The Cleaning Team has been working nearly every day for a few hours each day, for months, cleaning the areas in the refugee camp where they live. And they’ve had great success. So much so that the market area across the road – a non refugee community – was feeling like they could use their services, too.
The Team felt like they wanted to help. They expressed their eagerness to do something to give back, especially to the community that has generously given them safe haven.
So today was easy – we helped them take action.
We rented a large lowry for trash removal, and the Cleaning Team walked with their tools to the market and began cleaning. We planned to only have the team work for a few hours, but there was much more to be done.
Instead of just stopping, they offered to continue working the next day to make a larger impact – they wanted to make sure that they made a difference.
Once the work was done, the market was in tip top shape. Plus, it was an opportunity to spend some time with people outside the refugee camp, getting to know each other on a personal level.
“Before we came, the market was cleaner,” said Mohamed, the leader of the group. “So at least we can help make them happy by cleaning up the area.”
By crossing the road into the market, the Team was doing more than a simple day’s work. They were building a bridge toward a better relationship – showing that generosity does not go unnoticed.
