Reading time: 3 minutes

Brendah, 33, from Kenya, works for Dorcas on Climate Adaptation and Resilience. Brendah: ‘My passion for the climate started in primary school. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions from artificial fertilisers, we did a project on green manure fertilisers using Tithonia (Mexican sunflower, ed.). I decided to continue the research at home with our own crops. And it worked! It felt good to be able to provide an environmentally friendly solution at home.’ 

‘In my work for Dorcas, I contribute to solutions focused on self-reliance and climate resilience every day. The great thing is that children are also part of these solutions. For instance, we have established an afforestation programme together with schoolchildren. This is particularly important in areas where biodiversity has declined significantly. The children are allowed to plant a tree themselves and are given the option to practise at home by planting a tree there, too.’

‘It is wonderful to see how they take care of their own trees by watering them with bottles during dry periods. Through this project, children not only learn about the climate, but they also gain hope for the future. This is just one of the many climate initiatives that we are carrying out with the community. We are raising awareness among men, women, children, and young people.’ 

‘Why we should not give up’

‘It gives me enormous satisfaction that I can see first-hand how our initiatives are changing lives and ways of thinking. Many people live in poverty, so when someone is able to earn an income and send their children to school thanks to a climate-proof investment, it touches me deeply. In my work, I see a lot of dedication. From my colleagues and the people in the communities. They want change, and our projects give them hope. This is why we should not give up on development cooperation. Even if only to address the ongoing inequality and poverty in the world. However, it must be locally driven and supported by the local population. Only then will movement occur and opportunities be created.’

‘As a development worker, I have learned to be patient. Real change takes time. God calls us to take that time to care for the earth and support people so they can flourish. However, we cannot achieve this alone in Kenya. We also need support from the Netherlands. That is why I am appealing to you: to keep praying and giving. The people of Kenya are not helpless; they are resourceful and determined. They just need the means.’

What would I say to young Brendah?

‘That a better, more sustainable future is getting closer and closer!’ 

This interview was originally published in the Nederlands Dagblad on Saturday, 28 June. You can read the article (in Dutch) here.

Reading time: one minute.

Dorcas has joined a coalition of international and national organisations in Yemen to sign a joint statement highlighting the alarming increase in hunger and malnutrition. The statement, released on World Food Day, calls for urgent global action to address one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.

Recent reports indicate that food insecurity now affects nearly half of Yemen’s population, leaving millions of families at risk of severe hunger. Malnutrition rates have skyrocketed, with almost one in two children under five now suffering from chronic undernutrition. Furthermore, many communities’ livelihoods continue to collapse under the pressures of conflict, economic instability, and climate shocks.

The situation demands immediate funding to address the most pressing needs, as well as renewed efforts to ensure unhindered humanitarian access throughout the country. Investing in local organisations and integrating measures to protect at-risk communities, especially women and children, from the growing risks of hunger, forced labour and early marriage is also key.

Dorcas continues to work alongside its partners in Yemen to deliver humanitarian assistance, bolster local resilience and promote lasting security and stability. Only through collective commitment and coordinated action can Yemen move towards recovery and a future free from hunger.

Read the full joint statement here.

Reading time: three minutes.

For more than five years, the western parts of Ethiopia, particularly the Wollega area, have faced persistent conflict. On 6 June 2025, violence flared once again in the border villages of East Wollega and Benishangul Gumuz, where clashes between the UAGs (Unidentified Armed Groups) forced thousands to flee their homes. In just one day, more than 11,000 people were displaced, with the unrest quickly spreading to neighbouring communities and pushing the total number of newly displaced to over 22,000. 

The crisis has left families seeking refuge in towns such as Angar under extremely difficult conditions, especially during the rainy season. Urgent humanitarian needs include shelter, food, clean water, and protection, with many people living in overcrowded temporary shelters or public buildings. Health risks are rising due to shortages of essential medicines and limited access to care, while children, women, and older people face heightened vulnerability. 

Emergency response by Dorcas 

Dorcas Ethiopia is launching a rapid emergency project through our project office to provide immediate support to families who have been forced to flee conflict. The project will provide 1,000 internally displaced households with unrestricted cash assistance for two consecutive months, giving them the flexibility to decide how to meet their most urgent basic needs. Priority will be given to households in the most vulnerable circumstances, including those headed by women, older people, people with disabilities, and households affected by chronic illness. 

Dorcas will actively engage with displaced community members by holding community engagement sessions to explain the programme’s objectives, and by listening carefully to feedback through established channels. This ensures that assistance remains transparent and accountable. We will continue to play an active role in local coordination platforms alongside government bodies, UN agencies, and humanitarian partners. This will strengthen other responses and contribute to wider resilience in the region. 

