A few days ago, we gave the walls of the post-natal room at the Ariwa Health Center new life. Now, with a fresh coat of paint, the team imagined what they could do next. “You can’t imagine the difference some small, small thing, can make in a person’s life.” One big struggle for the health center is the lack of funds for things like bedsheets and curtains. Patients are asked to bring their own bedsheets from home, carrying them from the house as they rush to the Maternity Ward to give birth. With that in mind, a solution was simple. Day 23 would be all about getting the things needed to keep women comfortable. Things like sheets, curtains, and pillows. Joseph, Senior Logistics Coordinator and Changemaker Award Winner, joined the team and jumped on the phone. Straight away he set out plans to source bedsheets from the nearest town that would have them, almost two hours away. “You can’t imagine the difference some small, small thing, can make in a person’s life,” … [Read more...] about A Little Comfort

In Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement, thousands of new refugees arrive from South Sudan every single day. The result? All existing infrastructure that was in this rural area of northern Uganda is now filled to the brim with people urgently needing services. Everyday Ugandans, staff from organizations like ARC, and even the refugees themselves pitch in whenever possible, but sometimes places like the health center in Ariwa simply can’t take on any more patients. But this puts mothers who are expecting a baby in a tough spot – you can’t time a delivery in the middle of a new refugee settlement. Moms come to the health center in Ariwa at all times of day and night to deliver, and the beds are always full in the post-natal unit. That’s where our midwives come in. Midwives in any refugee settlement are faced with enormous challenges. Imagine it is only you and a pregnant woman who’s about to give birth. Would you know what to do? What if all the lights were off? What if it was the … [Read more...] about Outfitting Midwives

Today we returned to Ariwa Health Center to continue with more improvements to the suddenly very busy local medical facility. After painting the Post Natal Ward last week, we still have enough paint left for the team to create a more comforting environment for women as they actually give birth. So, today we’re tackling the delivery room itself. The team got to work straight away. The room needed a deep cleaning, so we started there with mops, squeegees, water, suds and plenty of elbow grease. Then we applied paint to the walls and the brand new ceiling – including a pop of color in the bright pink window shades! A few small changes in the delivery room were going to make a big impact. “We just need a simple cloth and a table cover to make this a better experience for mothers and babies,” Sonia said (Sonia is one of ARC Uganda’s hardworking teammembers. Since the ARC team launched our response in Bidi Bidi, staff like Sonia have worked tirelessly – taking only a day or two … [Read more...] about A Bright, Clean Delivery

A simple kit - just a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a bar of soap, presented with kindness - can go a long way. Especially in a place like Bidi Bidi. Every day the dust flies as gusts of wind blow through the neighborhoods, enveloping children and flinging clothes from clotheslines. And simply using neighborhood latrines can become hazardous when there isn’t any soap to wash up with afterwards. “When people arrive here they receive only one bar of soap,” said Hildah, a member of ARC’s Protection team. “That’s 500 grams…it cannot last long.” Of course, with so many people arriving at Bidi Bidi each day, it’s an uphill battle to supply people with all the things they need. But to start, on Day 20 our team did what was doable and provided hygiene kits to the most vulnerable in Zone 5. “It can have an impact on the community,” Hildah said as the team assembled hygiene kits – a simple toothbrush, toothpaste and a bar of soap packed in a tiffan. After packing up the kits, we went … [Read more...] about Just A Little Soap

After the first two days of work, the Health Center in Ariwa has already seen big changes. The post-natal ward has a new, hole-free ceiling and the walls are spick and span. Now, it’s time for a fresh coat of paint. With a few rollers and brushes in hand, the ARC team set out to give the ward a face lift, a change that will brighten a mother’s days after she’s given birth to a brand new little one. Sonia is the Reception Center Manager in Nakivale Refugee Settlement, and she joined the team in Bidi Bidi in their Changemaking efforts. “A coat of paint can make a big difference. It’s like a breath of fresh air.” Sonia should know - she saw what a difference a little paint made on Day 2 at the Nakivale Safe House. “It brings a new kind of happiness because already, right now, if you’ve just come delivering, these clean, beautiful walls can help you breath a bit of comfort.” With the walls covered in light, white paint, the scuff marks and dirt gone, the post-natal … [Read more...] about New Life To These Walls

