From billboards off the highway to advertisements on the bus, we're bombarded with so much messaging every day. But what if these daily messages weren’t trying to sell us something? What if instead, they stood for something truly good, like peace and safety in our community? In Oruchinga Refugee settlement, the Kajaho boda boda drivers had just this idea. These motorcycle taxi (or boda) drivers play a big role in making daily commutes safe. They’re trained in safe driving practices, but they also receive training in in gender-based violence prevention and how to report instances of violence to authorities in the settlement. The boda boda cyclists wanted to take steps to be even safer on the roads while spreading the anti-violence messaging far and wide. So, they requested reflector jackets with educative messages printed on the back. We were able to get 27 bright new jackets, which will serve as uniforms for the boda boda group and moving peace billboards, too! As Mr. … [Read more...] about Mobile Messages

There is so much power in knowing there’s a safe place for you to land. In Juru, the protection house stands for this kind of safety, promising shelter, comfort, and peace of mind. But when a safe space is missing key safety features, all that solace vanishes. At Juru’s protection house, a lack of lighting is the biggest safety concern. When it gets dark, staying safe gets riskier, which is especially troubling when you consider how many people specifically use the protection houses at night. Khalid, an OPM worker in Juru told us, “The challenge of a lack of lights is simply a threat to security.” But though challenging, there’s certainly a solution to a lack of lights, and the community had just the fix: solar lights! We got to work installing a solar system to make sure everyone stays safe, no matter the hour. Already, people are enjoying the new system. “Before, because of the darkness, it was difficult to wake up in the night to breastfeed my baby. So this light will … [Read more...] about Light All Night

Wintertime is the rainy season in Uganda. Though rain is great for growth, it can also bring dangerous flooding. Due to unrelenting rain, some communities in Kakoma village have been struggling to keep their homes safe and dry. For community members living with special needs, conditions are especially hard. These folks often struggle to fix up housing after floods. So, we teamed up with OPM to build a house for people with special needs, one that makes sure they’re safe and sound no matter the weather. The house has a floor that can be easily cleaned, plus good ventilation, both of which help keep the residents healthy, even when it’s damp. And to make the house comfy, we made sure it was full of warm bedding, too! Now, everyone can rest easy. As one resident named Venance explained, “I have lived in a poor house for years, and I have been praying for a better house. When the rainy season started, I worried the house would collapse and kill me. So I appreciate Changemakers … [Read more...] about Shelter from the Storm

Today, we’re at the Kahirimbi police station. This station serves both the host and refugee communities of Nakivale Uganda, and they work hard to keep everyone safe. But after the sun goes down, this police station has a problem: their lights turn off! A police station without lights makes a hard job even harder. After all, crime never sleeps! And reporting and writing up crimes without light is difficult, if not impossible. If the lack of light wasn’t challenging enough, the station has recently been having trouble with their holding cells, which have become easy to break out of over time. So what did we do? We got to work! First, our team installed solar lights and a solar panel. And just like that, let there be light! Next up, we made the holding cells sturdier, and we ensured all the exits and entrances were secure. With a stronger police station, everyone feels better. “I have always feared to report my cases to police because I knew the people arrested would move … [Read more...] about Lighting up Kahirimbi

When disaster strikes, the support of a community can make all the difference. After a tragic house fire in Nshungyezi village destroyed one family’s shelter, a little help getting back on track is just what they needed. With both a young baby and a person living with special needs in the home, the family was finding it impossible to fix things on their own. This left them worried and discouraged, as processes to replace basic needs can take a long time. “When my house got burnt, I thought that this is the end of me and my family, because I had no hope of getting any support,” one of the family members, Nyiramugisha, told us. No one should feel this way, so we got right to work bringing bedding and plastic sheeting to help reconstruct the family’s shelter. Soon enough, they were back feeling comfortable and safe in their neighborhood. This idea came right from the community, and one community worker said, “I really appreciate Alight for challenging the community to write in … [Read more...] about Better Days Ahead

Schools and sports: they go so well together! Whether teaching kids about teamwork, sharpening their hand-eye coordination, or simply as a much-needed outlet for letting off steam, sports are an important complement to academics. In Nakivale, Uganda, we visited three primary schools—Kashojwa, Kabazana and Ruhoko—to see if we could up our game when it came to sports equipment. As it turns out, there was plenty of room for improvement! We were able to get a wide variety of sports equipment, including netballs, volleyballs, and footballs. Since volleyballs are surely better with nets, we made sure there was one for each school, too. To make things extra official, we got whistles for each school and sets of sports uniforms for both girls and boys. Now, as they practice their skills, they can do so with style and ease! It isn’t just the kids who were excited about these new tools “Sports activities have always been a challenge due to the lack of materials,” one head teacher told … [Read more...] about Upping Their Games

Nshungezi Health Centre is a maternity ward in Nakivale Refugee settlement. They look after expectant mothers and make sure their health and safety are taken care of. But like the school from yesterday, this maternity ward has a problem: there are no lights! Babies aren’t known for waiting to be born until the conditions are perfect. When babies are born after dark, the midwives face many challenges. But our quick-thinking team thought of the perfect solution: solar lamps for the midwives to use during the night births! These solar lamps can be moved around easily and light the way wherever they may go! “Sometimes we receive patients at night when the generator is switched off, so we have been moving in darkness to attend to them. But with this lamp, I will have light at night,” said Doreen, a midwife. “This lamp is going to help get the medicine from the drug store at night, thank you ARC for this support,” said Hope, the woman in-charge of the maternity. Now … [Read more...] about Keeping the Lights On

All over the world, teachers have similar evening responsibilities. Whether grading papers, making lesson plans, and preparing for 8 hours of educating students, a teacher’s job is rarely over when the bell rings. The teachers of Rubondo primary school work so hard to teach their students valuable lessons and to set them on track for success. However, each day these teachers run into a roadblock. They have no lights in the school building! This leaves little time for all those nightly duties. But we had just the thing to shed some light: a solar panel and lighting system! “Most of my female teachers in this school are mothers with babies. They have been sleeping in the darkness. Also, they are required to get home early before they finalize their daily activities. This lighting system will help both the mothers and the babies, making happier lives for the teachers,” said Mrs. Gonza, assistant commandant at Rubondo. Thank you to the amazing teachers of Rubondo for your … [Read more...] about A Spotlight On Teachers

The kitchen. It’s a place people gravitate towards. Whether gathering for a meal or having a conversation over a warm cup of coffee, life in many homes happens in the kitchen. But for Aliyena and her family, who live in Nakivale refugee settlement, there’s no kitchen to gather in. In their one-bedroom house, they cook and live all in one small, unventilated room. This is a huge problem for two reasons. First, the lack of airflow is unhealthy for the family to be breathing in all the time. Second, an open fire in this setting can easily burn down a house. But we have an easy fix that will make a huge impact in this family’s life! We got to work building a separate area where the kitchen could be. It’s ventilated, and much safer to have a separate room next door. Aliyena, the mother, was so happy with the new space. “I appreciate Alight for this support of constructing for me a kitchen,” she explained. “During the rainy season, I always cook in the house which puts my … [Read more...] about No Fire, No Problem