There are no book stores or libraries in Kismayo. So for people who love to read and learn, this is a problem. The Youth Center, run by the ARC team, supports hundreds of kids who are passionate about learning – and especially about learning English. But there just aren’t any English books readily available. That’s where we come in. For Day 78, we’re getting the Youth Center an infusion of new English books, helping these kids learn a little easier. Fatima is a young English student – she’s been learning for about a year – and, she says, it’s going pretty well. “The farther you go to advance English, the more difficult it gets!” But, Fatima knows that excelling in language skills is key. “I’m learning English for my future life,” she said. “I want to get a good job.” We got the Youth Center boxes filled with English books, brought from Mogadishu. Now, they’ll have a stack of books to pull from, supporting students like Fatima who are voracious learners. “I just … [Read more...] about Book Worms
Campaigns
Glass Half Full
The Youth Center in Kismayo supports hundreds of young former refugees get back on their feet. They offer so much IT classes, sewing classes, traditional dancing, you name it. But all those activities take a lot of work to plan and organize. The center’s teachers are the ones who hold it all together. Most of them volunteer their time and energy to helping young people learn – they believe in a bright future for these kids. For Day 77, we wanted to do something to help make the center just a little easier place to teach and give back. During the dry season, Kismayo is hot – and dry. And with safe drinking water sometimes difficult to come by, many people just simply don’t stay hydrated. During long days of teaching, this can be tough. One thing we could do to help out seemed simple – get these teachers some water! We installed water coolers in each teacher’s office. Now, a clean, cool glass of water is only a few steps away. These teachers play such a vital role … [Read more...] about Glass Half Full
Pen and Paper
As former refugees return to Somalia, new neighborhoods are springing up – there’s an infusion of youth and energy in the city. But one problem is keeping up with demand. Sometimes, there aren’t enough schools to meet everyone’s needs. Luckily, there are a lot of people coming up with creative ways to get kids in the classroom. One of those people is Abshir Mohamed Ahmed. He’s a teacher who lives in an underserved neighborhood in Kismayo, one that didn’t have its own school. So naturally, he decided to start his own. “I just want them to be successful people in the future,” said Abshir, speaking of his students. “I want to fill the void of education.” Since Abshir’s school isn’t officially a part of the system, they struggle to get enough supplies to keep them going. Sometimes they run out of basic things, like pencils and paper. But they’re working on it – hoping to get their certification soon. In the meantime, there was something we could do. We gathered Abshir and … [Read more...] about Pen and Paper
The Future is Bright
The city of Kismayo is going through a transition. On the southern coast of Somalia, it’s seen an influx of thousands of former refugees, coming home for the first time in decades. One of the things we do in Kismayo is help those returned refugees find their feet again – helping shape Kismayo to be the most welcoming place it can be. And with more than half of those former refugees under the age of 30, there’s a big need for programs and activities that focus around young people. That’s where the Youth Center comes in! The Youth Center is a place where young returnees can grow job skills, meet people, gain confidence, and find positive, productive outlets. Young people learn useful job skills – like hair cutting and henna design, business, and IT skills. They organize performance and artist's groups. And, the center offers English, design, and computer classes, too. Really, the more appropriate might be – what DON’T they do?! As more and more young people come back to … [Read more...] about The Future is Bright
Creativity is Key
When we first met the young Changemakers at Oruchinga’s Youth Center, we knew this was a special group of people. But someone stood out to us as going above and beyond in working to achieve his dreams, despite the obstacles – and that was Devins. Devins is a guitarist, artist, and all around amazing person. He’s also wheelchair bound. But he doesn’t let his physical limitations stop him from growing as a musician – or from being a part of making change in his community. We noticed that while Devins created beautiful artwork, he was missing some supplies – he has so many ideas, but limited tools to see them through. So for Day 74, we’re doing something about it. We scouted a local art store, and got Devins all the things he needed to keep a steady flow of art supplies - things like colored pencils, paper, watercolor paint, portfolios to hold his art, and more. We gathered some of his closest friends from the Youth Center, and surprised Devins at home. As we handed over … [Read more...] about Creativity is Key
