Hello hello! I'm Shaukat from the Alight Pakistan team. And I'm here to tell you about a need that actually has a very doable solution - helping teachers learn the ABCs of first aid. In many of the non-formal schools where we work in Islamabad, children and their families face many health hazards - but there's not a whole lot of access to healthcare. Their teachers often get frustrated that they can't help their students in even the smallest injuries. So even though we knew we couldn't solve the entire picture of the healthcare system in these communities, we could take a first step to equip teachers with the tools they need to help. We gave a one day first aid training to Ms. Kiran, in teacher in one of our non-formal schools, along with a group of her colleagues. Customizing the content to fit the needs of these particular teachers, the trainers gave them the knowledge and skills they required most. We also handed over first aid kits with all the tools they need to … [Read more...] about First Things First
Campaigns
Waste Not, Want Not
Hi! This is Ahsan here from the Pakistan team. And I'm here to tell you about a problem that doesn't always make for polite dinner conversation - waste management. Here in Pakistan, waste management can be a big problem. Millions of people each year get sick because of contamination, and urban areas take on a big share of the issue. Lack of city planning and the absence of proper systems are responsible, but people's actions are a part of it too. So the first place to start chipping away at the problem? Education. We brought together 28 young people at one of our schools in Islamabad for a training, all about garbage disposal and reuse. I often see garbage spread around on the streets surrounding school in this area, so we wanted to start with ways that even students can help mitigate the problem. We asked the students to gather plastic bottles over the course of a week. Then, we held a session on the three "Rs" (reduce, reuse and recycle) and the children were then set … [Read more...] about Waste Not, Want Not
Ready to Play
Hello everyone! My name is Hammad and I work for Alight in Pakistan. Unfortunately, Afghan refugees have remained a secluded fragment of our society. The moment I started working with them, I came face to face with the realization that there is so much to do for these communities, which lack some basic things – like proper education. Education is not only bound to curriculum and assessments, but it hurts students’ ability to participate in extracurricular activities as well. During a visit to one neighborhood, we noticed that the Afghan students were playing with an old tire and wooden stick. Although they were big cricket and football enthusiasts, we realized that they have no way to participate in them. My team and I had an idea...to establish a recreational room in our non-formal schools! So we talked to the school administration, and after our discussion, we mutually decided that we will transform one of the classrooms. Sports kits (Football, Cricket, Badminton) were … [Read more...] about Ready to Play
Self-Defense Day
Sometimes, feeling empowered means equipping yourself with lots of different tools that you need to move forward confidently in the direction of your choice. For Yemeni refugee girls living in Mogadishu, one of those tools is having the physical confidence to defend themselves. "In the Yemeni culture, girls aren't allowed to go outside without her brother, mother or father for fear they'll be harassed by boy," said Husna, one refugee girl we work with in the city. She told us that it might help if they had some training for how to defend themselves, if it ever came to that. We decided to hold a "self defense day," where school girls could participate in a self-defense class and other outdoor activities. It was a chance to help the girls feel confident when they venture outside alone, and also an opportunity to freely play - something they don't get very often. "I feel like a prisoner who was set free today!" said Husna. "I got to laugh, play, and be myself with new … [Read more...] about Self-Defense Day
Expanding Hearts and Minds
There's nothing quite like getting lost in a really good story. Stories move us, they give us a glimpse into different places, times, and lives. Stories are powerful tools - they can expand our hearts and our minds. In Mogadishu, young Yemeni refugees are living side by side with Somali residents, but they often don't get a chance to get to know each other, to hear about each other's lives and experiences. If they did, thought our Alight Somalia team, they might realize they have more in common than they think... Using the power of storytelling, our team organized a one event for Yemeni and Somali kids, bringing them to together to share, spend time together, and get lost in a good story. One of the Yemeni students shared some of the most important Yemeni stories from back home."My desk mate doesn’t know anything about Yemen," she said, "so this is my chance to teach her about my culture through storytelling.” The kids also had an opportunity to simply cozy up with a … [Read more...] about Expanding Hearts and Minds