Expected outcomes: 

By addressing the shortfall caused by recent funding cuts, this project will deliver essential life-saving support. Dorcas Ethiopia remains committed to providing long-term support to communities facing hardship in one of the country’s most challenging contexts. 

Reading time: two minutes.

Yemen is facing one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, with an estimated 21.6 million people requiring humanitarian assistance in 2025. Despite this urgent need, attention and humanitarian funding remain far too limited. The country is also experiencing a critical public health and protection emergency, with widespread outbreaks of waterborne diseases including cholera, acute watery diarrhoea (AWD), measles, diphtheria, dengue fever, malaria and vaccine-derived polio.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued an urgent appeal for emergency health funding, as millions of lives are at risk. Health services in Yemen are overstretched and unable to meet the demands of this major emergency. Approximately 19.6 million people lack access to even the most basic healthcare, and hundreds of healthcare facilities are at risk of closure. Climate-related disasters, such as floods, are increasingly affecting people’s lives and damaging health infrastructure, further exacerbating the situation.

Crisis response by Dorcas

Dorcas is responding to this devastating humanitarian crisis, specifically the cholera outbreak, which has seen 72,144 confirmed cases and nearly 300 fatalities since 2024. In collaboration with the Ministries of Health and Water, we are implementing a multi-sector programme in Taiz and Aden. The project provides urgent water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH) support to people in need, including internally displaced persons (IDPs) and returnees. This will restore access to safe drinking water, prevent the spread of disease, reduce infection risk for the most vulnerable communities, while building their capacity to respond to health emergencies.

To deliver this support, the programme focuses on the following activities:

Activities in Taiz:

Activities in Aden:

These efforts aim to reduce the spread of disease, improve community health and ensure access to vital services during the outbreak. Dorcas is committed to both providing much-needed humanitarian assistance and working towards sustainable solutions in Yemen.

Reading time: two minutes

Vitalii and Alona are raising four children, including foster children, in a village in the Zaporizhzhia region, 27 kilometres from the front line. When their apartment in Zaporizhzhia became too small for the family and the ongoing conflict made staying in the city dangerous, they decided to move to the village.

Following the move, Vitalii began farming and selling his produce at the market. Thanks to a grant from Dorcas this year, he was able to install a greenhouse and equip it with heating and irrigation systems, as well as conduct soil and water analysis. ‘I don’t have much experience yet, so also receiving a consultation from a laboratory was helpful. We didn’t know we had fungus in the soil, but now we are working to solve the problem,’ he shares. They plan to grow cucumbers, salad vegetables, and strawberries in the new greenhouse. This will improve the well-being of this large family by establishing a continuous cycle of growing produce for sale.

In 2025, Dorcas expanded its support for farmers in eastern Ukraine, providing grants totalling €16,000 to five households in the Zaporizhzhia region. Despite the constant threat to their lives and livelihoods, farmers remain because, to them, land is not only a source of income, but also a source of dignity, hope and connection between generations. However, mined fields, land damaged by attacks and destroyed equipment remain a challenge for Ukrainian agriculture.

The Zaporizhzhia region has particularly suffered ecosystem disruption due to the destruction of the Kakhovka Reservoir, which has led to a locust invasion this season and threatened the productivity of small orchards. Supporting entrepreneurs in frontline regions gives them the confidence to develop their businesses.

Reading time: four minutes.

In one of Cairo’s most marginalised communities, commonly referred to as the ‘garbage collectors’ district’, families live under constant strain from poverty, addiction, violence and social exclusion. Women and children are particularly affected, facing unsafe living conditions, limited access to education and healthcare, and an increased risk of abuse and exploitation. 

Since 2014, the Oasis Community Centre of Dorcas, operated by our implementing partner Live Vision, has played a vital role in delivering multifaceted support.  

Supporting families to flourish 

The Oasis Community Centre specialises in family-based interventions that address the needs of the entire household. By engaging parents, teenagers and children alike, we strengthen relationships and secure lasting change for the whole family. Our approach focuses on building the self-esteem and practical skills of every household member.

Nardeen, a dedicated team member at Live Vision, witnesses the impact of this work every day. She explains: ‘Children and their families receive essential material assistance, but they also gain important skills. We teach them how to manage money, provide additional educational support, and offer life skills training. For parents, there are courses on parenting. The wonderful thing is that these lessons stay with them for life.’

A key focus of the Oasis Centre’s work is the empowerment of women. Nardeen continues: ‘Many women who come to Oasis feel powerless and trapped in difficult circumstances. Standing up for themselves is not easy. That’s why we provide psychosocial support to help them process their emotions and build resilience. With adults, we focus on thoughts, feelings and behaviours. With children, we use play and creative therapy to support them to express themselves.’

