by RoselynMartin Somtochukwu Ilo, SCSU / CT Community News
May 6, 2025, 10:00 am.
WEST HAVEN, CT — Fereshteh Ganjavi stood before a crowd gathered at Cielo Banquet Hall in West Haven last Wednesday and asked them to turn on their cellphone flashlights. The lights in the hall dimmed, and then the room lit up again as hundreds of small beams illuminated the space.
“Together, your lights shine brighter,” said Ganjavi, founder of Elena’s Light, a nonprofit based in New Haven that supports refugee and immigrant women through education and community programs.
The shared glow marked the start of Lighting the Future, an emotional and powerful award ceremony held recently to celebrate refugee and immigrant advocates from across Connecticut. Elena’s Light honored four recipients and raised $20,000 in a single night to fund English and driving classes for women rebuilding their lives.
