"The single mothers in Nakivale never cease to amaze me." Andrew from the Alight team has seen how incredible some of the single mothers in Nakivale Refugee Settlement are - as sole providers and care takers, they need to navigate a difficult landscape while at the same time caring for the needs of their kids. It's a bit job. "Many single mothers find themselves doing labor in farms," he said. "But not everyone can handle that." One group of moms decided to band together to do something different - open a bakery! They're just getting their business of the ground, and like all startups, they needed a little capital. Andrew and the team put their heads together to think up ways to help. And together with the Nakivale Rotaract Team, they came up with a list of items that the ladies would need - and they set to work getting them! With this little boost, the moms will be able to make enough freshly baked buns to sell at the nearby school, and other people who pass by! … [Read more...] about Freshly Baked

Gatete lives in Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda. He's had a particularly tough time recently, with an illness that's left him unable to support himself. When we first spoke to Gatete, he was sleeping outside, without a shelter. "Gatete needed help," said Andrew from the Alight team. "He came to us and asked what we might do to help. We immediately told ourselves, there's got to be something we can do." Together with the Rotaract Club of Nakivale, we had a shelter built for him, and helped him furnish it with the comforts of home, like a mattress and eating utensils. We also connected him to health services so that he can get a proper diagnosis. "It was really powerful to see Gatete's transformation over just one day," said Andrew. "He went from sleeping out in the open one night, to sleeping on a comfortable mattress the next, with a roof over his head and a blanket to keep him warm." "Just when I thought the world had turned its back on me, today I have reason … [Read more...] about A Home for Gatete

As a humanitarian working in Nakivale Refugee Settlement, it takes courage to stay in a refugee settlement from Monday to Monday without access to any outside updates or information. Most people who work in Nakivale spend the whole day in offices, and the only time they have access to watch the news is at night in the nearby trading center. It's soccer season, and teams really wanted to stay up to date! So we decided to surprise one of our partner's whole office team, the Office of the Prime Minister, with furnishes for their quarters - including access to TV! We furnished their staff house in Nakivale with refrigerators to keep their food cool, a set of chairs for the sitting room, and of course, a TV and cable connection! Their work can be long and stressful, so having something comfortable to come home to - and some access to the outside world - can go a long way in helping stress management and boosting moral. “I have been watching the news and sports updates … [Read more...] about Staying Connected

Everybody knows what recess at school can be like - teachers deal with a lot of scraped knees, bumps, and bruises as kids unleash all the energy they've been building up in class. Having a first aid kit on hand is a MUST. At the primary school in Rubondo, a small community in Nakivale Refugee Settlement, teachers deal with those little childhood injuries all the time. They told us that when it comes to safety, first aid kits would go a long way in helping ease these little bumps and bruises for the kiddos. But they didn't have any. So with the help of the Rotaract Club of Nakivale, we got first aid kits into the hands of all the teachers at every primary school in Rubondo. The kids will help get bandages on those scraped knees, and they'll also work to promote a culture of safety at school. Now, the teachers can help their kids be safe at school...and stop worrying about not having these supplies on hand! … [Read more...] about Safety First!

Giving birth is a joyous moment for mom, family, and baby alike. But it can also be a scary one. Imagine all the emotional highs and lows, fears, pain, and joy of that day - and now imagine all of it happening in the dark. You can't control when you'll give birth. So in Nakivale Refugee Settlement, there are many births that happen at night, a time when electricity is unreliable and the chances of being in total darkness are likely. Doctors and nurses make do with holding flashlights in their mouths as they work with their hands. But that simply isn't good enough. We've heard directly from the people in Nakivale that they want and need solar lamps, a solution that only relies on the power of the sun. So we decided to start with step one, something that we could do that would help moms in Nakivale feel and be a little safer - solar lamps for the maternity ward. We installed solar lamps at the maternity clinic, run by our partner MTI. And they were so thrilled with … [Read more...] about In the Light