The way Changemakers 365 works is not business as usual in Kyangwali settlement. And that is what is so great about it. Most of the time, our team in Kyangwali is working on years-long projects and working to move the needle and make a measurable impact with the refugee community. It's incredibly critical work, but there's often not room (or funds) for doing the doable - recognizing small, emerging problems and acting fast to create change that will make a big impact. So, as our time in Kyangwali is winding down, we thought we'd host a little gathering of the whole ARC team that have been working on the Changemakers 365 projects for the last month. An opportunity to celebrate what has been accomplished and look ahead to what is next. And what better way to do that than around a fire. On Day 263, we hosted a staff campfire. We thanked the team for their hard work with dinner and treats. And we talked about what went well, what was hard and what we could have done better. We … [Read more...] about Around the Fire

Yesterday (Day 261), we added a bunch of toys to our counseling rooms, so that kids could play while their parents were working with our counselors. Inspired by these kids, we thought we could do a little more for them. So, on Day 262, we carried in a big bundle of new clothes, just these kids' size. Many women who come to ARC for support often bring their children along with them. And often these little ones are in bad shape themselves. Their clothes are threadbare and it's been awhile since they've had a good bath. So, while their mothers are being taken care of, our team also takes care of the children. They give the kids a good scrubbing. And they always wanted to get the kids dressed again in a new set of clothes. But they never could until today. That's why these new pants, shirts, hats, underwear and other clothes will make such a difference for these children. It will help them - and their mothers - to feel just a little bit better. This change made … [Read more...] about A Clean Set of Clothes

There are loads of youth futbol teams in Kyangwali settlement - school teams, teams made up of kids who live in the same neighborhood, teams of kids who come from the same country. These teams are a great outlet for the kids, giving them something physical to do to keep a healthy mind and body. Most of the time, kids just get together and play around. Some more organized teams might run drills, too. But they don't get much opportunity to play against other teams, and most of the players have never played in a tournament. On Day 260, we decided to change all that and hold a settlement-wide futbol tournament. On the line were a new set of jerseys for the winning team (most of the teams don't have jerseys or appropriate futbol gear either). The teams played valiantly all day long - this rare opportunity to show off their skills for parents and the whole community. But in the end only one team could win. They took the jerseys home, but nobody left empty handed. Everyone who … [Read more...] about A Soccer Tourney

On Day 259, we wanted to keep things simple. Some kids. Some fruit. And a party! In Kyangwali, you don't see much fruit. The land is actually quite fertile, and the farmers in the settlement are able to produce quite a bit of maize and beans. But nobody is growing fruit. And to purchase fruit is too expensive for most people. A single pineapple costs about $1, which would break most people's household budget. Every once and awhile you'll see bananas in Kyangwali, but on the whole there is very little fruit in the Kyangwali diet. So, we decided to throw a little fruit party on Day 259. And - because most of them had never even had the chance to taste some fruits - we decided to make it a kids-only party. We invited hundreds of young people, including everyone who had run in the Kids Marathon on Day 258. Their eyes got big when they arrived and saw a huge buffet of fruits - watermelon, pineapple, bananas and paw paws (papaya). The kids dug in, and before long everyone had … [Read more...] about A Celebration of Fruit!

There aren't a lot of events held just for kids in Kyangwali refugee settlement. So, when we announced Kyangwali's first Children's Marathon (2km, not 26), everyone was excited to participate and show what they could do! The kids came together to run on Day 258, which we had planned for a school holiday. Any child in Kyangwali who wanted to participate was invited, but because verification was happening - Kyangwali's census - some weren't able to join. Still, 120 kids were lined up at the start when the race began. We handed each child a jersey and helped them each pin on a number. AND THEY WERE OFF! The kids ran 1 km away and then 1 km back through the streets on Kyangwali. Adults cheered them as they raced by. Before we knew it the runners had returned. First place won a female goat. "By the time he [the winner] turns 20, he'll have a whole farm of goats," said ARC Team Member Joseph." Nobody left empty handed. We had chickens for the other top finishers and soap for … [Read more...] about Runners, Take Your Mark!

At ARC, whenever we see someone doing something incredible, we want to get behind them and help them do what they do. So, Day 257 was dedicated to supporting a changemaker. Emma and his friends have created a PA (Public Announcement) system in Kyangwali. The system is all about building awareness in the community about issues like violence against women and girls. Emma plays songs about preventing violence. And he invites advocates in the community to share their messages and have their voices amplified. People gather to hear the announcements. Emma has an amp and microphone, but he doesn't have a laptop to be able to play songs and share other important materials. So any time he wanted to do an announcement, he'd have to ask an ARC staffer to use their laptop. And many times they were busy with work of their own. But Emma's work is so important that we wanted to make sure he had what he needed to do it right. So, on Day 257, we purchased a dedicated laptop for Emma to use … [Read more...] about Attention Kyangwali

ARC's team working in Kyangwali can feel pretty disconnected. Compared to some other settlements where we work, the location is remote. And technology and connectivity can be a real challenge at times. The team in Kyangwali has been doing some great work. In addition to making change every day with Changemakers 365, they are in charge of providing the protection services in the settlement of 45,000 people. On Day 256 - to show them we appreciate their hard work AND to give them a way to stay connected, we purchased 2 smart phones for the Kyangwali team to share. "This phone will help me take photos in the field and record voices for translation at the office," said Filder, an ARC team member. "Basically this will improve our service delivery greatly." One of the ways ARC teams stay connected across the globe is by WhatsApp. We have dozens of different groups communicating and collaborating with each other using their phones, primarily. Without a smartphone, it's more … [Read more...] about Getting Smart

Yesterday, we put all of the Safe Ride boda bodas in Kyangwali on the path to having a license and being legal drivers. Today, we're focused on safety. Kyangwali is a dusty place. Dirt, grit and small rocks can kick up into our boda boda drivers eyes. It's very dangerous for them and for their riders. "I have to spend money on tablets because of the dust," said Boda Boda Driver Chris. "Insects go into my ears and eyes and make me cause accidents." Some boda bodas have crashed and died because of the conditions in the settlement. So on Day 255, safety was on the top of our minds. We needed to get these guys the helmets they needed to keep themselves and their passengers safe. With our changemaking budget of $500, we were able to purchase 19 helmets. Because there are many more than 19 boda bodas, we devised a scheme. The boda bodas will pay a little each month until their helmets are fully paid. Once they've fully paid, a helmet can be purchased for the next driver. The … [Read more...] about Wear Your Helmet

In Uganda, one of the easiest ways to get around is by Boda Boda - motorcycle taxi. And in Kyangwali, it's pretty much the only way to get from A to B, other than by foot. A couple of years ago, we launched a social business in Kyangwali to help these taxi drivers do two things: make a living providing their customers with safer rides and work to prevent violence against women in the settlement. There are dozens of boda boda drivers in Kyangwali. But before Safe Ride came along, only one driver in the whole of Kyangwali had their license. With Safe Ride, we've done a bit better - 5 people now have official licenses as boda boda drivers. Why? Because getting a license is expensive. Drivers with a license have more protection were an accident to occur. And riders definitely feel more confident having a licensed boda boda driver. But boda boda drivers make very little money, and a license is beyond their reach. So, on Day 254, we wanted to put a license within reach of all the … [Read more...] about A Driver’s License