Bidi Bidi Refugee Camp in Uganda sprang up practically overnight – before what was a sleepy rural countryside was transformed into a 270,000 person refugee camp in just a few short months. And with the incredible influx of people, with more coming from South Sudan every day, that means that new infrastructure needs to be built – and quickly. That’s where ARC’s construction team comes in. Made up of volunteers – most of whom are refugees themselves – this is the team called when construction needs are at their highest in Bidi Bidi, when the first walls have to go up for service centers, community centers, and more. “I like doing construction because I like helping the community,” said Joel, the lead for the construction volunteers. Realizing the incredible contributions this team provides throughout the camp, we wanted to do something to help these hard-working guys do their jobs just a little easier. The ARC team had an idea - field kits. The kits are like … [Read more...] about Ready to Work

When someone first arrives at a refugee camp, they’re still in survival mode – they need basic things to get back on their feet, like food, water, and shelter. But then, people begin to look toward renewing their spirit. Toward rebuilding a future. That hopeful spirit has never shined brighter than in the women’s group we’ve met this week in Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement. Rose – the leader of the group – explained that aside from dancing, making jewelry, and gardening, the women in her group are good at tailoring, too. “If they had a sewing machine,” she said, “they could sew clothes for our dancing, and also clothes for their children and their family, AND for selling.” She had many ideas for how to get these women to the next, more hopeful, stage in their lives. So for Day 68, the ARC team got to work – tracking down a sewing machine. When the machine arrived, the women were filled with excitement – they immediately set it up and were ready to go. Then they began to … [Read more...] about Stitching Together a Future

The women’s group in Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement we’ve met have an eye toward the future. They come together for song and dance, but they don’t stop there. They’ve also started gardening together. Rose - the leader of the group - helps the women plan their gardening plots, taking advantage of the space available to them and their desire to get to work. The women have faced terrible traumas, both in South Sudan and on the road to Bidi Bidi, but gardening helps them to heal - even for a while. “When we work, we forget those other things,” she said. So for Day 67, we’re helping their gardens to grow. ARC team members gathered together to give these women tools they needed - seeds, hoes, rakes, and watering cans. The gardens will help them grow food for their families, and to sell some in the market, too. Seeing the gifts, the women immediately let out a cheer. They began to celebrate with dance, inviting the ARC team to join. And after the jubilation, Rose led the group in … [Read more...] about From the Ground Up

When someone becomes a refugee, one of the greatest losses can be something less tangible than a home or material belongings – refugees risk losing their cultures, their traditions, the very roots of who they are. That’s why yesterday, we made sure that a women’s group in Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement had beads to create necklaces worn during their traditional dances. And today, we’re focusing on an instrument needed to practice their dances just the right way – drums. Having traditional drums would mean that a true dance and singing group could form. Rose, the leader of the women’s group, told our team why the drums are so important – “Any dance without drums will not be together. The drums are unifying. When I hear them, it feels right in my heart.” But first, we had to track them down. Phone calls to different parts of the country were made. Artists were contacted. When Joseph, an ARC teammate from Kampala, found someone who made drums there, he arranged to have them … [Read more...] about Drums of Change

Today is International Women’s Day! It’s an opportunity to celebrate women around the world, to unite around a shared purpose. And for women in in Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement in Uganda, it’s a time to gather together and honor cultural traditions, even far away from home. Juma and Liliane – ARC volunteers - have been working with a women’s group in Bidi Bidi ever since they started volunteering. The group acts as a support system for each other, a safe space to be together, and a way to celebrate the diversity of their cultures. For International Women’s Day, the women wanted to prepare a performance of traditional dances. But, they were missing a few things. Rose - the leader of the group - spoke up. “Our tribes don’t dance without beads,” she said. So for Day 65, Juma and Liliane set out to get them the supplies they need to make these beautiful instruments. “They have a sound,” explained Rose. “Our dancing will look nice if we wear them. It will bring a … [Read more...] about Keeping with Tradition

The hardest thing about doing the doable is knowing where to start. But most of the time, it all comes down to something very simple – asking people for their ideas. “They have so many ideas,” Paul said of the volunteers at Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement in Uganda. Paul is the Site Manager for ARC’s operations in Bidi Bidi. “I just want them to be able to share them, and to act on them. That’s what Changemakers 365 is about.” So for Day 64, we decided to bring their ideas to light – to put them on paper, to spark action and inspiration. We held an ideation session with our volunteers - a free-thinking, anything goes workshop on big ideas and new solutions. And it all starts with an excessive amount of post-it notes. These volunteers have been exposed to the incredible hardships of so many people – so when asked how to improve their lives, the ideas flowed freely. During the ideation session, the team recorded almost 200 ideas they have to help refugees in Bidi Bidi. … [Read more...] about An Abundance of Ideas

We’re back in Bidi Bidi, Uganda - site of the world’s fastest growing refugee camp. Thousands of South Sudanese refugees are coming every day, fleeing violent conflict and famine in their country. For weeks, Jamal – one of ARC’s volunteers – has been eyeing an empty field in Ariwa, the area of the settlement where he works. He wanted to do something there, something different. His idea? Build a volleyball court It took an afternoon to dig holes for the two poles and to tie up the volleyball net. Jamal’s group of guys even painted the poles a vibrant pink and blue. Within minutes the field was full with two eager teams and spectators along the court lines. “I wanted to keep the youth busy, give them a way to play,” Jamal said. At 21 years-old, Jamal has a good sense for what might help young people to relax a little after all they’ve gone through. And the volleyball court was the perfect way to interact with other young men in Ariwa. “It doesn’t take so much to make … [Read more...] about Welcome Back to Bidi Bidi