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20 Stories That Inspired Us in 2020

A woman sits in an open-air market.

Photo: Lina Ayaba MENSAH/CARE

Photo: Lina Ayaba MENSAH/CARE

In a difficult year, these stories offered hope, strength and inspiration.

A woman manager of a food bank sits in front of shelves stocked with food items.
Photo: Laura Noel/CARE

1. This Metro Atlanta Food Pantry Partnered with CARE to Feed More Families

CARE has partnered with Community Outreach in Action to hire drivers and deliver food to those who would otherwise go without. Read More.

Photo: Asafuzzaman/CARE Bangladesh

2. Difficulties of Living in a Refugee Camp are Intensified for Those who Live With Disabilities

17-year-old Zokiya shares her experiences of fleeing violence in Myanmar and confronting challenges like accessibility and discrimination at her new home in a refugee camp in Bangladesh. Read More.

A teenage girl and a man cry in front of a wrecked storefront
Photo: Milad Ayoub/CARE Lebanon

3. One Family’s Close Call During Beirut’s Deadly Explosions Motivated Them to Help Rebuild

A father, daughter and dozens of others from their nearby town drive in daily offering food and other support. Read More.

A girl smiles while standing outside in front of a house.
Photo: ©Shafak/CARE

4. In Syria, 10-year-old Maram is focused on staying in school and becoming a teacher

As the oldest girl in a household with 22 children, Maram is expected to balance the responsibilities of school and of being a caretaker for her young siblings and cousins. Read More.

A woman paramedic smiles and hold two small children in her arms on the front porch of a house.
Photo: Kate Adelung/CARE

5. This Atlanta Paramedic is on the Frontlines of the COVID-19 Response

Meagan, an EMT in Atlanta, Ga., is one of the countless everyday heroes working tirelessly to ensure the health and safety of their communities. Read More.

Photo: Amina Abdi
Photo: Amina Abdi

6. How Refugee Children in Kenya are Continuing to Learn During the Coronavirus Lockdown

Amidst school closures and a partial lockdown in Kenya due to the coronavirus, teachers are broadcasting their lessons on the radio in Dadaab refugee camp. Read More.

A woman in Niger stands in between a concrete wall and a house made of corrugated metal and wood.
Photo: Ollivier Girard/CARE

7. How a Women’s Savings Group in Niger Came Together to Supply More than 10,000 Masks

After their jobs disappeared due to coronavirus, savings group president Aïchatou Cheitou helped focus the group on mask and soap production and started a mutual aid program to ensure families in her community had enough to eat. Read More.

All photos: Shantelle Spencer/CARE Sierra Leone
Photo: Shantelle Spencer/CARE Sierra Leone

8. This Nurse is Fighting Coronavirus in Sierra Leone

Rosaline is a nurse in Sierra Leone playing a key role in her community’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. Read More.

Photo: Vicente Gaibor and Santiago Arcos/CARE

9. A Story of Heartbreak and Hope Amid Coronavirus

Financial assistance from CARE helped these former restaurant owners in Ecuador start a new food business and find some stability in an uncertain time. Read More.

Photo: Josh Estey/CARE
Photo: Josh Estey/CARE

10. How Two Women in Côte d’ Ivoire Helped Other Women Become their own Bankers

Salamatou and Fati are a big reason CARE supports more than 260,000 women in savings groups in Cote d’Ivoire. Now, these groups are playing a key role in educating women on the coronavirus. Read More.

A CARE contractor walks with a man who has received groceries.
Photo: Laura Noel/CARE

11. At this Atlanta Corner Store, Everything is Free

As families face food insecurity during the pandemic, an Atlanta corner store is providing free groceries. Read More.

Three adolescent girls sit at a wooden desk in a classroom.
Photo: Josh Estey/CARE

12. 3 Ways Adolescent Girls Are Leading Local COVID-19 Responses

A new CARE report reveals adolescent girls are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, but they’re also at the forefront of finding solutions. Read More.

A girl in a classroom looks ahead surrounded by other students.
Photo: Josh Estey/CARE

13. Sierra Leone Reverses Ban on Pregnant Students

In a policy reversal by the government of Sierra Leone, pregnant students can now attend mainstream schools. Read More.

a woman in a lab coat and surgical mask talks with bother her hands up in the air.
Photo: CARE

14. What it’s Like to Work on the Frontlines of CARE’s COVID-19 Response in Honduras

Surgeon Gabriela Portillo explains what the challenges and motivations of life as a humanitarian worker during an unprecedented pandemic. Read More.

Photo: Josh Estey/CARE
Photo: Josh Estey/CARE

15. Meet Asmaa James: Founder of Sierra Leone’s Black Tuesday Movement

The well-known journalist started the Black Tuesday movement, sparking dialogue and change on sexual violence. One year later, she reflects on the movement’s impact. Read More.

A woman sits in an open-air market.
Photo: Lina Ayaba MENSAH/CARE

16. Women Photographers of West Africa

5 women from 5 countries document the impact of COVID-19 on their communities. Read More.

Photo: Josh Estey/CARE

17. Meet the Female Car Mechanic Defying the Odds in a Male-Dominated Field

Rabeya is using her earnings to pull her family out of poverty in Bangladesh and plans to open her own garage. Read More.

A climate activist stands at a transparent lectern.
Photo: Guy Bell/CARE 2020

18. 3 Environmental Activists Making a Difference in Africa and Around the World

Activists in Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda are helping lead the way in advocating for environmental issues and climate justice. Read More.

A woman in a face mask sells cloth masks
Photo: Nadi Jessica/CARE

19. Overcoming Global Unemployment During COVID-19: ‘I Still Have Hope’

The COVID-19 pandemic has eliminated 277 billion hours of paid work as of June 30, the equivalent of 400 million full-time jobs. Unlike previous economic crises, those job losses are hitting women the hardest. Read More.

A woman in a checkered head wrap stands in front of a crowd of seated women.
Photo: Maimouna A. Djibo/CARE Niger/Burkina Faso

20. Meet the Humanitarians who are Real Life Heroes

In honor of World Humanitarian Day, join us in recognizing the local heroes risking their lives daily to support their communities. Read More.

Ideas
CARE’s Top 10 Stories of 2020

From the unprecedented impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to a historic U.S. election season, here are the most popular stories CARE published this year.

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CARE Plans Fast and Fair Vaccine Assistance for 100 Million Around the World

CARE is stepping in to help communities around the globe ensure more than 100 million of the most marginalized and vulnerable people - including women, those living in extreme poverty, and nearly 275,000 healthcare workers - have access to the COVID vaccines over the coming year. 

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