Last June the Sweatshop community rallied to raise the funds to send our very own team member, Andezu Orionzi (Zu), a first-generation daughter of two Ugandan refugees and Macalester College graduate to Uganda. Zu had a life-shaping experience participating in the World Refugee Day 5k in Nakivale Refugee Settlement.
The 2017 World Refugee Day 5k!
Now we’re building on the overwhelming outpouring of support for this first initiative and sending Zu back to Uganda with American Refugee Committee – this time to make real, tangible change for one month. Through ARC’s Changemakers 365 program, Zu will implement one project – costing no more than $500 – every day for one month. Sometimes the world’s problems seem too big to touch, but there is also a lot of small change that can make a huge difference in real people’s lives. It’s doing the doable, and it’s the change Zu will be leading – with our support.
Will you join us in supporting Zu? You can donate here. Your donation will directly fund the daily $500 projects Zu will be making happen AND be 100% tax-deductible.
What does $500 worth of change look like? More than you’d think. It looks like cots and mattresses – a soft place to rest – for refugees who’ve just completed their journey to a refugee camp. Its well-stocked library complete with art supplies for kids who need a safe place to wait while their siblings and parents receive therapy for malnutrition. Its like a fresh coat of paint for refugee camp buildings, brightening everyone’s day. It’s fixing a leaking roof in a medical clinic or maternity ward. From delivering basic needs to the stuff of joy and laughter, the opportunities to make a high-impact difference together are plenty.
Doing the doable – Solar lamps, lighting the night
In this time of division and conflict we at Sweatshop believe that, now more than ever, our community is needed to inspire and create this exact type of change for those in need. We’re making change with ZU as our representative!
You can join in the journey in several ways:
– Follow Zu on social media. @Andezu_Orionzi on Instagram | or follow Sweatshop on Facebook for updates from Zu while she’s in Uganda.
– Make a donation to support Zu’s changemaking in Uganda. Give online here.
– Stop in to Sweatshop between now and June 11 to purchase a heartgram and send Zu with your message of support for a refugee.
Zu dancing with a schoolgirl at Oruchinga Refugee Settlement
In Zu’s words, “As part of the international community, we’ve all experienced a degree of the tumultuous current state of affairs in regards to refugees both here at home and abroad. ARC works to collaboratively rebuild and restructure refugee communities using their resources and the insight of the people they work with to make sustainable and uniquely effective plans towards progress after devastation. I passionately believe in a commitment, to not only coexist, but to use the privileges and resources I have been granted to support those who may be in need.”
Please consider collaborating with us and join this amazing coalition. Let’s work together on this journey of abundance and change!