Seeding the Future
What Salim Mohamed, a young Yemeni refugee, misses about his old school is the trees. "We had five huge trees in my old school in Yemen," he said, "and during break time we would gather under the tree chit chat, rest and climb. We only have one baby tree in my current school in Mogadishu.” We might not be able to recreate those huge, beautiful trees for Salim in an instant - but we can surely plant the seeds. So together with the Alight team in Mogadishu, we put on a tree planting day for all the students at Salim's school! It was a full day of planting, watering, and tending to the trees, giving them the best chance at taking root and growing tall. It was an opportunity not just to honor Salim's request, but to show every student that it's possible to change things for themselves - to recreate the things they love, wherever they are. … [Read more...] about Seeding the Future
Outside the Box
We wanted to give the Yemeni refugee students we work with an opportunity to do something outside of the classroom, something that might be different than their normal day to day. Learning to hone their painting skills is something that most students don't really get an opportunity to do - but it's a great creative outlet. And, it could serve them well in the future too. Painting can be for art, or for fun, but it can also be good business. Many signs - from shops to restaurants to businesses - are hand painted in Mogadishu. So having this skill in your back pocket is never a bad idea. Together with the arts teacher at one of the schools we work in, Bartamaha, we put together a brush painting workshop for students - girls and boys alike. "In our traditional context, social-cultural perceptions tie painting and brush work to masculinity," he said. "but I am proud to offer this skill to everyone!" "I am happy that I did the painting," said one girl. "Women are not limited … [Read more...] about Outside the Box
Friendly Competition
In Mogadishu, Alight teams have been working to do what they can for the thousands of Yemeni refugees now living in the city. Many of them are young people, desperately trying to keep their education alive and opportunities open. One of our teammates in Mogadishu, Zaila, had an idea for how to keep these students engaged in school while at the same time connecting them with other students - an inter-school academic competition! "Competition inspires students," he said, "and meeting in friendly competition enables children to expand their circle of new friends from different schools." So the team got to work, organizing a one day academic bowl! For its inaugural run, we gathered students from two schools - Bartamaha and Sacada schools. "I have played and taken part in different competitive activities like sporting, but for academics, it’s the first time!" said Abdulkadir, a student from Bartamaha. "I found it to be very enjoyable. I met new friends from Sacada School … [Read more...] about Friendly Competition
Proud to Be From Here
Since the early 1990s, Minnesota has welcomed members of the Oromo community after having been displaced from their homes in Ethiopia. Telile, who arrived when she was a young woman, told us that her time in Minnesota was hard at first. She had difficulty adjusting to the cold and a new culture. But, she also said that Minnesotans helped ease these struggles of starting over. “Everyone was very nice and welcoming.” She also found a local church that helped her find comfort and connections here. Many in the Oromo community have had similar experiences, and they hope to continue to build connections and deeper relationships. Today, the Twin Cities is home to 40,000 members of the Oromo community, making it the largest population of Oromo outside of Ethiopia. This community has so much gratitude for Minnesotans, pride in their culture, and belief in the future we will all have together. To honor this, we decided to support them in coordinating a celebration of Oromo cultural event – … [Read more...] about Proud to Be From Here
The Next Generation
When people are displaced, they're taken away from the environment that fostered generations of culture and community. For families who have the opportunity to resettle into a new home and begin rebuilding their lives, they often work hard to maintain these traditions – to remember and honor their history and to carry this identity forward. But this isn’t an easy task. Over the last 30 years, thousands of members of the Oromo community found Minnesota to be their new home. While many of their experiences have been positive, filled with welcoming neighbors, it can be difficult to fully express your cultural traditions. This is especially challenging for the next generation - Oromo youth who were born in Minnesota. In an effort to ensure Oromo youth learn about their heritage and traditions, an organization called Oya was born. The current president of Oya, Maggie, wants to ensure young people in her community have the opportunity to learn and feel confident in what it means to … [Read more...] about The Next Generation