Promoting the psychosocial well-being
of underserved refugee and immigrant women
Who We Are
CRIW - The Collective for Refugee and Immigrant Women’s Wellbeing is a nonprofit in New Haven founded in 2020. We partner with underserved refugee and immigrant women with limited power due to gender, ethnicity, poverty, education, language, culture and health disparities.
With women themselves taking the lead to drive and guide our initiatives, we offer safe and inclusive pathways to amplify their voices, build leadership and advocacy skills, reduce systemic and cultural barriers and serve as a catalyst for meaningful change through collective civic engagement.
We do this through specialized programming, equity-led partnerships and community collaborations that nurture connection, respect women’s unique culture, strengths and aspirations, and honor self-determination.
We believe in the transformative power of community for healing, growth and a more just society.
Our Focus
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Building collective power with preliterate Afghan women through leadership training and civic engagement.
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Using multiple artistic platforms, we reduced barriers to expression and provided preliterate Afghan women who are often unheard, to tell their stories.
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CRIW is committed to collaborating with individuals and organizations to support existing programs, collectively envision and create new, meaningful initiatives and celebrate community.
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Our Initiatives
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New & Noteworthy
December/2024 - Yale Daily News feature on CRIW’S exhibit: “Afghan Women Explore Themes of Identity & Home” on display at the Wilson Branch of the New Haven Public Library October - December 2024.
“I think about this kind of work as being about creating space for unheard voices to speak, and to share their side of the stories. I feel that there’s kind of a concept of silence that is happening in our society right now, and so this is about more than just art; it’s about making room for these women’s experiences in the world.” — Hangama Amiri, Yale MFA ‘20.
The exhibit was made possible by the generous support of the International Association of New Haven, Hangama Amiri, Penny & Rod Cook and the New Haven Free Public Library.
November/2024 - The New Haven Independent’s Brian Slattery visits CRIW’s exhibit: “Afghan Women Explore Themes of Identity & Home” on display at the Wilson Branch of the New Haven Public Library through December 3, 2024. “"They came so far, and brought so much with them, in their heads, hearts, and hands. Steeped in old ways, they’re creating new ties." Come visit the exhibit and learn more about your Afghan neighbors through their eyes!
The exhibit was made possible by the generous support of the International Association of New Haven, Hangama Amiri, Penny & Rod Cook and the New Haven Free Public Library.
June/2024 - Lucy Gellman/Arts Paper visits CRIW’s “Exhibit of Afghan Women’s Photographs & ‘Story Cloths’: Exploring Themes of Identity & Home” at the Kehler Liddell Gallery, running May - June 2024.
April/2024 - Cofounder Hossna Samadi was interviewed by NBC Connecticut for an episode of “Connecticut in Color”, about CRIW’s Expressive Arts Initiatives with Afghan women. The initiatives were made possible through the generous support of the City of New Haven Arts, Culture & Tourism, the Arts Council of Greater New Haven, Hangama Amiri, Penny & Rod Cook and the International Association of New Haven.
