Fabián Flores González showing the news design of a safe space to indigenous leader for her approval. Photo: LWF/ G. Ibarra
LWF staff: Humanitarian work is not only about delivering aid, but also about providing hope
"I help repair schools and shelters so children can stay in a safe environment," says Yevgen Sakunov, LWF Ukraine construction assistant. He is rebuilding windows and doors that have been destroyed by missiles and drone strikes and helps to set up underground schools so children in the war-torn city of Kharkiv can continue their education.
Sakunov's duty station is under attack every day. "220,000 windows have been shattered since the full-scale invasion. Sadly, people say that Kharkiv has become a city without windows", he adds. To him, the work is not just about repairs. It is a symbol of resilience, Yevgen says, because it allows people to get a part of their life back – be it their apartment, meeting teachers and classmates, and being able to let the sun into their homes: "Each wall we build is a small piece of peace."
Small gestures
The same lesson echoes in other parts of the world: When relief goods reach people in need, they carry a message beyond their material value: that there is someone who cares. For those who have lost most of what used to define their lives, restoring hope and resilience are just as important, LWF staff say. They experience every day how hope can change the way people deal with hardship.
"The communities I work with have been neglected, even by their own municipal administration," says Fabián Flores González, WASH engineer with LWF Colombia in the department of Arauca. Arauca's people live with the constant impact of guerrilla warfare and the drug trade. At the same time, the department borders Venezuela and is a key migration corridor, adding pressure on already vulnerable populations.
LWF is one of the few organizations working in these remote communities in dangerous territory and has done so for more than 20 years. Staff like González ensure that more than 39,000 people have access to clean water, can improve their livelihoods, and develop strategies to deal with floods and landslides. "As a humanitarian organization, we can contribute in a way so that they feel a little better and much more stable," González says.
People at the center
LWF World Service's 2025–2031 global strategy reinforces the point that it's not just aid delivery that matters. "At the center of everything we do are the people involved in and affected by our work: refugees, internally displaced people, returnees, host communities, and communities at risk," reads the mission statement.
This rights-based, people-centered approach informs LWF's humanitarian and development work, ensuring that interventions restore not only what people need to survive but also affirm their dignity and agency. "The refugees that we serve have endured an unimaginable trauma, including physical violence, gender-based violence, and loss of loved ones ", says Penina Akomolot, Project Officer with LWF Uganda in Nakivale
Nakivale in south-western Uganda is home to about 160,000 people who have fled conflicts in the DRC, Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia, Ethiopia, and South Sudan. Resources are stretched thin, with food, water, and healthcare in constant shortage.
Yet Nakivale is also a place of resilience. Refugees cultivate land, run small businesses, and trade with host communities. While food, water, and shelter sustain life, hope sustains their will to live, Akomolot says.
These small but meaningful gestures become a lifeline.
Peninah Akomolot, Uganda
"In such circumstances, even a simple act of listening, offering emotional support, and creating a safe space can be profoundly impactful. It restores dignity, renews hope, and reminds them that they are not alone," she adds.
"These small but meaningful gestures become a lifeline that helps individuals to make it through another day".
