The Eastleigh neighborhood of Nairobi is full of doers. And Jamila is one of them. She’s young, driven, and she’s changing minds in Eastleigh. “If I give you food but I don’t listen to you, have your needs been met? People think that basic necessities are all that is needed for survival, but without good mental health, you can’t survive in these places. You cannot.” Jamila is a counselor. And day by day, she’s changing the perception of mental health in the Somali refugee community. Every Saturday, you’ll find her offering counseling services across ages and genders, and slowly overcoming barriers. We believe deeply in the importance of the work Jamila is doing. But we also know that for her generosity to continue to spread, she needs a reliable space to talk comfortably with her clients. And sometimes the funds to pay the rent at can be hard to come by. So we thought we could support Jamila in a small way – by helping her with rent. With rent covered for a few months – … [Read more...] about Peace of Mind
Changemakers365
The Future is Bright
When we were at Farhiya’s Salon in Eastleigh, Nairobi, we met a very special young girl - Farhiya’s daughter. Her name is Jihan. As refugees living in a big city, life is difficult for Jihan and her family. Despite owning a business, Farhiya is a single mother. It can be tough to provide for her kids. Sadly, Jihan has been out of school for the past two years. But Farhiya’s business partner and friend wanted to do something about it. “Her young girl needs to go back to school,” said Rahma, “These are important years in her education.” We couldn’t agree more. So we partnered with Rahma to do something for her friend’s daughter. Something that will put her back on the right track – that could give her a brighter future. We got her back in school. We set out for St. Juliet Primary school in Eastleigh – where Jihan had in school been before. And in just a few short hours, her school fees, uniform, books, and transportation were sorted out. She was back to school that very … [Read more...] about The Future is Bright
Women Who Give Back
Rahma and Farhiya – refugees from Somalia – are the owners of Farhiya’s Salon in Eastleigh, Nairobi. They’re urban refugees, people who have fled their homes but who live outside of the camp system. They’ve made a living offering typical salon services, like haircuts and styling. But, they’re determined to provide for their customer’s futures, too. Inside their salon, they have a training space for teaching refugee women the skills they need to compete in the competitive Eastleigh economy. “16 years ago we started this salon with only $300. And now here we are!” Rahma recalls. She knows how a little capital – and a little training – can go a long way toward helping people get on their feet. But on Day 107, we discovered a problem – their business license had expired last year. They were at risk of being shut down. They just hadn’t been able to pull together enough funds to make it happen. But we saw something we could solve. With the help of our friend Daud, we set to … [Read more...] about Women Who Give Back
A Place of Her Own
In Eastleigh, people look out for each other. Many urban refugees from Somalia – people who are living outside of the refugee camp system - have made a life for themselves in this Nairobi neighborhood. And over the years neighbors have pitched in to help their neighbors survive. To make change from the ground up. Daud is a true Changemaker for his community. He’s a journalist who cares about those who may slip through the cracks, who society doesn’t always see. “I give a voice to the voiceless,” he says. “In everything I do, that’s what I hope.” One of those he looks out for is a young woman named Saidah. Saidah’s been struggling to get by, and has barely been able survive with the profits from her small tea business. Right now, she’s living in rented room at a hotel. She feels rootless, the stress of living day to day is wearing. She could really use her own apartment. Daud had an idea to help Saidah in a big way – by getting her a place of her own. With Daud’s … [Read more...] about A Place of Her Own
Welcome to Eastleigh
Welcome to Eastleigh, a bustling neighborhood in Nairobi and the home of many urban refugees from Somalia. These refugees are on their own. No services from organizations, no camp infrastructure. Being an urban refugee can be an incredibly isolating experience – it can feel like you’ve slipped through the cracks. That’s why in Eastleigh, Somali refugees have established their own networks – the neighborhood has become a hub for thriving businesses and ingenious entrepreneurs, a place where budding businesspeople earn their stripes. But there are people who remain in the margins - who are struggling to survive. So over the next few days, we’re boosting the amazing things that are already happening in Eastleigh in small - but powerful - ways. Meet Anzal. She fled from Somalia as a little girl. For the past five years, Anzal and her sister have been running a tea shop in Eastleigh. And now, they’re known as making some of the best Somali tea outside of Somalia! The demand for … [Read more...] about Welcome to Eastleigh
