By Yosra Raziani, PhD Student, Yale School of Nursing
On May 6, 2026, the Yale School of Nursing (YSN) Office of Planetary Health and Global Engagement partnered with the Collective for Refugee & Immigrant Women’s Wellbeing (CRIW) to host a community first aid workshop at Wilson Library in New Haven. The event marked the launch of a new collaboration with CRIW under YSN’s refugee health focus area.
The workshop welcomed 23 participants from Afghanistan and provided practical first aid education designed to support everyday health and safety needs. The session was led by Moira Lewerk, BSN, RN, an MSN student at Yale School of Nursing, who focused on recognition and management of minor injuries and illnesses, appropriate use of first aid supplies, and guidance on when to seek urgent or emergency care. Yosra Raziani, YSN PhD student, supported the event and will continue contributing to programming and communications for the refugee health focus area in the coming academic year.
To support accessibility and culturally responsive communication, a local Afghan physician and CRIW community advisor provided translation and interpretation of key medical concepts throughout the session. CRIW leaders and advisors, including Nooria Zahir, Hossna Samadi, and Ghada Elhadari, contributed cultural and community perspectives that helped ensure the workshop was relevant, accessible, and responsive to participants’ needs.
Participants completed pre- and post-workshop assessments and each received a first aid kit to take home. The session also included demonstrations and guided discussions on how to safely use the supplies, helping participants build confidence in responding to minor injuries and health concerns in their daily lives.
With support from the Edward J. and Dorothy Clarke Kempf Memorial Fund at the Yale MacMillan Center and in partnership with Professor Tracy Rabin at the Yale School of Medicine, YSN Professor Ami Marshall will collaborate with the Office of Planetary Health and Global Engagement to expand partnerships in the New Haven area. These include organizations such as CRIW, HAVEN Free Clinic, and the Yale Refugee Health Program, with a focus on forced displacement and refugee health in the coming year.
This initiative aims to strengthen community partnerships, expand access to health education for refugee and immigrant communities in Greater New Haven, and support collaborative work with YSN partners globally.