The kitchen. It’s a place people gravitate towards. Whether gathering for a meal or having a conversation over a warm cup of coffee, life in many homes happens in the kitchen. But for Aliyena and her family, who live in Nakivale refugee settlement, there’s no kitchen to gather in. In their one-bedroom house, they cook and live all in one small, unventilated room. This is a huge problem for two reasons. First, the lack of airflow is unhealthy for the family to be breathing in all the time. Second, an open fire in this setting can easily burn down a house. But we have an easy fix that will make a huge impact in this family’s life! We got to work building a separate area where the kitchen could be. It’s ventilated, and much safer to have a separate room next door. Aliyena, the mother, was so happy with the […]

Welcome back! It’s our final day in Garowe, Somalia before we head off to our next location.

Hello, hello! It’s our second-to-last day in Garowe, Somalia. We’ve decided to spend these two days with another Fatima, let’s call her Fatima H! Fatima H. supports 15 children—13 are her own biological children, and two others are adopted. Her husband is around, but unfortunately, he has a brain tumor that prohibits him from working much. Most of the time, he works basic jobs on a limited basis. To earn money, Fatima H. is a part time butcher, and each morning she sells a goat or sheep in the market. She keeps plenty busy the rest of the day, and usually spends her afternoons managing a shop that she runs out of her home. There, she sells vegetables and other basic goods like soap, all while taking care of her children. We decided to help Fatima H. with a portion of her work, so went with her to pick out […]

Hello again from Garowe, a city in the Northeastern region of Somalia. We’re spending a few days here, helping small shop owners around the city stretch their resources further to grow their businesses!