There is a women’s safe house nearby Mugombwa Refugee Camp that needs some love. The folks who run the hospital that houses the safe house do so much to help the community - so we wanted to do something to make their jobs a little easier. Neither of the safe rooms at the hospital feel very comforting. The rooms are used by women going through a difficult time - they're living in a new place, and questioning what comes next. So the last thing we want is for these women to lack basic comforts like blankets, sheets, and utensils. As soon as we heard about their needs, we set about doing what we could to fix it. We found warm blankets, new sheets, cooking utensils, colorful rugs, and power strips. Everything you would need to make a short stay somewhere feel like a temporary home! Small little changes like this can make all of the difference. Great ideas coming together to make things better for those we serve. … [Read more...] about A Comfy Spot

In Rwanda, most of our work centers around keeping people safe. Because things like counseling and community support play such a big role in making sure refugees are no longer in danger, it's crucial that we're always operating at 100%. But we know there are always ways to do even better. One of our teammates in Rwanda had an idea to create a moment of learning - in the lobby! The waiting area of our counseling space was feeling a little ho hum. Why not see it as an opportunity to do something a little different? We put up a TV and got some DvDs all about preventing violence in the community. A little bit of entertainment will help ease someone's nerves as they wait for their appointment. Plus, it can help teach people what to look out for in abusive relationships - and how to get out of them. Sometimes just sticking to the status quo - even if you're really great at is - simply isn't good enough. Our team in Rwanda is always thinking about how to do things better. … [Read more...] about Always Learning

We've spent the past few days with students and the headmaster of a school at Nyabiheke Refugee Camp, and the time has gone too quickly! We're wrapping up and saying our goodbyes. But not before one last idea. This idea came again from Aimable, the headmaster at the school. He was trying to solve a problem affecting the young girls who study in his classrooms. As they get older, too many refugee girls have difficulty staying in school. One of the reasons they end of dropping out is because of their period - it can be tough to deal with it away from home. Aimable has already designed for that. The school has a room where young girls can go after they have gotten their period for the first time. But it was missing some essential items... The room has sanitary pads, a bed, a change of clothes, and a place to wash. It is meant to be a way to ease the sometimes-awkward moments of adolescence. But the problem? They just didn't have enough pads. So the idea was simple - … [Read more...] about A Moment to Yourself

Murals are like a beautiful billboard. They tell stories, send messages, and brighten up the overall feeling of a place. We love to use murals as a way to get the community involved and create a message that's important to them. The headmaster of the school near Nyabiheke Refugee Camp also loved this idea, and invited our artist friend Willie to come along and help us get creative. Before Willie cracks open the paint, he sits with people first. He figures out what they want the mural to represent, and what it might mean to them. After spending some time with the community, he crafted something unique. The mural he created depicts equal rights between men and women, and also the importance of education. Fits perfectly in an educational space! The mural turned out beautifully. Now the students will have wonderful art surrounding them, fueling their creative minds! … [Read more...] about Mural Mural on the Wall

Today’s idea comes from Aimable Harerimana. He's the headmaster of a school in Rwanda that's within walking distance from Nyabiheke Refugee Camp, where we work. The headmaster wanted to bring together both the refugee and host communities his schools serves in a fun, get-to-know-you type environment. Aimable’s idea? To bring them together through volleyball! They do have a volleyball court, but the net has long been missing along with volleyballs and pumps. Making Aimable's wish come true was easy! We got him and his students a whole new volleyball set complete with pumps, a net, and volleyballs, of course. The kids had everything they needed for a game to get underway. And our Rwanda team jumped right in, volleying back and forth with the kids. They're not only humanitarians, they play a mean game of volleyball, too! … [Read more...] about Bump, Set, Spike!

At an elementary school that neighbors Nyabiheke, one of the refugee camps we work in, we've made some new friends. One of those friends is Aimable, the headmaster of the school. Because of its proximity to the camp, Aimable has both refugee and Rwandan students. And he and the rest of the staff have their hands full when it comes to meeting everybody's needs. So, we thought we'd do a little something to help. Aimable told us that one of their gaps is sports equipment. “Sports equipment because refugees and Rwandans play together. And when they are together they build solidarity, they share their lives and work together for each other,” he said. We love finding new ways for kids to come together, so we decided on a tried and true idea - footballs for the school! The children laughed and played right away. We even got to get in on the action, playing a little game of keep away with everyone. Building community between the host and refugee community is so … [Read more...] about New Friends

In Rwanda, we provide counseling, community services, and programs that help refugees stay safe. But one of our new spaces to hold these services was not properly equipped when we inherited the building. Our staff wanted to change that! Their idea? Curtains! Curtains will work in two ways. First, they make the clients feel comfortable and more open. Second, they keep the outside passersby from looking in and seeing their neighbor. The curtains not only gave privacy but also brightened up the whole room and made it feel simply nicer. A big change with one small step! … [Read more...] about Closing the Curtain

When we met with the ARC Rwanda team to talk about what ideas they had for their community, one of the very first people they thought of was Anita. Anita is a bright young Congolese actress and community activist. She's volunteered with ARC for the last couple of years. She's been a consistent, reliable, and inspiring volunteer - and they wanted to say thanks. The team came up with an amazing idea...a shopping spree! Anita is always focusing on the needs of others, so we wanted to take care of some of her needs! We all piled into a car and went to the market. Anita wanted to get a new bed - she didn’t have one - and she also said she could use some pots. pans, rice, and a new dress. The shopping spree was a total hit! Anita started out rather reserved but by the end she was all smiles. Thank you Anita for your amazing humanitarian spirit! … [Read more...] about Meet Anita