People living in Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement have no place to access the internet. They can’t research anything, or find out more information – besides asking their friends and neighbors who have as little information as they do. There’s no easy way to find out who’s who, or who can help you with what you need. It’s easy to imagine how confusing and frustrating that is for a refugee. But in Bidi Bidi and across Uganda, the ARC team wants to be that guide for the refugee community – to start a conversation and keep the lines of communication open. We invite the sharing of ideas, of input from everyone. But without a way to recognize who we are, it can be difficult to start talking. So on Day 73, Festo – one of our volunteers in Bidi Bidi – had a simple idea. Get the volunteers bright, vibrant t-shirts that no one will be able to miss! “I didn’t think about why t-shirts would be so important at first,” said Brent, a 365 team member on the ground in Bidi Bidi. “But it’s all … [Read more...] about Starting a Conversation

At Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement, much of our work is supported by an incredible group of volunteers. Every day, they get up before sunrise, making their way to the place where ARC’s vehicles will pick them up for the two-hour journey through the wide-open spaces of Bidi Bidi to their posts. “It’s passion,” says Vivien, one of our all-star volunteers. “When you see the vulnerability of these people, you see there’s a need and a way to help them. And since I’m here, why don’t I volunteer to help them?” When thinking of all the doable things we could do in Bidi Bidi, the ARC team knew for sure that they wanted to find a way to support volunteers like Vivien. Something to help them make it through the hot, dry desert of Bidi Bidi. Our answer? A portable field kit. We soon learned that the backpack alone made all the difference. “I’ve been carrying my papers in my hands simply every day,” said Doreen, another volunteer. “Sometimes I feel embarrassed. Yesterday it rained … [Read more...] about Powered by People

Growing up in a refugee camp isn’t easy. During a time in life when kids are most vulnerable, most impressionable, they’re are often forced to deal with very adult situations. There’s not a lot of time or opportunity for kids to simply be kids. One of the things we do in Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement is set up community help desks, where refugees can go to learn about services in the settlement, and victims of violence can also find a caring and trained ear to talk about what they’ve experienced – and find help. Most are women, and many of them bring their children. Seeing an opportunity, one ARC team member – Juma – had an idea. “If we could have a playground” he said, “it would surely help our work.” Why? Because it allows mothers to relax and more freely share their experiences. And, it gives kids a chance to play. So the ARC team went about finding a playground. And when the equipment arrived from Kampala, the work began - digging post holes and clearing ground for … [Read more...] about Where Kids Can Be Kids

In Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement in Uganda, ARC runs several volunteer-powered centers where people can come and be guided toward the resources they need. From counseling after a trauma, to helping someone cope with an abusive relationship, to figuring out how to get adequate food and shelter, these volunteers help families get back on their feet. And while all this is happening, there are almost always lots of kids nearby. “These kids love to hang around here,” said Vivien, a volunteer at one of the centers. “They are always laughing. Giggling, hopping.” Vivien had an idea - we should sing with these kids, spend some extra time with them, when they come with their parents to the center. So on Day 70, we’re bringing Vivien’s idea to life. We asked Vivien why she thought singing with kids would be a good idea. “You know from their country of origin, moving on a dusty road, reaching reception and sleeping alongside hundreds of people…when we receive them they need to feel … [Read more...] about Singing is Free

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