Rosemary, another member of the Live Vision team, works directly with children and observes transformation over time. ‘About a month after they arrive, I often see a change,’ she shares. ‘They’re happier, less anxious, and more caring towards others. They no longer fight or take each other’s belongings. My goal is to stand alongside children and their families – and to help bring about real, lasting change.’

Transformation to Oases  

In the last three years, Oasis community centre has been on a transformational journey towards becoming the ‘Oases programme’. The ‘Oasis-model’ has been replicated across multiple community-based organisations (CBOs) and social initiatives. Through strategic partnerships, our reach and impact continue to grow, as knowledge and expertise are shared across the wider network.  

Live Vision is now developing an Academy for Social Workers in Cairo to train professionals in approaches such as Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD), case-based management, and participatory methods, and is increasingly recognised as a Centre of Excellence, equipping other NGOs in Cairo and beyond to implement the Oasis model.  

In line with this evolution, the centre is also operating as a social enterprise, with new income-generating activities (IGAs) being launched to diversify income sources and strengthen financial sustainability. We also encourage and support local staff, programme graduates and other community members to start their own social businesses. This enables them to create services that meet local needs and strengthen their community from within.

A key milestone in this transformation, has been the adoption of the Flourish programme. This model supports families through eight structured building blocks designed to support them to overcome multi-dimensional poverty. Grounded in social protection, the approach is always adapted to the unique circumstances of each household. Family-based care interventions are an essential part of this model, which means that economic support, protection measures and personalised care are delivered with the household as the central unit of change.  

Advancing protection  

At Dorcas, protecting people in vulnerable circumstances lies at the heart of our mission. Across all our programmes, we integrate protection measures that respond to the complex needs of those we serve. Key areas of focus include case management, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), child protection, and women’s protection. 

Over the past decade, one Oasis has grown into a network of Oases, safe spaces where families can take meaningful steps towards a future of dignity, strength and opportunity. 

Dorcas Kenya and our partner, Kitise Rural Development (KRD), have recently concluded the Makueni Pasture and Milk Value Chains Project. Through this initiative, we worked to enhance livelihoods in Makueni County by promoting climate-smart agriculture, developing value chains, and empowering young people.

Farming in Kikome village: A practical learning experience

One of the project participants was Boniface, a 28-year-old pastoralist and dairy farmer from Kikome village in Makueni County. He lives with his wife, Faith, and their two children. Before joining the project, Boniface cultivated a small plot of land, but he had limited knowledge of pasture management, seed selection, and planting methods. Consequently, his milk production was low, resulting in an income that was insufficient to meet his family’s needs.

‘Through the project, I was able to join the Kikome Farmer Field School, where I gained practical skills in pasture and milk production,’ Boniface shares.

His strong commitment led to him being selected for a six-week intensive course at the Dairy Training Centre in Kenya, where he gained knowledge of soil fertility, feeds and feeding, breeding and animal health.

‘After the training, I planted more pasture the right way. I fed my animals well and put into practice what I had learnt. My milk yield increased from three to six litres per day,’ Boniface explains.

Income growth and community recognition

With the monthly income he now makes, Boniface can now comfortably pay school fees and support his family. He has become a peer-led farmer, offering guidance to others, and was recently contracted by the government to collect data and register farmers for upcoming agricultural programmes.

Boniface: ‘I highly appreciate the work carried out by KRD and Dorcas. I look forward to expanding my farming business and sharing my knowledge with other farmers.’

Reading time: 3 minutes

Mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) form an integral part of Dorcas’ work. One of the countries in which this assistance is currently particularly vital is Ukraine. Due to the ongoing conflict, many people are experiencing prolonged stress, uncertainty and disruption to their daily lives. Dorcas and its partners have recently adopted an approach that involves using music as a tool for psychosocial support.

MHPSS is essential in areas affected by crisis and conflict because such situations can have a long-lasting impact on people’s emotional well-being, relationships, and ability to adapt. MHPSS provides safe and supportive spaces where people can express themselves, rebuild trust and regain a sense of stability.

Dorcas Ukraine recently supported a training initiative in collaboration with the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Support Programme ‘How Are You?‘, the NGO ‘Sol Diez‘ and the organisation ‘Sounds of Change‘. Designed for education representatives, the training focused on using music as a tool for psychosocial support. Over the course of several days, participants were introduced to accessible methods such as rhythm, clapping, using boomwhackers and collaborative song-writing. These practices offer non-verbal ways to foster emotional connection, reduce tension and promote resilience. The training provided educators with techniques that they can implement immediately in their work to promote emotional well-being within crisis-affected communities. 

Oksana’s experience: putting the training into practice

Oksana, a psychologist at the Centre for Resilience, participated in the training programme. She describes, ‘I have been interested in music for a long time. I feel that it touches deep levels of the psyche. I wanted to learn how to use sound and rhythm in working with emotions, especially when working with children.’ 

