Promoting the psychosocial well-being
of underserved refugee and immigrant women

Who We Are

Founded in 2020, CRIW - the Collective for Refugee and Immigrant Women’s Wellbeing is a nonprofit in New Haven. 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 programs, we offer safe and inclusive spaces 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.

CRIW:

  • provides specialized programming that honors women’s unique culture, strengths, challenges and aspirations rather than uses a one-size-fits-all approach

  • honors self-determination

  • aims to co-create meaningful and sustainable solutions with our partners - working with refugee and immigrant women and our community collaborators

Our Focus

  • 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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Stay Up to Date

CRIW Events

Get Involved

  • “One thing I love about this program is that it gives us hope.”

    Women’s Leadership Program Participant

  • “I learned how to talk to people, discuss our problems, advocate for our community and feel more confident and assertive.”

    Women’s Leadership Program Participant

  • “I learned that people hear our voices and care about them.”

    Women’s Leadership Program Participant

  • “I really liked the meditation part of the meetings. Now, I am recommending this to other women. If someone says: ‘I am sad or depressed,’ I practice meditation with them.”

    Women’s Leadership Program Participant

  • “I learned how to talk to people, discuss our problems, advocate for our community and feel more confident and assertive.”

    Women’s Leadership Program Participant

  • "I’m so happy. I really liked the Photovoice workshop - seeing each other, learning how to take photographs and sharing my culture with others.”

    Photovoice participant

New & Noteworthy

November/2024 - The New Haven Indepent’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 own eyes!

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 5.23-6.23.24.

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.

Gratitude to our Partners