Photo by RET Venezuela, © RET International

This month, we’re focused on getting help to Venezuela fast and on the everyday work that builds resilience everywhere else: a new life skills project in Aleppo, a school kit delivery in Peru, and a cookstove training in Mauritania. Each is small on its own. Together, they show what RET does: show up, stay, and build something lasting. 

Read on to discover how you can support our work and make a difference today. 👇 

📸 This Month’s Cover Photo

Following the June 24 earthquakes in Venezuela, RET teams have been on the ground supporting affected families. Our response includes psychosocial support for children, reliable information through the Contigo Venezuela platform, and coordination with national authorities and UN partners to restore safe learning spaces. Recovery takes more than one response. It takes a sustained presence, which is exactly what RET has built in Venezuela over 15 years.

👉 Read the full situation update: https://theret.org/2026/07/ven/update-venezuela-earthquake-response/ 

This Month at a Glance

1. Contigo Venezuela: New Fundraiser Launched for Earthquake Response 
2. Türkiye and Syria: Strengthening Life Skills and Social Cohesion for Youth 
3. Peru: Strengthening the CRECER Strategy Pilot 
4. Mauritania: From School Kitchens to Small Business, Cooks Learn Clean Energy Skills 

1️⃣ Contigo Venezuela: New Fundraiser Launched for Earthquake Response 

The situation: The June 24 earthquakes displaced families and disrupted schools across Venezuela. RET has worked in the country for more than 15 years and activated its regional emergency response within hours. 

What we’re doing: Child protection, psychosocial support, and educational continuity are the priorities right now. Teams are coordinating with national authorities and UN partners to reopen schools safely and get reliableinformation to affected communities through the Contigo Venezuela platform. 

The ask: We’ve launched a Global Giving fundraiser to fund this response directly. Every dollar helps a family get back on their feet faster. 

👉 Give now: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/contigo-venezuela/ 

2️⃣ Türkiye and Syria: Strengthening Life Skills and Social Cohesion for Youth

What happened: RET and local partner LEAP Türkiye launched a new project spanning Mardin and Kilis in Türkiye and Aleppo, Syria. It runs through December 2026. 

Why it matters: Türkiye hosts more than 3 million refugees, more than any other country. In Aleppo, a city still rebuilding, access to basic services remains limited. The project builds one continuous support bridge between both countries for women and youth navigating recovery. 

On the ground: The first Life Skills Training in Aleppo focused on communication, problem-solving, and emotional management. Participants left with more confidence and a clearer sense of their own strengths. 

🔗 Read the full story: https://theret.org/2026/07/syr/strengthening-life-skills-and-social-cohesion-for-youth-in-turkiye-and-syria/ 

3️⃣ Peru: Strengthening the CRECER Strategy Pilot 

The challenge: Many students in Peru fall behind grade level due to interrupted schooling. Getting them back on track, and keeping them there, is one of the education system’s toughest problems. 

RET’s role: Through the Learning Without Barriers program, funded by Education Cannot Wait, RET delivered around 100 school kits to students and teaching materials to educators supporting MINEDU’s CRECER strategy, an accelerated learning model that lets students recover two grade levels in one school year. 

The scale: Seven CRECER Classrooms across Lima, Ucayali, and Loreto are now equipped to keep running the pilot, with a goal of reaching more than 50,000 children and adolescents by 2027. 

🔗 Read the full story: https://theret.org/2026/07/per/how-were-strengthening-the-crecer-strategy-pilot-in-peru/ 

4️⃣ Mauritania: From School Kitchens to Small Business, Cooks Learn Clean Energy Skills

The people: Women who cook daily meals for schoolchildren in M’bera refugee camp, through RET’s Model School project with WFP support. 

The new skill: Building improved cookstoves by hand. These use far less firewood, ease pressure on scarce local trees, and cut smoke exposure in the kitchen. 

The bigger picture: This isn’t just a cooking upgrade. Participants are learning to write a business plan and partner with local blacksmiths and welders, with the goal of manufacturing and selling cookstoves across thecamp. RET will keep supporting them with technical guidance as the venture gets off the ground. 

🔗 Read the full story: https://theret.org/2026/07/mrt/from-school-kitchens-to-small-business-mberas-cooks-learn-clean-energy-skills/ 

🎁 How YOU Can Make a Difference Right Now 

Our top priority this month is Venezuela. Your gift funds direct emergency response for families affected by the earthquakes. 

👉 Donate through our Global Giving fundraiser: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/contigo-venezuela/ 

For U.S. supporters: RET is registered as a 501(c)(3), and your donation may be tax-deductible. 

• General donations: https://theret.org/donate 
• Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs): http://theret.org/donate/dafs/ 
• Employee and corporate matching: http://theret.org/donate/employee-matching/ 

Thank you for being part of our global community! 

Together, we’re saving lives, changing futures, and building hope. 

Until next month,

RET International HQ

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