Today’s idea comes from Aimable Harerimana. He's the headmaster of a school in Rwanda that's within walking distance from Nyabiheke Refugee Camp, where we work. The headmaster wanted to bring together both the refugee and host communities his schools serves in a fun, get-to-know-you type environment. Aimable’s idea? To bring them together through volleyball! They do have a volleyball court, but the net has long been missing along with volleyballs and pumps. Making Aimable's wish come true was easy! We got him and his students a whole new volleyball set complete with pumps, a net, and volleyballs, of course. The kids had everything they needed for a game to get underway. And our Rwanda team jumped right in, volleying back and forth with the kids. They're not only humanitarians, they play a mean game of volleyball, too! … [Read more...] about Bump, Set, Spike!

At an elementary school that neighbors Nyabiheke, one of the refugee camps we work in, we've made some new friends. One of those friends is Aimable, the headmaster of the school. Because of its proximity to the camp, Aimable has both refugee and Rwandan students. And he and the rest of the staff have their hands full when it comes to meeting everybody's needs. So, we thought we'd do a little something to help. Aimable told us that one of their gaps is sports equipment. “Sports equipment because refugees and Rwandans play together. And when they are together they build solidarity, they share their lives and work together for each other,” he said. We love finding new ways for kids to come together, so we decided on a tried and true idea - footballs for the school! The children laughed and played right away. We even got to get in on the action, playing a little game of keep away with everyone. Building community between the host and refugee community is so … [Read more...] about New Friends

In Rwanda, we provide counseling, community services, and programs that help refugees stay safe. But one of our new spaces to hold these services was not properly equipped when we inherited the building. Our staff wanted to change that! Their idea? Curtains! Curtains will work in two ways. First, they make the clients feel comfortable and more open. Second, they keep the outside passersby from looking in and seeing their neighbor. The curtains not only gave privacy but also brightened up the whole room and made it feel simply nicer. A big change with one small step! … [Read more...] about Closing the Curtain

When we met with the ARC Rwanda team to talk about what ideas they had for their community, one of the very first people they thought of was Anita. Anita is a bright young Congolese actress and community activist. She's volunteered with ARC for the last couple of years. She's been a consistent, reliable, and inspiring volunteer - and they wanted to say thanks. The team came up with an amazing idea...a shopping spree! Anita is always focusing on the needs of others, so we wanted to take care of some of her needs! We all piled into a car and went to the market. Anita wanted to get a new bed - she didn’t have one - and she also said she could use some pots. pans, rice, and a new dress. The shopping spree was a total hit! Anita started out rather reserved but by the end she was all smiles. Thank you Anita for your amazing humanitarian spirit! … [Read more...] about Meet Anita

The ARC team in Mugambwa Refugee Camp really love our community activists. And they had one last idea for them during our changemaking extravaganza...they wanted to get them all together for a meal to say thanks. All of the activists come over to our office to hang out and share a meal. The activists really thought this was a treat - they don't often get to spend down time together outside of their day to day work. We laughed and relaxed, enjoying each other's company. And most importantly, our team was able to show their appreciation and let the community activists know what an amazing job they do! These volunteers are something else. We are so proud to have them on our team! … [Read more...] about Time Together

Yesterday, we thanked our activists with some umbrellas. Today, we're back at it again with something else well suited for the rainy season. Our team had a great idea...backpacks and boots! Backpacks are great because the volunteers travel long distances. Now, they'll be able to bring all their things right along with them. And since it's still the rainy season, boots will help our friends navigate the wet and muddy roads. Getting your feet wet is the worst feeling. We wanted to make sure our hardworking friend's feet stayed warm and dry! Tomorrow we’ve got last trick up our sleeve for our community activists...see you then! … [Read more...] about Boots Made for Walking

Our community activists are amazing. In Mugambwa, they volunteer tirelessly to help us amplify our work in the camp. From making house calls to performing at gatherings, they stay really busy. Most of these volunteers travel around the refugee camp to do their work - rain or shine. And in the rainy season in Rwanda, it rains more than shines. We wanted to make their jobs easier...so we surprised them with a little gift Mary Poppins would have been proud of. Umbrellas! Now, when the activists are out and about they don’t have to worry about staying dry. When we brought out the umbrellas, it couldn’t have come at a better time. A full-on rain storm rolled in! Everyone laughed and was running around in the rain because they didn’t have to worry about staying dry anymore. Thank you to our community activists - and here’s to staying dry even in the rainy season! … [Read more...] about Staying Dry

In Mugombwa Refugee Camp in Rwanda, our team hosts a lot of events - from sports to video screenings, these gatherings unite communities and give people something fun to look forward to. But all the events have one thing in common...they need power. The team had an idea that would not allow them to power up whenever they need it - a generator. That way, our teams are mobile, carrying the power source wherever they need it. Their first event with the generator was a video screening about the importance of reducing domestic violence aimed at women. Before the showing, there was music and dancing to generate a ton of excitement and interest. And in the end, everyone learned something - and they had a good time doing it. With this idea, the generator becomes more than a tool - it's an engine for changemaking! … [Read more...] about Generating Change

We've splashed the outside of our counseling space with a beautiful mural, but we wanted to bring some of that same feel inside the building, too. The idea? More art, of course! Two new paintings were created by our friend Willie, a local artist who sat with the community to learn what they wanted to communicate through art. The artwork had the same message as our mural from yesterday - the importance of reducing violence and empowering women. The new building is looking great! But more importantly, it's a little bit of joy for refugees who are on their road to recovery. . … [Read more...] about Inside and Out

At the counseling center in Kigeme Refugee Camp, there was one last thing we wanted to do to make it feel more community-centered. Something that would bring people together to express the things that were most important to them. A mural! To make a mural that the community relates to, you need to meet with the community! So we called our community activists together and asked them about the messages that would be important to to everyone. They told us that they wanted the mural to be a message of power to women. “We want young women to see this and know they have a voice,” one activist said. We worked side by side with the group to design something that resonated with them, something that empowered women with color and art. In the end, the mural brought so much color. But it also brought up some new conversations - and ideas that will inspire as they walk by the art each day. … [Read more...] about Community Color