The road to Bidi Bidi is long. It takes days of travel to get there from South Sudan, weeks and months for some. And for women, the journey is much more treacherous – the threat of assault and harassment a reality for almost all.
Many reach Bidi Bidi after this kind of trauma and don’t know where to go for support. That’s where the ARC team steps in. The team is trained to find these women and help them as quickly as possible. This might mean rushing a woman to the hospital or to the police. It may also mean simply listening to their stories or offering counseling. And, on days like Day 32 of this challenge, it means offering a few simple items that can make a world of difference.
“Today we’re taking kits to the community,” said Hildah, who spearheads the effort to protect vulnerable women and girls as ARC’s Protection Manager in Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlmenet. “The kit contains a knicker, sanitary towels, wipes, soap and lotion.”
These items can be hard to find in this new tent city. And even though more help is on the way as Bidi Bidi grows, finding your next meal can be a challenge – let alone sanitary towels or soap.
“For most of them, it was harsh on the road,” Hildah said. “These kits will help them recover, and it will help them feel more secure and more cared for.”
ARC teams do everything they can to help the most vulnerable in Bidi Bidi begin to heal. And these kits are the first step on the long road to recovery.
Tomorrow, we’ll see how another at-risk group – kids – are adjusting to life at Bidi Bidi, and what we can do to help them feel like kids again.