During the three-day training, she explored simple yet powerful techniques. Reflecting on the experience, she shared, ‘What impressed me most was how simple exercises with sound bring people together, reduce tension and evoke genuine joy. This was especially evident when we created rhythm together and each voice merged with the others. It was amazing – harmony without words.’ 

Upon returning to her work, Oksana immediately applied these practices with children from a family-type children’s home. The results were clear: emotional relief, increased contact and smiles. She plans to incorporate these music-based methods into her work with children, teenagers and adults.

Like Oksana, all the educators who received the training are now ready to use these music-based methods in their own settings. This is a significant step towards expanding accessible psychosocial support in communities affected by the conflict.

Reading time: 2 minutes

In Ukraine, many families are forced to flee the ongoing conflict, seeking safety in western regions such as Transcarpathia. This displacement has a severe impact on their livelihoods and overall well-being.  

Dorcas Ukraine runs a ‘Future for Children’ programme in Transcarpathia to support families in vulnerable circumstances. The programme focuses not only on the children, but on the entire household, empowering parents by providing them with training in livelihood skills and parenting. This creates safer, more stable and nurturing environments in which children can grow and flourish despite difficult circumstances. 

Lilia’s journey of resilience

Lilia is a single mother raising her son, Ivan. They both participate in the Future for Children programme, which is run by Dorcas. They ended up in a town in the Transcarpathian region, because they were forced to flee the conflict in Kharkiv. 

Lilia and her son moved into a compact settlement for internally displaced people. Despite this, Lilia was feeling anxious and uncertain, and was struggling financially. 

With the support from Dorcas, she completed a course in manicure and pedicure and is now actively working and accepting clients from the dormitory. Thanks to her new profession, she can now support herself and Ivan with her own earnings. 

Lilia seized an opportunity that transformed challenging circumstances into a chance for growth. 

Reading time: 4 minutes

Although we can catch glimpses of global events through the media, many crises remain underrepresented. The complex situation in Yemen is a case in point, despite the urgent need for greater support. Yemen is grappling with a deeply challenging and complex situation that calls for our attention. 

Current situation

The current situation in Yemen is calm yet tense, with the shockwaves of developments in the Middle East reverberating throughout the country. Aden and neighbouring governorates in the south and east are experiencing economic and logistical instability, widespread power cuts and the spread of viral diseases. 

Protests have been ongoing for over a month as citizens express their frustration over the collapse of the currency, the skyrocketing prices of basic commodities and the high cost of living. The situation is further compounded by deteriorating health and education services and delays in salary payments.  

A major development this year has significantly impacted the operational environment. The US Government ordered all humanitarian and development actors receiving US funding to halt operations in Northern Yemen. As a result, some organisations had to withdraw from their target areas. 

Alarming food insecurity

Yemen is also facing alarmingly high levels of food insecurity, with some populations now at risk of famine (IPC Phase 5) for the first time since 2022. Currently, 17.1 million people, nearly half of the country’s population, experience high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above). Projections suggest that this figure could increase to 18.1 million people between September 2025 and October 2026, highlighting the severity of the humanitarian crisis and the necessity of ongoing intervention. 

The delayed rainy season has led to dry conditions persisting across Yemen, heightening the risk of drought and exacerbating water scarcity. These climatic challenges are placing an additional burden on communities that are already struggling. 

Dorcas in Yemen 

Dorcas Yemen is dedicated to supporting displaced people, host communities, women and children. Additionally, we focus on people with disabilities and socially marginalised groups. We implement programmes in various sectors, including health, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), food security and livelihoods and protection. 

One of our key strengths is our ability to build networks and encourage acceptance within local communities. This involves collaborating with local partners and volunteers to reach marginalised people who are the most difficult to access. Despite the challenging situation and growing needs, Dorcas remains deeply committed to supporting those in need. 

José Salema, Dorcas Yemen’s Country Director, says: ‘From experience, I know that the Yemeni people are very resilient. Despite the current obstacles, we will continue to push forward and support our project participants as we work together to build a better future in Yemen.’

He continues, ‘For now, our key priorities lie in responding to humanitarian needs in close collaboration with established clusters and local institutions. Together, we are reinforcing efforts to mitigate food insecurity and optimise water harvesting and usage. Additionally, we are focusing on improving project participants’ livelihoods and their access to markets.’

Call for action

A month ago, 116 humanitarian organisations, including Dorcas, called for immediate action to prevent Yemen’s descent into further crisis. In light of this collective call for action, it is crucial for humanitarian organisations to align their strategic priorities, including scaling up development assistance and advocating for flexible, timely and predictable funding.