This story first appeared in JRS INSIDER, a monthly newsletter including stories of impact across JRS global.

Across JRS communities, refugee women navigate the uncertainty of displacement by shaping what comes next for themselves, their communities, and their children.

I would like to introduce you to three of these women: two refugees and one from a host community in northwest Kenya – a gardener, a community leader, and a teacher, each of whom has sharpened their talents and skills to better serve their communities.

First is Inday, a 75-year-old forcibly displaced woman who had to leave Norhaya village in the Philippines during the siege of nearby Marawi City in 2017, when Philippine armed forces carried out an intensive operation against Islamic State-allied militants. Hundreds of civilians died, and thousands more, like Inday, were forced to flee.

Facing internal displacement, Inday and her family received some assistance, but basic needs remained a daily uncertainty. “We were given some assistance,” Inday told us. “But it wasn’t enough to truly meet our daily needs, such as food. Meals were often uncertain.”

In Norhaya, Inday tended to her family’s garden, but where she lives now, there is not enough land. She joined JRS Philippines’ Advancing Sustainable Livelihoods program, where she learned bottle gardening, a way to protect seedlings and create small ecosystems to grow food when land is limited.

As her plants flourished, she was able to transplant them into a small patch of soil behind her new home. In the process, Inday rediscovered her love of gardening.

“If we don’t have anything [else] to cook, we can always rely on the vegetables we grow,” Inday shared. She has expanded the garden to support her neighbors and other internally displaced people when they run short of food. In this way, Inday has taken what she learned and passed it on to the next generation and those around her.

Recho Kibet arrived at Kakuma Refugee Camp in 2018 to teach science at a secondary school supported by JRS. “The landscape was dry and lifeless,” she recalled. “But I believed it could become a space that breathes hope.” Together with her students, she formed an environmental club, collecting seeds and repurposing plastic bottles as planters.

The early efforts were fragile and required patience. Under the harsh sun, many seedlings failed. But each attempt became part of her teaching. “Every plant that survived became a lesson in biology, resilience, and faith,” she said.

Years later, the school has transformed into an oasis that students and parents alike are eager to visit. Trees now provide shade, and the garden produces vegetables that teachers and students can take home.

Recho and her students also developed a wastewater recycling system to sustain the garden and introduced eco-friendly briquettes for more sustainable energy. Teachers report improvements in attendance, concentration, and academic performance, supported by the calmer, greener environment.

Recognized nationally for her environmental leadership, Recho sees the work as ongoing. “This is bigger than one school,” she said. “It is a movement for change.”

Sana*, who lives in Jordan, is a refugee from Yemen who joined the JRS Jordan Committee, a diverse community of refugees who advocate for greater inclusion of forcibly displaced people.

Sana has helped the committee highlight challenges facing refugees and bridge gaps in information between aid organizations and the communities they serve.

Through cultural events like the Festival of Encounter, where members of each community share traditions from their home countries and religions, the JRS Jordan Committee have harnessed the power of solidarity to help individuals heal and determine how they want to move forward.

“Thank you to JRS for the safe space, for giving me strength and empowerment,” Sana said. “This is what distinguishes JRS from other organizations. Their ease with cultural diversity, their embrace of our differences, how they invest in us. On a personal level, I gained a lot, and I am still benefiting and learning. All the trainings and activities were useful and had a positive impact on my leadership skills and confidence.”

These stories are a testament to the crucial and often overlooked role women play in forcibly displaced communities to help others heal and rebuild. As we conclude Women’s History Month, may we continue to honor and support their stories and work throughout the rest of the year.

*Name changed