother died. This newborn had no mother to nurse her. No mother to carefully wash her tiny body. No mother to wrap up and safely carry her during the months of life when she is too small to walk. The newborn’s hunger set our resourceful young community health worker into action and she reached out to a Partners’ staff member and asked for help. 

Photo: A Partners staff member delivering all the supplies needed to help Eh Ka Pu Moo’s family care for her.

We quickly met them with baby clothes, baby wraps, milk bottles and a 4-month supply of baby formula, with a commitment to deliver more to the family until this little one no longer needs it.

It’s easy to imagine that giving is fueling an organization–albeit–one that does worthy work; yet what we’d like you to know is that giving is feeding a tiny motherless child. It’s providing a local clinic to run to, the arms of a community health worker to care for a motherless child in her first days of life, who is checking in on her regularly, and responding to calls of ‘help’ any time they come. 

Today this newborn and her toddler brother are being cared for by their grandmother, while their 22-year-old father farms. Still gripped with the kind of sadness a mother feels when she loses a child, this loving grandmother is trying hard to fill the gap her daughter left. 

Photos: Eh Ka Pu Moo in the arms of her grandmother (left) and with Moo Blut Paw, the community health worker who reached out to Partners for help (right).

The context of war zones—the complexity and danger—make living in areas of conflict a staggering challenge. It changes what it means to have a baby and lose a mother and wife.

We are all partners, and Partners. We’re close enough to hear the calls for help. To respond with love-in-action. 

Because we’re there. Because you’re giving.

Babies will be fed. Community health workers will be trained. Clinics will stay stocked. Opened and staffed.

You’re helping fathers, grandmothers, and newborns like Eh Ka Pu Moo, breathe a sigh of relief this summer. 

Donate and have your gift matched here.

[partnersrelief]

Help children like Saw Eh Taena breathe a sigh of relief this summer.

Myanmar is at war, still, and very little is going right. Summer rains bring flooding and increased risk of illnesses. Civil war has eaten up the country’s budget, bringing the health system to its knees. There’s fighting almost everywhere. Even getting around is difficult; help might be a day away by truck, bike, or boat during the rainy season.

Then, the earthquake in March caused massive infrastructure damage and became an opportunity for the military government to further harm communities in regions they want to control.

15 year old Saw Eh Taena lives here. He has asthma and when he gets sick, he can’t breathe properly. Anyone that has ever watched a child gasp for air knows—it’s frightening.

What’s worse is when there’s no hospital to go to for treatment. For remote communities like his, medical care can be days away and only reached by foot. Because wars steal kid’s access to healthcare, Partners supports local clinics and health workers in these hard-to-reach places.

“I have been to this clinic many times,” Saw Eh Taena shared outside a Partners-funded clinic. Each time, health workers had the medicine to treat him and vigilantly monitored him when his symptoms were so bad he needed to stay through the night. Today, “the attacks are basically gone”, he said. It’s your love-in-action that stocks medicine cabinets and trains the health workers that make this life-saving work possible.

Photo: The clinic where Saw Eh Taena found help for his asthma in Karen State, Myanmar.

But good health isn’t all that’s stolen. When it comes to education, even before the earthquake, approximately 3.7 million children in Myanmar didn’t have access. As kids are recruited for fighting and schools are attacked, it’s clear that wars disrupt learning.

“Because of the conflict, I have to study in the jungle. When the jets fly over, children cry, and the teachers find it hard to care for all of them. Children sit on the ground, with not enough notebooks and pens”, said Saw Eh Taena. His mother is like most parents in war zones; she believes education is the key to giving her child a future beyond the violence and poverty they are experiencing; a life defined by more opportunities and dreams fulfilled.

"When the jets fly over, children cry, and the teachers find it hard to care for all of them."

The children who remain determined to attend these hidden schools are the reason that your love-in-action is more vital than ever—strengthening their schools by providing essential learning supplies and providing support for safe boarding homes where students displaced by fighting can continue their studies.

Wars also strangle economies and livelihoods. They make it harder for parents to put food on the table for their kids. “We don’t have time to grow rice or vegetables. The transportation of goods is difficult, so the price of food goes up significantly, especially during the rainy season.” Love-in-action delivers bags of rice to communities like Saw Eh Taena’s when all other avenues of keeping children fed are exhausted.

“I feel hopeless in this situation...I can’t learn in this environment. I feel like I am not free.”

Photo: Medicine supplies are running low at many clinics.

Through the summer, more brave team members will deliver what war has strangled, disrupted, and stolen from children caught in the crossfire. It’s the same love-in-action that has been at work in war zones since 1994, partnering with local networks to get help where others can’t so that kids like Saw Eh Taena aren’t robbed of the joy of good health, the freedom of a full education, and the satisfaction of having enough to eat.

We are grateful for a generous supporter who has offered a $25,000 Summer Match Challenge, making it possible to help even more children, like Saw Eh Taena.

As the days get longer,—as global support for relief and development is on the decline—we encourage you to consider sharing the warmth of your summer with Saw Eh Taena and other children who grow up in conflict zones. You can rest assured knowing that when you give, you gift will be matched for double the impact, meaning even more kids will receive critical medical care, access to life-altering education, and the sustenance they need to learn and play.