Off the Bench
It’s no secret that sports have the power to bring people together. From international events like the Olympics to pickup football games in the backyard, sports help people find common ground - and sometimes meaning and purpose. This is especially true for young people in Oruchinga Refugee Settlement. “It’s a way for us to be together with nationals and refugees,” said Cubaka, the president of the Youth Center. “Sometimes you can form friendships.” Young refugees at the Youth Center organize a lot of sports activities – soccer, netball, volleyball and more. But they’re constantly coming up against one problem – the demand for sports is higher than they have the resources to support. For Day 73, we’re doing something about it. We went to a local sports shop in Mbarara, the closest big town, and practically bought out the place. Soccer balls, volleyballs, netball equipment, badminton, soccer goals, jump ropes, you name it! Now, the Youth Center won’t only have more of … [Read more...] about Off the Bench
Community Works
“What can we do to fight poverty?” For Christian, treasurer of the Youth Center at Oruchinga Refugee Settlement, this is a question he and the other young people he works with contemplate and act on all the time. And, he says, the answer isn’t straightforward. “Poverty isn’t just about money. It’s a big part, but it’s also about lack of peace and community.” One of the ideas Christian and his friends at the Youth Center have to build peace is neighborhood volunteer days – where members of the group come together to do community works projects once a month. They do things like fix potholes in the road, plant trees and flowers – anything the community needs. They’ve already gotten started, repairing a nearby road that was in terrible condition. But they want to do more, to expand to all of Oruchinga. “But the biggest challenge for us is the material,” said Cubaka, President of the center. “With more tools, we could do more." For Day 72, the idea was simple – get these … [Read more...] about Community Works
Growing Up
For many refugees in Uganda, farming is their main source of income. When done well, harvesting and selling crops can be a great way to earn some income. The young folks at Oruchinga’s Youth Center knew that having their own farm could help support their activities, could help them grow. The group, led by their President Cubaka, had a small garden but they were running out of supplies – things like good seeds, fertilizer, hoes, boots, watering cans, and trowels. So, we thought, there was something we could do about that! For Day 71, we got the Youth Center all the things they need to get their community garden in great working order. “We teach our members how to farm in the best way,” said Christian, the treasurer of the group. “So the members will not only have access to the profits generated by our garden, but also will be better farmers themselves.” “What we can’t plant right now we’ll put in our store,” said Cubaka. “And we’ll share with everyone. Some of the … [Read more...] about Growing Up
The Perfect Shot
For any teenager, getting out from under the watchful eye of their parents is the best part of the day. This is true of teenagers everywhere, and it’s true of youth in Oruchinga Refugee Settlement, too. But it’s also important that they have something to do with their time – something positive, productive, and fun. Members of the Youth Center in Oruchinga knew just the thing – an activity they could use to spend quality time with friends, and to make a little extra money for their club. Their idea? A pool table! “A pool table has many uses,” said Cubaka, the president of the Youth Center. “We use it first to be together. But also we can pass positive messages to youth, things like HIV and preventing violence against women. Things that can be difficult to talk about, but that are said more easily while you’re playing a game like this.” We couldn’t resist the way these kids’ eyes lit up when talking about the benefits of having a pool table! So for Day 70, we surprised … [Read more...] about The Perfect Shot
Flipping a Switch
If you're a student - and especially a good one! - evenings are often spent pouring over homework. Or, simply hanging out with friends, watching TV and playing games. But for a group of young people in Oruchinga Refugee Settlement in Uganda, that simply wasn't possible. The problem? Electricity. The Youth Center where they spend so much time after school wasn't hooked up to the power grid. So when we first met them on Day 60, we took an important first step to help them out. But they needed something more. The center offers a lot of incredible resources for young people in the community, like English-learning lessons, a small library, and a chance to spend time together in productive ways. But a lot of these things just weren't possible without light. “Some of our members are in school,” said Cubaka, the president of the group. “They come to the Youth Center in the evening. So when we’re in darkness it’s very difficult for us.” We knew that so many possibilities … [Read more...] about Flipping a Switch