Welcome back to Nairobi, where we’re working with the Foundation for Lesbian, Bisexual and Queer Refugees. Yesterday I went with Dhalie, their director, to Ibis Styles Hotel to get them set up for a month of selling their jewelry outside the hotel at their small market.
The women have plenty of artisan wares to sell, but what they were lacking was a tent or something else to protect them as they sat at the market.
This was going to be a problem – the rainy season in Kenya often means heavy afternoon rains when the vendors would normally be out there selling their items. And outside of the rainy season, it would mean they’re left unprotected from the hot sun.
So we decided to get a tent that they would be able to sell their goods under!
The group decided they wanted a purple and green tent, and had it custom made for them and exactly what they needed! Now, they’d be comfortable at Ibis, and while earning a livelihood for themselves.
Meet Sam!
Sam developed an interest in forced displacement, food insecurity, and identity while working on her master’s degree. She’s now using this knowledge to support Changemakers 365 across our country programs. When she’s not off on a work trip, she’s busy fermenting beverages, training for half marathons, or listening to podcasts at her home in Minneapolis.