They’ll be able to breathe a sigh of relief.

Donate and have your gift matched here.

[partnersrelief]

A Torch of Hope for Displaced Families

Amidst the fall of the Assad Regime in December 2024, a monumental moment in Syrian history was also marked by another historical moment in the Kurdish territory. Displacement in Northeast Syria is back at record-breaking numbers. Many families, individuals and minorities have fled to the Kurdish territory of Syria. But through the violence and persecution families have endured, one undeniable truth has emerged: the resilience of children displaced by war.

The Silent Suffering of Families.

The number of Internally Displaced People (IDP) in northeast Syria has reached an alarming scale, with thousands of families forced to leave their homes, primarily from Afrin. Many of these families sought refuge in Sahba, south of Aleppo, during the civil war that began in 2011. Now these families have been displaced once again due to the ongoing conflict. Families are living in makeshift shelters, abandoned buildings, and repurposed schools. Resources are stretched thin, with little to no support from international humanitarian organizations. Families struggle to stay warm in overcrowded shelters.

As our relief team visited one of the shelters, the air was thick with the smell of burning plastic – a seemingly desperate line of defense against the freezing temperatures. Hygiene facilities are inadequate or non-existent.

While host communities have done their best to step in by cooking meals for the displaced, the thousands of people arriving mean more food support is needed than they alone can provide. Parents who have fought tirelessly for their children’s well-being are exhausted, left hoping that someone will stand alongside them to keep them safe, healthy, and in school.

The Weight of Trauma

No matter where it happens, war steals childhoods. Many children have witnessed atrocities beyond comprehension. In an abandoned regime military housing complex, where over 3,000 families are now taking refuge, a mother recounted to us how her two sons had been injured by mortar strikes when they were living in Sahba. Some watched as loved ones were executed, while others recall harrowing escapes through war-torn landscapes.

In Raqqa, a 14-year-old boy named Said told us his family was forced to flee Sahba with nothing but the clothes on their backs. “I don’t know why we had to leave,” he said. “They just wanted our land.” His family endured freezing nights on the roadside during their journey to Raqqa, and though they had found shelter in a school that Partners had previously helped rebuild, they were struggling to stay warm. “It’s so cold,” Said whispered, his voice reflecting the hardship he had endured.

Children a Symbol of Resilience

Despite these dire circumstances, children continue to be the unwavering torchbearers of hope.

The schools that have been repurposed into shelters still echo with the sounds of young voices playing. In a repurposed school just outside of the city of Qamishli, where 96 now reside, hanging on to hope, children climb atop water trucks to play, momentarily escaping the weight of displacement.

In Raqqa, groups of children chase each other around schoolyards, creating makeshift goals out of rocks and kicking a deflated football that they found when they moved into the premises. Their laughter, a stark contrast to the grief their parents carry.

Their spirits refuse to be broken, and they continue to find joy - even as they live in grave uncertainty.

Carrying the Torch

While governments turn a blind eye and larger international organizations hesitate, children in Northeast Syria continue to remind the world of the urgency of their situation. They embody a future that is not yet lost, a group of people that refuse to be erased. Their perseverance when faced with immense hardship is a testament to the resilience of the Syrian spirit.

Even in displacement, even in suffering, these children are the light that refuses to be extinguished.

Written by a Partners team member while on the ground in Syria in December 2024.

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The Pain We All Share

Photo: An empty classroom at an education center in Afghanistan.

This past February, Partners team members traveled to Afghanistan to visit an education center we work alongside. 

“This is the pain we all share,” commented a teacher at the education center. She was referring to the plight of women in Afghanistan, particularly the laws banning women and girls from attending school beyond 6th grade. 

The Independent described these restrictions succinctly in this headline “Can’t work, sing, travel, study: All the ways the Taliban are restricting lives of women in Afghanistan” 

Photo: A flurry of activity in the middle of a town in Afghanistan.

Resilience is not only present—it is deeply rooted and unwavering.

From an outsider's perspective, the narrative around women's education in Afghanistan may seem overwhelming, leaving little hope for a way forward. However, after our team met and listened to 28 women at the center, it became clear that resilience is not only present—it is deeply rooted and unwavering.

They shared with our team some of the reasons why they wanted to study and their hopes for the future:

Despite the restrictions, girls hope to further their studies to become doctors and teachers. 

Some see studying English as a way out of their current situation of boredom and oppression caused by the restrictions. 

Others see learning English as a way to access English-based online education courses or to help other women do the same.

Photo: A view of a village at the base of the mountains in Afghanistan.

The women are incredibly passionate about education and determined to continue. One of the students said, “We are living in a very dark place, but we are waiting for a light,” while one of the female teachers described the school as “like a bright light in the darkness.”

While sitting with their words, praying, and hoping for change alongside them, I can’t help but feel they are the light in the darkness.

Their determination, even in the face of overwhelming hardship, is something we could all learn from. 

Even in the dangers of conflict, Partners is standing with these women, supporting them to be lights of hope in their communities.

Stand with them.