War in Yemen has devastated the country, with over 112,000 people killed and three million displaced since 2014. Violent conflict has fueled a cholera outbreak and famine, causing hundreds of thousands more deaths.

After years of suffering, the situation can feel dire. But Wafa Hamoudi remains determined.

She was born in one of Yemen’s most conservative communities, where women are often not allowed to work alongside men. Wafa wanted to break the mold of what women could do, so she became a conflict mediator with Search for Common Ground.

“I can’t go freely to the places where the mediation sessions take place because I am a woman,” Wafa says. “I must be accompanied by a male family member.”

Initially, Wafa faced stiff resistance from local residents and mediators who could not accept the idea of a woman as their supervisor. Bit by bit, the dynamic changed as some of the men faced conflicts and went to Wafa for help. Persisting in her work, she gained the trust of her community.

Today, Wafa is one of the driving forces of peacebuilding in her area, even as the war in Yemen rages on.

“The war has impacted on people so severely,” she says. “Some break down crying at hearing the sound of aircraft and bombings. Prices keep spiraling in a crazy way [...] and most people don’t know where to find the next meal.”

As Wafa speaks with us, she explains that salaries have been suspended and businesses have come to a halt. Her father, a retired civil servant, and her brother, who owns a lorry, are both scrambling to find financial security.

In normal times, Wafa might make extra money by running her small private business, a wedding dress rental. But few people are holding large parties these days.

“Every day in our life is harder than the previous day,” Wafa says. “As a woman, I feel the severe effect of war on me.”

Bearing this pain, Wafa somehow manages to look to the future. She has a vision for a safe, peaceful community, no matter the challenges in her way.

“I have faith,” Wafa says. “I am not scared by aerial bombings or the sound of aircraft…. I am a strong woman, alhamdulillah.”