Ariwa was just a tiny town of a few hundred people before the Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement sprang up around it. The settlement is now 270,000 strong and every business, every public service, every bit of infrastructure that was in place before refugees arrived is now being tested. The Ariwa Health Center is one such place. The number of patients visiting the center has skyrocketed, with three or four babies being delivered per day (three per month previously). The five beds in the post-natal ward are always full. Although the Health Center is now bustling with activity, little attention has been paid to the building itself – the walls, the furniture, or the environment inside. With much to be done on the inside, the team rolled up their sleeves yesterday and started with the most pressing need - fixing the falling ceiling. Next, the center needed a good scrubbing. And, to prepare for a fresh coat of paint tomorrow. The ARC team went quickly to work with the team of … [Read more...] about A Good Scrubbing

Sometimes, doing the doable is all about doing the right thing, in the moment. As the problem is made clear. And that’s what happened in Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement in Uganda yesterday when the ARC team went in to do one thing, but ended up doing something else entirely. With paint cans and brushes in hand, we set out to give the post-natal ward a makeover at Ariwa Health Center. The health center, where about 3 babies were born per month before the refugee crisis, now delivers 90 babies or more every month! The health center staff greeted us with smiles, but with reservations. We quickly learned they were dealing with some challenges that needed attention right away. “You see here,” Aziz said. Aziz is the Refugee Chairman in Ariwa, where the post-natal ward is located. “There are big holes in the ceiling. The bats come in.” Florence, the manager of the maternity ward, agreed, telling us about deliveries where bat poop was falling on moms as they gave birth. “What … [Read more...] about What It’s All About

You might not know much about Bidi Bidi refugee settlement or the refugees who have sought safety there. But you can imagine the sort of challenges that arise when a place goes from Population Zero to Population 270,000 in just a few short months. Bidi Bidi is growing so quickly, in fact, that sometimes there are simply not even enough places to sleep. One of ARC’s most important jobs in Bidi Bidi is to seek out the most vulnerable individuals in the settlement, find out what they need, and provide it. In fact, finding these individuals is the sole job of a team of 25 Ugandan volunteers. With thousands of refugees arriving every day, it can be overwhelming for this dedicated team of volunteers to keep up. Today we’re doing the doable to help a specific group of vulnerable individuals the team has found – elderly women living on their own in the settlement. We’re lifting them off the dirt floor of their makeshift homes in Bidi Bidi, so they have a safe and comfortable place … [Read more...] about A Soft Place to Sleep

Today, we’ve shifted gears and taken Changemakers 365 to the world’s newest refugee camp. You may not have heard of Bidi Bidi. In a few short months it has become the second largest refugee camp in the world. This summer it was a sleepy Ugandan border town – but today it is home to some 270,000 refugees, most of whom have fled South Sudan. ARC’s team is responsible for Zone 5 of the camp, providing protection and other support to residents of Bidi Bidi (it takes 1 hour to drive across Zone 5, alone!). We’re providing post-trauma counseling, working to prevent violence in the camp and helping run the reception center – the place where every refugee first arrives at Bidi Bidi. The camp materialized so quickly and so many people have come and continue coming, humanitarian groups are still hustling to make available all the critical services that are needed. So why, in a place where families are living in makeshift shelters without access to the essentials, would the … [Read more...] about Welcome to Bidi Bidi

On Changemakers 365’s last day (for now) in Nakivale Refugee Settlement, we had one more mini renovation that needed to be completed – the counseling room. One of ARC’s most important services in Nakivale Refugee Settlement is support counseling for women who are facing domestic abuse, violence, or discrimination in their communities. Despite their significance to the survivors that ARC serves, there simply hasn’t been the budget or the time to prioritize the atmosphere of the counseling rooms. The rooms were cramped, furnished with whatever large office desks and chairs were available. The walls were stark and roughly painted, the lighting dim. It felt formal instead of calming and healing - neither counselor nor guest found the space comforting or reassuring. So on Day 13 of this project, the counseling spaces got a complete makeover to be the spaces that women who’ve suffered abuse and violence really need to begin healing – spaces our staff could be proud of. Step … [Read more...] about Counseling Space Spruce Up