Health centers in refugee camps are busy places - there's often not enough staff to support everyone who needs care. And at Bidi Bidi, at one particularly busy clinic, the team had to think creatively to get the job done. And that meant moving their care outside the clinic’s walls - in the open. With very little privacy. “I think about my wife being examined in an open space like this,” said Joseph, an ARC team member. “With no privacy at all. If she came here she would not be comfortable in this space – not unless she feels like there’s some privacy.” Moved to do something about this, Joseph and the team decided they could make a difference. We can’t make the health center larger – or at least not easily – but we could purchase partitions. Partitions are a quick way to add some privacy for people who are in pain and sick. “Now,” said Joseph, “the people here will have that privacy they need. A medical exam is supposed to be private. We all need that … [Read more...] about Everyone Deserves Privacy

When you’re overwhelmed at work, little things can sometimes become big hurdles. Messes accumulate, details are lost, and less attention is paid to things that matter. The medical teams at Bidi Bidi are certainly overwhelmed. The health centers simply haven’t been able to keep up with the demand for treatment. As a result, sometimes the places where they work reflect their feelings of frustration. Sometimes they feel that they’re barely able to keep their heads above water. At one such health center in Bidi Bidi, we realized that it was easy for us to step in to help. They don’t have time to think about small details while rushing to save lives – but we do. First we began with cleaning and organizing the patient reception area. We helped to organize papers and office materials that had been forgotten in the hustle and bustle. And then, we added artwork to brighten up the walls, to help both staff and patients feel a little calmer, a little more appreciated. A little … [Read more...] about Art for the Walls

When you seek out healthcare for yourself or your loved ones, are you more likely to choose a run down-looking practice, or a nice, clean, and freshly painted clinic? Of course, you would choose the nicer looking clinic. This is true for refugees, too – they’re not eager to invest their limited resources in a place that looks run down. In fact, they might choose not to seek any professional healthcare at all. There’s a health center in Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement that is in the most remote area of the camp. But it could use a renovation. The paint is chipping from the walls, it looks almost abandoned. From our work at other health centers at the camp, we know what a different just a fresh coat of paint can make. So, we thought, we not do the same here? Our team grabbed buckets of paint and some basic tools and went to work. They cleaned the walls and floors, they applied a fresh coat of paint, and we set about fixing the ceiling. It was a group effort – the medical … [Read more...] about Welcoming Patients

What if - after delivering your baby – it was too dark to see their face? Or to see the people around you, the nurses, your family? Before installing the solar light system at the health center, both midwife and mother found themselves in the pitch black darkness. “You can’t control nature,” said Florence, nurse in-charge at the health center. “If a baby is coming at night, they have to come here.” On Day 100, we took the first step in getting the light system up and running – installing the necessary infrastructure, like wiring and light bulbs. And today, we’re getting the sun-powered batteries needed to keep the system going when the midwives most need it. The batteries will charge during the day – when the sun is bright and hot in the refugee camp –and they’ll provide the energy at night to make the lights shine. “To me, this project is the most important,” said Florence. “I’m happy to have this light at night. It will allow our work to be easier.” From now … [Read more...] about The Power of the Sun

Midwives are so important to helping mothers and their babies deliver safely at a refugee camp. And they work around the clock - it's not unusual for mothers to come to the health center in the middle of the night, looking for someone to help. The midwives are there for them. But there's a problem - there aren’t any lights. At night, the midwives are there holding a flashlight - or even their phone between their teeth - while their hands are busy helping mothers. At first, we thought maybe we could get them some headlamps. But we soon realized that we needed to think bigger. So for Day 100, we’re installing a solar lighting system for the health enter. We found a local contractor from a nearby town. He worked with us to get the wiring right, to make sure that the light bulbs would work. He’ll be able to troubleshoot with the health center team in case anything goes wrong – they won’t be alone and again without lights if something needs to be fixed. With the … [Read more...] about Shining a Light

