As we continue our journey with Zu in Nakivale, we focused on some of the things she's most passionate about. Education is one of them. We wanted to do the doable with Zu at one of the schools in the settlement, and we knew just the person to connect her with - Dorothy. Dorothy is the teacher at Kajaho Primary School who runs the program for deaf students. She is one in a million, and we always act on the opportunity to work with her. One of Dorothy's ideas? Building a hen house and having her students raise chickens! According to Dorothy, raising chickens teaches important life skills and also gives them access to a livelihood opportunity. It's great training for the future, which is particularly important because deaf students can have a difficult time finding work. Learning to raise chickens, they'll have a vocational skill in their back pocket as soon as they graduate. Naturally, we loved this idea and the children loved the chickens! It was a win win all … [Read more...] about Little Chickens

Yesterday, we supplied the pig farmers in Nakivale Refugee Settlement with piglets that will grow and help them expand their business. But we also wanted to make sure we thought the whole process through. We didn’t want to help by giving pigs, but then make things more difficult by not providing food for them to eat. We're all familiar with the reputation of a pig's eating habits...so this was a detail we didn't want to overlook! We provided the farmers with enough food to last six months - while the pig farmers are getting their farming sea legs, they're able to sustain the pigs without any difficulty to their finances. The women were so excited to start growing these pigs! And they have peace of mind knowing that they have a head start to give them a healthy life. … [Read more...] about Seeing it Through

One group of women in Nakivale Refugee Settlement have an idea for a startup. Their dream? To kickstart a pig farm. Raising and breeding pigs would do much to boost these women's ability to support their families. “This project impacts our lives because when you sell a piglet, you can send your children to school or get medicine,” one of the women told us. The decision to support these entrepreneurs was easy - we stepped in to help with the construction of a pig den and piglets for the group. The ladies also have dreams to expand, teaching other community members who purchase pigs from them how to breed their own. “One of the best things about a piggery is how fast the results show,” said Andrew from the ARC team. Within 9 months you can have a pig ready to sell, allowing growth and expansion to happen. These ladies have some brilliant ideas for how to lift themselves, and their communities. And with just a little boost, they - and their piglets - are off and … [Read more...] about Big Dreams Come in Small Packages

Livestock is an extremely precious asset in Nakivale Refugee Settlement. But the cows can be difficult to acquire and maintain. Enter the Wasifa community - they've really gotten the hang of it. Leaders in Wasifa have demonstrated their strategic organization and planning when it comes to rearing, breeding, milking, and selling cattle. These leaders set an example for long-term solutions and resources - and we couldn't help but take notice. We spoke with them to learn if they had any ideas for their community. And unsurprisingly, they did! They wanted to get a community cow that will let them breed calves until everyone in their group has their own. We love this idea because it's sustainable - and beneficial to the whole group. So we made it happen! Thanks Wasifa community for this fantastic idea - it'll keep your families and neighbors moo-ving in the right direction! … [Read more...] about Have a Cow

Today we've got a surprise for the talented members of Juru's soccer league! Juru is a community in Nakivale Refugee Settlement that has eight men's soccer teams, each with a team captain. They compete in friendly competitions, but they often lack the equipment necessary to play as much as they'd like. We thought to ourselves, we can totally solve this! This is doable! We called all the 8 team captains together and surprised them with a ball and a pump. The captains presented the new equipment to their teams - and then they got to playing! There was such joy and strengthened community just from being able to play together. Another small change making a big impact! … [Read more...] about The Great Eight

The Juru Primary School teachers work tirelessly to teach children of different nationalities in Nakivale Refugee Settlement, who often come speaking many different languages. As they pool their efforts towards educating the young people of Nakivale, they often find very little time for themselves. Their school has a small lounge where teachers can rest between lessons, but it isn't much to look at. But with a few little changes, it could really be something! Their idea was to stock the teacher's lounge with ceramic mugs, tea, sugar, a large thermos, silverware, trays, biscuits, and board games for entertainment. This would help the teachers recharge after their long and challenging days at work! The teachers used to share a few plastic mugs and would continually have to run to the kitchen to reheat water for tea. Now, water can be kept in a thermos in the teacher’s lounge, and each individual has their own mug - they don't have to wait during the little time they … [Read more...] about Lounging Around

Opportunigee uses its space for physical and creative activity nearly every evening of the week. The group hosts dance and art classes, instructed by the youth leaders themselves. One of those leaders is Obin. Obin instructs yoga every Wednesday evening, and usually about 20 people show up to the class each week. Everyone loves it! But the studio is only equipped with 10 yoga mats, making it tough for everyone to practice comfortably. Many people have encouraged Obin to charge for the classes he offers - he could make a profit and potentially use that income for new materials. But Obin is resolute in keeping the service that he is able to offer free and open for all. “I want to provide stress relief for everyone and for a short amount of time let refugees forget the idea that they are limited due to their situation," he said. "Everyone is welcome, and everyone can be something.” He was gracious enough to invite us to a class hosted by his friend! As the mats were … [Read more...] about Bending over Backwards

Nakivale Refugee Settlement is brimming with talent everywhere you go. And Opportunigee is no exception! Opportunigee is a self-run youth center teeming with artistic expression and community service. The look of Opportunigee alone is enough to draw someone in - it's filled with beautiful mural art, a stage, and a funky circular building made with repurposed plastic bottles. What’s more is that the outside is only a taste of the energy within - these young people are colorful, vibrant, and filled with determination to make a difference. Patrick, one of the regular youth facilitators, is focused on bettering his community and the incredible environment that Nakivale occupies. With thousands of daily imported products, waste litters the streets. Though there are designated waste bins that are meant to be regularly emptied, they are often overwhelmed and overflowing. Patrick and his co-collaborators wanted to do something about it... Enter the Opportunigee clean-up … [Read more...] about Cleaning Up

Yesterday, we met Veliria. Today, we're helping her kickstart her old business! Veliria used to sell basic foods and small wares out of her home, but eventually the demand on her family became too much. She was forced to close her doors. She needed some capital to generate a larger income for her large family. She has been making change in her community for years and now, as an inspiration, we wanted to give her a boost and restock the shelves of her store. Veliria’s small shop is now stocked with foods and goods such as sugar, coffee, tea, butter, flour, rice, beans, containers, soap, petroleum jelly and many other things! As Veliria provides services for her community, she will also be able to provide for her family - and continue to be an example of selfless care, love, and change. … [Read more...] about Taking Stock

Meet Veliria, a Rwandan woman living in Nakivale Refugee Settlement. She takes care of her husband, her ill mother, and seven children, yet only three are biologically hers. Veliria has taken in four foster children. They range from 4 to 12 years, have varying degrees of disabilities, and all rely on Veliria for clothing, food, shelter and compassion. She provides for her large family in a one bedroom home by doing agricultural fieldwork. Veliria used to offer tailoring services for her neighbors, but was forced to stop when her sewing machine broke. This resilient woman receives no additional assistance for her family, yet she persists day in and day out. “My faith tells me that I am meant to take care of these kids," she says, "and that is what it means to be good.” We wanted to do something to help, and the answer was clear.... A sewing machine! That was her idea for change. With the sewing machine, she can make and repair clothes for her family and sell and tailor … [Read more...] about Meet Veliria