When refugees leave their home countries, they often run with nothing. And they arrive at places like Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda often with only the clothes they were wearing the day they left. So the Nakivale Rotaract Club had an idea.
The Rotaract Club in Nakivale is a service group for youth – it’s made up of young people (refugees themselves) who want to give back. As the very first Rotary entity in a refugee camp, they’re pioneers. And they have lots of ideas.
For Day 39, the Rotaract Club at Nakivale wanted to help these newly arrived refugees feel a little more comfortable – and dignified. And it was simple. More clothes!
When refugees first arrive at Nakivale, their first point of entry is the Reception Center. But they could stay there for weeks at a time, lacking access to the other services the camp offers. “When refugees arrive here,” said Andrew from the ARC team, “they don’t have any new clothing to change into. It’s hard to keep good hygiene up.”
So the Rotaract Club put their heads together – and with the help of Changemakers 365 – were able to distribute extra clothes to these new arrivals.
“This will help them change and clean up as they prepare to live in their new communities,” said Andrew.
Those first few days or weeks of being a refugee can be especially traumatic, when your world has turned upside down and sideways. A little kindness can go a long way for these folks – some extra clothes can mean the world.
