Back On Day 245, we visited 10 members of the blind community in Kyangwali Refugee Settlement. They were thrilled to receive the iconic white canes that identify them as being blind to their neighbors AND help them to get around. For these folks, days can get a bit boring. There aren't any services or activities especially for them. So, on Day 253, we wanted to make sure Poly Poly and his friends had something to pass the time and enjoy each other. So, we purchased some board games and balls for the younger kids, and guitars and other musical instruments for everyone. Now these members of the blind community are getting together regularly in their leisure time to jam and make music together. They're even playing together at their church. This change made possible by Atomic Data. … [Read more...] about Making Music Together

Being a single parent is a tough job no matter where you are. In a refugee settlement it can be particularly tough - especially if you don't have family, friends and neighbors to lean on and help you get your footing. For a group of young mothers in Kyangwali settlement, life has been a challenge. They became mothers when they were just children themselves, and their babies' fathers have not stepped up to help. They are the breadwinners for themselves and their children, but it's difficult to find opportunities without any help. ARC's team in Kyangwali was worried about these young mothers because their situations made them vulnerable to people who might not have their best interests at heart. We wanted to do something to put them on a stronger footing. So, when we heard that they knew how to sew, a lightbulb went on. On Day 252, we helped these mothers start up a Kitenge fabric and tailor shop on the main street of Kyangwali. Kitenge is an African fabric similar to … [Read more...] about A Solid Start

OPM stands for Office of the Prime Minister. In Uganda, this is the agency responsible for all of the country's refugee settlements. They secure each settlement, making sure that residents feel safe (we've heard from so many refugees how safe they feel in Uganda). And they ensure that all the organizations working with refugees coordinate closely with one another to best meet the needs of settlement residents. Right now, OPM is stretched like never before. In the last 12 months, refugees have been flowing into Uganda in unprecedented numbers from neighboring countries - particularly South Sudan. Today, Uganda hosts more than 1 million refugees. With so many people in their care and without a proportionate increase in its budget, OPM is in a challenge. We wanted to do a little something to give the OPM team in Kyangwali refugee settlement a boost. So we put together a stationery care package complete with paper, pens, highlighters, rulers, stamp pads and more - the kind of things … [Read more...] about Supplying a Partner

Yesterday we introduced you to the members of the ARC team who are closest to the community here in Kyangwali - our Community Activists or CAs. These folks are the eyes and ears of ARC. They help us see and identify issues before they become a full-blown problem in the settlement. Our 68 CAs live all throughout the settlement, so they really have a pulse on what's happening. Yesterday, we provided the CAs with a desktop computer that they could use to compose their weekly reports and brush up on their computer skills. Today, they gave us another idea, something else that they could all share that would bring real value to their communities. A camera! Part of a CA's job is to show and teach. This can range from sharing messages about how to prevent violence against women and children to helping neighbors understand the risk factors for different diseases. And our CAs knew a camera would help them do their work more effectively. So, on Day 250, we delivered 4 cameras for the … [Read more...] about Community Shutterbugs

Community Activists (or CAs) are our closest link to the community in Kyangwali refugee settlement. These members of the ARC team - refugees themselves and 68 activists in total - make their homes in the small communities and villages that comprise Kyangwali. They are pillars in their communities. When an important message or public health concern needs to be communicated, CAs bring it to their communities. And if there is a dispute or disagreement among their neighbors, they are there first to help them settle it or refer the matter to someone else to help resolve. Part of the job of our CAs is to create written reports about what's happening in their communities to share with other ARC staff. These are written with paper and pen, and since they are hard copies they can be difficult to share amongst the whole team. So, on Day 249, we thought we could do a little something to make the reporting process easier while helping our CAs learn some new skills. So, we purchased a … [Read more...] about A Shared Workspace

A few months ago, the lights in the library at Kyangwali Secondary School went out. They tried replacement bulbs, but the light never came back. The school staff even started asking whether they should have a library at all if they can't get the lights working. Kyangwali Secondary School is the only secondary school for the refugee settlement, and it's also the secondary school for several villages and towns surrounding Kyangwali. It serves 2,000 students. And though the school could use some extra space for all those students, they never actually converted the library. So, on Day 248, we decided to help the school get their library back up and running by installing a new solar panel on the roof of the library. But that wasn't really enough. Of course it was great to get the space functioning again, but if half the school couldn't make use of the library it wasn't enough. Female students didn't feel safe making it to the room at night, trying to get from their dormitory … [Read more...] about Lighting the Way

People are so busy in Kyangwali refugee settlement, making life better for their loved ones and their community. We met a group of women from the host community, Ugandans who live nearby Kyangwali who are making sanitary ware by hand. And, we met another group of refugee women doing embroidery work that they sell in Kyangwali or in the nearby city of Hoima. These women are working hard for themselves, their families and their neighbors - and on Day 247 we knew we could do something simple to help them make an even greater impact. So, we delivered new sewing machines to the women's groups in Kyangwali and neighboring communities. "This sewing machine is going to increase on our production, and it will be multipurpose - that's helping widows in the group to sew clothes, train young girls of the community and mostly to increase on the sanitary pad production for our girl children," said Jane the leader of the women's group from the host community. In addition to sewing … [Read more...] about A Needle and Thread

Schools need to keep sensitive documents, whether it's a school in Minnesota or a school in Uganda. And to protect their students, they need a safe place to keep them. But at four schools in Kyangwali settlement, that wasn't always possible. Some schools never had a cabinet they could lock. And at one of the schools, rats were destroying their wooden cabinets and the documents inside. So, on Day 246, we delivered 4 large metal file cabinets to schools in Kyangwali settlement, including Rwemisanga and Kasonga Primary Schools. "We now have a place to keep our confidential documents and student's pass slips in case they delay to pick them up," said Alex Muhanga from Rwemisanga Primary School. … [Read more...] about Under Lock and Key

It can be hard to be a refugee, and it can be hard to live with a disability. But imagine dealing with both challenges - living with a disability in a refugee settlement like Kyangwali in Uganda. The blind in Kyangwali struggle on a daily basis. It's hard to get from place to place across uneven ground, and nothing is designed for the visually impaired. Distances become longer when you can't see the way, and getting from one place to another can take a lot of time. There's a lot going on in Kywangwali, and it can be dangerous if no one is looking out for you. "I call him Driver, because he drives me around" laughed Poli Poli, an 18 year-old blind man who lives in Kyangwali. He was talking about a young boy who helps him to get around the settlement. Driver leads Poli Poli - guiding him at his shoulder - helping him to walk wherever he needs to go. Poli Poli and the other blind residents of Kyangwali must rely on their neighbors like Driver to help them function and live their … [Read more...] about A White Cane

Don't let the bed bugs bite. Bed bugs are the worst. They burrow into mattresses and cushions, and can cover a person in bites over night. If they hitch a ride into your home, there's no escaping them. And they can be terribly difficult to get rid of completely. When we heard there were a number of families struggling with bed bug infestations, our team knew we could do something to help. Typically, a round of fumigations happens on a quarterly basis in Kyangwali refugee settlement. But with budget issues, the organization normally in charge has been unable to fumigate this year. The result? Several families who have been suffering without much hope of relief. "Bed bugs have been biting me all night," said Jembeke, a resident of Kasonga village in Kyangwali. "People think I have a skin disease." On Day 244, we got a fumigation specialist out to help. We targeted two villages in Kyangwali and identified 20 families who needed help - households that were particularly … [Read more...] about Sleep Tight