A crowded and hectic health center can be a scary place for a little kid. There are sounds of sickness all around. Upset moms bring in their under-nourished babies. People are injured and in need of emergency medical help. Parents often bring their kids with them to the health center because they have no one else to watch over them. But if you’re a kid stuck in the middle of everything – and there’s no place meant just for you – it can be a horrifying experience. So we thought to ourselves – can’t we do something for these kids? Can’t we make a space for them that’s a little nicer, that feels a little safer? For day 98 we gathered together a few toys, some kid-sized chairs, and a rug – and made a space just for the little ones. Now, when kids come to the health center, they will have an area intended just for them. Where they can separate themselves for a moment from the urgency of the clinic, the often daunting place it can be. This corner will be a light in … [Read more...] about A Place Just for Them

While we were at the health center repairing the ceiling and preventing bats from coming in, we realized there was another opportunity to help. We saw someone who needed assistance getting inside and around the health center itself. We saw pregnant moms needing to get up to get a drink of water. We saw people with injuries who needed to visit the latrines. Although these patients are being taken care of by our team, they also needed something else – a better way to get around. So for Day 98 we thought to ourselves – why not jump in, why not do something? The solution was easy. We purchased canes, crutches, and a stretcher to be kept at the health center. So when patients need to get around and go from building to building, they can lean on these tools for help. “I’m very happy to have this stretcher,” said Florence, the in-charge nurse at the health center. “Before, our team would have to carry people on their own – people who were very ill. It’s not ideal. It will … [Read more...] about A Friend to Lean On

Imagine arriving at the hospital after falling ill. You’re exhausted, sick, and already uncomfortable. But imagine that instead of finding respite in a hospital bed, you discover that you were supposed to bring your own comforts – things like bedsheets, pillows, and blankets. How would you feel? Patients in Bidi Bidi face that reality every day. Clinics there ask patients to bring their own sheets and pillows, not having enough in stock. But when you’re in a room with no air conditioning, laying on a rubber mattress, seeking treatment for often grave conditions, a pillow and bedsheet can make a world of difference. It can put you in a better mindset – it can help you heal. So on Day 97, we’ve decided to change the standard of care – and introduce a solution to the problem. Even though bringing your own comforts is standard in Bidi Bidi, we decided not to accept that standard. We purchased pillows, blankets, and bedsheets for the health center. These simple things … [Read more...] about Small Comforts

Yesterday, we took the first step in tackling the bat problem at Ariwa health center in Bidi Bidi – sealing up the roof to help keep them out. But, we also needed a solution to keep the bats away more permanently – and one that convinced these critters that our clinic is not their best option for a home. Did you know that in a single night, one bat can eat 20,000 mosquitos? Malaria is such a huge challenge for the patients coming to the clinic. We realized that instead of getting rid of our bat residents completely, they could be our partners in fighting the disease. One solution is to build a bat box – a home for bats outside of the clinic - where they can rest during the day but still leave to eat their meal of mosquitos at night. So for Day 94, we’re testing it out. Working with a local carpenter – our friend Lomoro - we built the bat box and raised it on a pole about 80 meters away from the clinic. “This will be like a test,” said Paul, ARC team member in Ariwa. … [Read more...] about Unexpected Friends

In our Ariwa health center in Bidi Bidi, staff have a problem – bats. They live in the ceilings. And, they’re not very cleanly roommates. “Since there are so many bats,” said Florence, who works at the health center, “they create a problem for the ceiling, and it collapses. One time, it almost collapsed on a mother giving birth. It does a lot of harm to us.” On Day 17, we helped repair the ceiling at the health center. But it was clear that a longer term fix was necessary. So for the next two days we're confronting this challenge, two doable steps at a time. And first, we’re sealing up the ceiling. Lomoro – our trusty repairman from Day 17 – bravely volunteered to clear the existing bats out of the roof. Then, we installed mesh on the inside and outside of the clinic, covering up any holes the bats could sneak through. With everything sealed up, bats won’t be able to get back in. During this process, we also realized something else. While bats are dangerous … [Read more...] about Keeping Critters Out