In a place as large as Nakivale Refugee Settlement, which spans 100 square miles and hosts over 80,000 residents, providing protection services can be a challenging task. It is simply too large for ARC staff to be everywhere at once. That’s where ARC’s Community Activists come in. These are 100 volunteers, members of the communities in Nakivale, who want to be agents of change, of good. The volunteers are trained by ARC in how to deal with conflict resolution, how to encourage positive relationships in families, and how to get people, especially women and children, the support they need when they face abuse or violence in their homes. They act as ARC’s eyes and ears in the furthest corners of Nakivale. They’re vital to what ARC does – they’re the reason we can do so much to protect the most vulnerable in the settlement. So Day 13 was about giving these volunteers the recognition they deserve - by honoring them in a public space and showing just a small token of our … [Read more...] about Honoring Volunteer Activists

Now that the Safe House renovation is complete, it’s time for one last step – revealing the transformation to the community and those who helped make it happen. We took a moment to celebrate everyone’s commitment to improving the lives of women in Nakivale – the refugee community, ARC staff, and our most important partners at Nakivale who were there to cut the ribbon. Harriet Adong, ARC’s Protection Manager, was one of the first to see the new Safe House. Her reaction said it all – she was awestruck, covering her face with her hands and testing out the bed, as if to see if it was real. “It’s incredible,” she said. “Just incredible.” Other stakeholders had similar reactions. Aba Opokum-Mensah, Team Leader at Nakivale for the UN Refugee Agency, said, “when I first saw the house I was so surprised. This is not what I expected. It’s so good that we don’t have to struggle to get someone a place to sleep. We just have to say, this is the lady and we will take her. I wish … [Read more...] about The Big Reveal

On the last day of the Safe House Makeover, we’re tying up loose ends. The Safe House is a physical place for women and families to recover. Over the last 10 days we’ve shared how truly important it is that we care for all of the details related to this place of healing. The improvements to the Safe House will change dramatically the experience of women in the days and weeks following trauma. But, fortunately, we have much more to offer women than a safe and comforting environment. Day 11 is all about making sure guests at the Safe House are connected to the many opportunities and services that are available to help with the healing process. ARC offers counseling, referral support, legal and other services – we also have a help hotline in times of emergency. And other organizations at Nakivale offer services that can help women through the healing process, too. The challenge is that women need a guide to help them understand and navigate the options and make a plan for the … [Read more...] about Being a Guide

A home is not a home without a way to provide nourishment for yourself and your children. Before the renovation, when women arrived at the Safe House they would have nothing with which to cook – no pots, no stove, and no food. Instead, when ARC staff knew there was to be a guest at the Safe House, they would rush to gather some extra food, or even just take them to a neighbor nearby for a quick meal. The system didn’t make sense. And for women who are running from domestic abuse, not having even the most basic of their needs met only sharpens their pain. So for Day 10 of the Safe House renovation project, the team set out to provide everything a woman needs to feed her family at the Safe House - ready for her arrival. To start, ARC staff purchased one cooking stove, along with 10kg of flour and 10kg of beans kept ready and waiting for guests. A new system has been established to purchase the flour and beans ahead of time, so that food will always be available. … [Read more...] about Ready To Cook

It may seem obvious, but perhaps the most important change for this Safe House makeover is making sure the rooms are secure and safe. Imagine running from a violent spouse, and then living in constant fear of that person finding you. This is the reality women face when arriving at the Safe Houses. And before the Safe House renovation - although they had a roof over their heads - these women had no way to ensure that the windows were latched securely, that the doors would lock, or to alert anyone if they were in immediate danger. So Day 9 of the Safe House project is all about security – ensuring that guests feel safe and protected, always. To start, a volunteer from the Nakivale community welded new window handles, attaching them so that the windows can be closed and locked from the inside. Near to the Safe Houses is a police station – so panic buttons were installed next to the door, to be pressed in case of an intruder. Another small, portable panic button was placed on the … [Read more...] about Securing the Safe House