Everyone Deserves Privacy
Health centers in refugee camps are busy places - there's often not enough staff to support everyone who needs care. And at Bidi Bidi, at one particularly busy clinic, the team had to think creatively to get the job done. And that meant moving their care outside the clinic’s walls - in the open. With very little privacy. “I think about my wife being examined in an open space like this,” said Joseph, an ARC team member. “With no privacy at all. If she came here she would not be comfortable in this space – not unless she feels like there’s some privacy.” Moved to do something about this, Joseph and the team decided they could make a difference. We can’t make the health center larger – or at least not easily – but we could purchase partitions. Partitions are a quick way to add some privacy for people who are in pain and sick. “Now,” said Joseph, “the people here will have that privacy they need. A medical exam is supposed to be private. We all need that … [Read more...] about Everyone Deserves Privacy
Art for the Walls
When you’re overwhelmed at work, little things can sometimes become big hurdles. Messes accumulate, details are lost, and less attention is paid to things that matter. The medical teams at Bidi Bidi are certainly overwhelmed. The health centers simply haven’t been able to keep up with the demand for treatment. As a result, sometimes the places where they work reflect their feelings of frustration. Sometimes they feel that they’re barely able to keep their heads above water. At one such health center in Bidi Bidi, we realized that it was easy for us to step in to help. They don’t have time to think about small details while rushing to save lives – but we do. First we began with cleaning and organizing the patient reception area. We helped to organize papers and office materials that had been forgotten in the hustle and bustle. And then, we added artwork to brighten up the walls, to help both staff and patients feel a little calmer, a little more appreciated. A little … [Read more...] about Art for the Walls
Welcoming Patients
When you seek out healthcare for yourself or your loved ones, are you more likely to choose a run down-looking practice, or a nice, clean, and freshly painted clinic? Of course, you would choose the nicer looking clinic. This is true for refugees, too – they’re not eager to invest their limited resources in a place that looks run down. In fact, they might choose not to seek any professional healthcare at all. There’s a health center in Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement that is in the most remote area of the camp. But it could use a renovation. The paint is chipping from the walls, it looks almost abandoned. From our work at other health centers at the camp, we know what a different just a fresh coat of paint can make. So, we thought, we not do the same here? Our team grabbed buckets of paint and some basic tools and went to work. They cleaned the walls and floors, they applied a fresh coat of paint, and we set about fixing the ceiling. It was a group effort – the medical … [Read more...] about Welcoming Patients
The Power of the Sun
What if - after delivering your baby – it was too dark to see their face? Or to see the people around you, the nurses, your family? Before installing the solar light system at the health center, both midwife and mother found themselves in the pitch black darkness. “You can’t control nature,” said Florence, nurse in-charge at the health center. “If a baby is coming at night, they have to come here.” On Day 100, we took the first step in getting the light system up and running – installing the necessary infrastructure, like wiring and light bulbs. And today, we’re getting the sun-powered batteries needed to keep the system going when the midwives most need it. The batteries will charge during the day – when the sun is bright and hot in the refugee camp –and they’ll provide the energy at night to make the lights shine. “To me, this project is the most important,” said Florence. “I’m happy to have this light at night. It will allow our work to be easier.” From now … [Read more...] about The Power of the Sun
Shining a Light
Midwives are so important to helping mothers and their babies deliver safely at a refugee camp. And they work around the clock - it's not unusual for mothers to come to the health center in the middle of the night, looking for someone to help. The midwives are there for them. But there's a problem - there aren’t any lights. At night, the midwives are there holding a flashlight - or even their phone between their teeth - while their hands are busy helping mothers. At first, we thought maybe we could get them some headlamps. But we soon realized that we needed to think bigger. So for Day 100, we’re installing a solar lighting system for the health enter. We found a local contractor from a nearby town. He worked with us to get the wiring right, to make sure that the light bulbs would work. He’ll be able to troubleshoot with the health center team in case anything goes wrong – they won’t be alone and again without lights if something needs to be fixed. With the … [Read more...] about Shining a Light