The traumas of war and oppression around the world continue to haunt women for generations after they have been resettled in places like Salt Lake City. At Women of the World, a locally-operated non-profit, my peers and I have advocated on their behalf for nearly 15 years.
Displacement due to war, crime, political persecution or economic instability can happen to anyone — the educated and the illiterate, professionals and laborers. Hardships spare very few.
In even the most well-meaning communities that offer refuge and a fresh start to displaced peoples, there can be a lack of understanding and an attempted implementation of a one-size-fits-all solution.
Women of the World takes a different approach. In order to truly help the 117 million forcibly displaced people of our world, we must all work to create a structured support system that serves resettlement — and we must start locally.
At WoW, we focus on how we can help women find success. In some cases, that could look like a job placement with Springbar Tents or Edwards Life Sciences. In other cases, we look at a more customized service that suits a woman’s unique needs. We listen, we love and we try to replace trauma with kindness. It is never easy, but it allows our ladies to retain their dignity and pride necessary to achieve self-reliance.
WoW volunteers open their hearts and homes in befriending displaced women and their families. Volunteers offer to help women handle anything from a confusing piece of mail to helping their kids succeed in school.
We start by listening. No two clients are the same, so we would never expect cut-and-paste solutions from one appointment to the next to work. WoW’s customized service and advocacy gets folks back on their feet and in their homes.
Yet we aim for loftier goals, like self-reliance and a sense of community. We partner with local employers to ensure reciprocal success and an opportunity to grow and flourish. We make sure that our clients can pay all their bills, even the unexpected ones. WoW’s impact in support of our clients’ “kitchen table budget” tallied $1.8 million in 2023.
But it is the caring community formed in our Salt Lake valley neighborhoods that cement bonds. We need one another. We offer a shoulder to cry on and to stand beside — as equals.
Since our inception, we have called our clients our new neighbors. And that’s truly how we view them. I encourage you to see the divinity in everyone and acknowledge that fortune and misfortune have had a role to play in the story of all our new neighbors.
I’d also encourage you to visit www.womenofworld.org to see how you can help.
Remember what Fred Rogers used to say on the mutual support and compassion that binds us together as neighbors: “All of us, at some time or other, need help. Whether we’re giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That’s one of the things that connects us as neighbors — in our own way, each one of us is a giver and a receiver.”
(Samira Harnish) Samira Harnish is the founder and executive director of Women of the World.
Samira Harnish, founder and executive director of Women of the World, has dedicated her life to empowering refugee, asylum seeker and immigrant women through humanitarian service and capacity-building programs in Salt Lake City. Her leadership and compassion have earned her numerous local, national and international awards, including the UNHCR Nansen Award and the American Red Cross Hero Award.
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