When we got started with the Safe House Makeover, we didn’t realize all the different things we’d need to make it a healing place for women. But the list kept growing – after all, women who come to the Safe Houses in Nakivale Refugee Settlement have left behind everything. So, today we stocked the Safe House with essential items women can use to care for themselves and their young ones, but also with resources for reflection. With the essentials at-hand, they can focus all of their energies on healing. Now, each room is outfitted with a Self-Care Kit, which includes a tooth brush, tooth paste, facial wipes, baby wipes, a nail clipper and file, a comb, lotion, sanitary pads, and a wash cloth. These are basic items needed to feel clean and well-kept. Imagine what a simple thing like having clean nails can do to refresh body and spirit and make someone feel even just a bit better. The self-care kits will help women do the little things that can end up having enormous impact. … [Read more...] about Self-Care

After six days, the rooms of the Safe House are on their way to a complete transformation. They’re equipped to comfort women during times of extreme need and trauma. And, they’re looking beautiful. Once we've finished, women who seek refuge at ARC’s Safe Houses will find a calming environment to rest and reflect. But many of those women come with their children, too. In fact, mothers often leave their homes in order to protect those children, to keep them away from violence and abuse. Like mothers all over the world, moms at Nakivale want their kids to be safe, to be protected, to have the best that life has to offer. When children are staying at the Safe House, it’s possible that, in addition to the trauma they’re facing, their schooling is being interrupted as well. Children need an outlet to play, to learn, and to grow. But before this renovation, the Safe Houses were not equipped to support the children in this way, with no items specifically meant for them. Day 7 is … [Read more...] about A Place For Kids

After the first few days of the makeover, the Safe Houses at Nakivale Refugee Settlement have already come a long way. Instead of empty, harsh rooms, now there’s a fresh coat of paint, furniture, and warm blankets and pillows. The Safe Houses are becoming what they were always meant to be - a place of healing for women who have nowhere else to go. But day 6 of the Safe House transformation is about adding those touches that make a house feel like a home. Because just as important as physical comfort is emotional well-being – the ability to reflect and heal in a peaceful, calming, and beautiful environment. Before this project the Safe House was stark and empty. So the ARC team set out to change all that – by introducing elegant décor to calm and heal. Neutral colors, those that will be easy on the eyes and soothing on the mind, put people at ease. So the team chose colors of nature to fill the rooms – blues, grays, and light greens that mimic the ocean, the daytime sky, … [Read more...] about It Can Be A Beautiful Space

Sometimes the people our team works hard to keep safe are small children. Safe Houses aren’t the right solution for these little ones – they need the loving care and attention of responsible grown-ups. Some of the people we most admire are the refugee foster families who take these children into their homes and care for them as their own. In refugee camps, where conditions are incredibly challenging, you don’t have to look far to find an abundance of generosity and love. Hooray for Foster Families! There are many children in Nakivale settlement who need a nurturing home. Some are orphans, some were separated from their parents and arrived on their own in the settlement, some are in jeopardy, and others may come from families that don’t have the means to care for them. Regardless of the situation, foster families step forward to help. Foster families are residents in the settlement, refugees themselves, who volunteer to take in foster kids and treat them as their own. … [Read more...] about Thanking Foster Families

When women flee their homes, they leave everything behind. They arrive at the camp protection offices exhausted, afraid, and empty handed. The one thing the protection counselors most wanted to provide was the basics – blankets, pillows, extra clothing – the day to day things women need to stay warm and care for their children. It may be surprising to learn that it can get chilly in the refugee settlement, but temperatures can often dip to chilling temperatures overnight and during the rainy season. Having warm clothes and blankets at hand is a must. The colors of the quilt, sheets, and pillows were chosen for calm and tranquility – soothing teal and gray. Two plump pillows were placed on each bed, inviting guests to rest their heads. And the clothing represents a wide range of needs, sizes, and weather conditions – preparing families for every scenario. Having the comforts of home in the Safe Houses will make the women who stay there feel more welcomed, more at home, … [Read more...] about Comforts of Home