The market town of Mudaka is the location of Asili’s third clinic and water kiosk, where customers can purchase clean and delicious Asili water. There’s a primary school directly across the street from the kiosk, and when school lets out hundreds of kids come streaming through the school doors in their crisp white shirts blue bottoms, their backpacks filled with notebooks and lessons of the day. Before Asili, these kids had to walk miles to get water for their households. And, the water they got was nearly always contaminated and a real risk to their health and their future. These kids face a lot of challenges. But having access to clean, safe water to drink shouldn’t be one of them. So on Day 39, the Asili team decided that they could do one simple thing to help encourage these kids to stay in school – give them a free drink of water after class. Asili is a business. But although we normally offer water only for purchase, there are some circumstances where doing the … [Read more...] about A Cup of Water
Changemakers365
Asili’s Generation
We believe deeply in the power of Congo’s next generation to shift what’s possible for the country. To change things for the better. And, our hope for Asili is to spark that change. The question is – how can we encourage even more families to come to our clinics, to make clean water a priority? And how can we do more to invest in Congo’s kids, in promoting the importance of healthy practices for generations to come? So far, we’ve been encouraging Asili customers to come to us. But on Day 38, the Asili team decided – it was time to go to them. They quickly came up with an idea to test, and went straight to the community to try it out. The team developed a small pamphlet called a “shahidi,” meant for kids, which details reasons why drinking and using safe water is the best way to stay healthy. The shahidis also show the youngest Asili customers how to safely wash their hands. And, importantly, on the back is a coupon for Asili clinics, encouraging kids – and their families – to … [Read more...] about Asili’s Generation
Open Doors
Asili - ARC’s first social enterprise in Congo – was designed not only with Congolese communities in mind, but hand-in-hand with them. We sat down with mothers, kids, fathers, and entire communities, in their homes and in their villages. We asked what they needed, what was missing, and what might make the most impact on their lives. That’s how Asili was born. Delivering world-class quality services at prices that Congolese communities can afford, Asili represents a shift in what’s possible – for ARC and for Congo. The Asili team knows the importance of community pride – in keeping Asili businesses something that everyone can take joy in. So when construction began on the third and newest Asili clinic in Mudaka, a market town that sees thousands of people pass through each day, the team wanted a way for the people of Mudaka to really take ownership. To realize that the clinic is theirs, too. And one of the best ways to do that is to keep our doors open – and invite people … [Read more...] about Open Doors
A Place to Play
Children in Congo face adult realities quickly. But despite all of the difficulties, kids adapt. They find ways to play. They make soccer balls out of discarded plastic bags. They make toys out of flat bike tires. They make wagons out of jerry cans. At the end of the day – and in the face of their circumstances - they still find ways to seek joy and silliness in unexpected ways. The Asili team sees these kids as the future of Congo – the next generation. And, they want to do everything they can to help them keep their spirits high. We believe that being able to laugh and play is just as important to their future as being able to access clean water. So the Asili team sat down and asked themselves – how can we make Asili clinics a place of gathering? A place where kids can come to socialize, have fun, even if they don’t need to see a doctor? One answer seemed clear. They decided to build a playground where kids – and curious adults – can come to be carefree. Where they … [Read more...] about A Place to Play
Welcome to Asili
Today, we’ve left Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement in Uganda and traveled south to the Democratic Republic of Congo! That’s where our very first social enterprise – Asili – is taking root. Asili takes business principles and applies them to some of the toughest problems in Congo. Problems like access to quality healthcare, clean water, and a fruitful livelihood. Asili offers world-class services, at prices that Congolese families can afford. Designed hand-in-hand with Congolese mothers and communities, patients have remarked on how - after decades of war - Asili stands out as a beacon of hope and of change. So what does world-class quality mean? At the Asili health clinics, it means always having medicines stocked in the pharmacy. It means warm, welcoming staff. It means an accurate diagnosis and follow-up. It means an environment where all are treated fairly, with respect and kindness. It also means thinking about the experience for all of your patients – including kids. … [Read more...] about Welcome to Asili
Rebuilding Together
On our last day in Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement – at least for the time being – one of our team members in the camp showed us what doing the doable is all about. Hildah works for ARC’s protection team in Bidi Bidi. She looks out for the most vulnerable refugees, offering them resources, counseling, and connection to services. And on Day 34, she found herself with a little extra food. The team had purchased sodas and snacks for the community during the maternity ward renovation. And with leftover supplies in the car, Hildah was out driving through the settlement. She came across a group of women walking down the road. “They were out cutting grass for their houses,” Hidlah explained. Right now, during the dry season, families harvest grass to thatch their roofs, which insulates the home in the extreme heat that can exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit. “I stopped the vehicle and talked to them. I asked how they were feeling and one started crying, saying, ‘We are moving long … [Read more...] about Rebuilding Together
A Little Fun
The Protection Centers in Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement are a focal point for the community, where ARC volunteers talk to those living nearby about what they need and how they’re dong. “Our team goes to talk to the community every day,” said Hildah, ARC’s Protection Manager in Bidi Bidi. “Many times the youth, they ask us for footballs.” The ARC team helps kids like Edson. Edson made his football (soccer ball to those from the U.S.) from garbage he found blowing through this neighborhood. Layers and layers of dusty plastic make up his football, but it’s still a treasured part of his daily life. Hildah saw straight away how one simple change could build relationships and lift morale in the new refugee settlement – get these kids some brand new footballs. It didn’t take long for Hildah to find a way to get the footballs her team needed. She reached out to the ARC team in Minneapolis, who connected with the St. Croix Soccer Club from Stillwater, Minnesota. The soccer club … [Read more...] about A Little Fun
The Road to Recovery
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 … [Read more...] about The Road to Recovery
Staying Connected
Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement is enormous. It takes hours to drive across the entire settlement, with villages scattered throughout the desert landscape. Hildah, Protection Manager for ARC in Bidi Bidi, manages the team of ARC volunteers who work throughout these small villages. And they have a big job – they build relationships with leaders, children, moms – anyone who comes to them with a special need. They connect refugees to resources that ARC provides, helping them to navigate through the camp. This volunteer team comes from all over Uganda, some from far away and others from the nearby villages that surround Bidi Bidi. Many have their own financial challenges. Still, they are dedicated to building this network. To helping as many people as they can. “But when someone has a special need or even an emergency, they need somehow to call us. They need cell phones to communicate,” Hildah explained. A simple solution? Equipping these volunteers with cell phones. Each … [Read more...] about Staying Connected
A Second Shirt
When refugees leave their homes, they often don’t have much time - if any - to prepare. They run with just the clothes on their back, not knowing exactly where they’ll end up. Or where their next meal will come from. “When I ran, I had only this one piece of clothing,” said one young boy to Hildah, ARC’s Protection Manager in Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement. “And that was one child with a mother,” Hildah said. “The children who come without mothers and fathers, it is the neighbor who comes to us and says, ‘You see this one child? She is alone. She doesn’t even have clothes to wear.'” Clothes are not hard to find in Uganda - unless you’re a newly arrived refugee in Bidi Bidi. And it’s especially hard for those children who reach Bidi Bidi completely alone, as hundreds of them have. One of our jobs in Bidi Bidi is to place these kids with foster families - but foster families are refugees themselves. They often have a difficult time providing the extra support that the child … [Read more...] about A Second Shirt