On Day 259, we wanted to keep things simple. Some kids. Some fruit. And a party! In Kyangwali, you don't see much fruit. The land is actually quite fertile, and the farmers in the settlement are able to produce quite a bit of maize and beans. But nobody is growing fruit. And to purchase fruit is too expensive for most people. A single pineapple costs about $1, which would break most people's household budget. Every once and awhile you'll see bananas in Kyangwali, but on the whole there is very little fruit in the Kyangwali diet. So, we decided to throw a little fruit party on Day 259. And - because most of them had never even had the chance to taste some fruits - we decided to make it a kids-only party. We invited hundreds of young people, including everyone who had run in the Kids Marathon on Day 258. Their eyes got big when they arrived and saw a huge buffet of fruits - watermelon, pineapple, bananas and paw paws (papaya). The kids dug in, and before long everyone had … [Read more...] about A Celebration of Fruit!

There aren't a lot of events held just for kids in Kyangwali refugee settlement. So, when we announced Kyangwali's first Children's Marathon (2km, not 26), everyone was excited to participate and show what they could do! The kids came together to run on Day 258, which we had planned for a school holiday. Any child in Kyangwali who wanted to participate was invited, but because verification was happening - Kyangwali's census - some weren't able to join. Still, 120 kids were lined up at the start when the race began. We handed each child a jersey and helped them each pin on a number. AND THEY WERE OFF! The kids ran 1 km away and then 1 km back through the streets on Kyangwali. Adults cheered them as they raced by. Before we knew it the runners had returned. First place won a female goat. "By the time he [the winner] turns 20, he'll have a whole farm of goats," said ARC Team Member Joseph." Nobody left empty handed. We had chickens for the other top finishers and soap for … [Read more...] about Runners, Take Your Mark!

At ARC, whenever we see someone doing something incredible, we want to get behind them and help them do what they do. So, Day 257 was dedicated to supporting a changemaker. Emma and his friends have created a PA (Public Announcement) system in Kyangwali. The system is all about building awareness in the community about issues like violence against women and girls. Emma plays songs about preventing violence. And he invites advocates in the community to share their messages and have their voices amplified. People gather to hear the announcements. Emma has an amp and microphone, but he doesn't have a laptop to be able to play songs and share other important materials. So any time he wanted to do an announcement, he'd have to ask an ARC staffer to use their laptop. And many times they were busy with work of their own. But Emma's work is so important that we wanted to make sure he had what he needed to do it right. So, on Day 257, we purchased a dedicated laptop for Emma to use … [Read more...] about Attention Kyangwali

ARC's team working in Kyangwali can feel pretty disconnected. Compared to some other settlements where we work, the location is remote. And technology and connectivity can be a real challenge at times. The team in Kyangwali has been doing some great work. In addition to making change every day with Changemakers 365, they are in charge of providing the protection services in the settlement of 45,000 people. On Day 256 - to show them we appreciate their hard work AND to give them a way to stay connected, we purchased 2 smart phones for the Kyangwali team to share. "This phone will help me take photos in the field and record voices for translation at the office," said Filder, an ARC team member. "Basically this will improve our service delivery greatly." One of the ways ARC teams stay connected across the globe is by WhatsApp. We have dozens of different groups communicating and collaborating with each other using their phones, primarily. Without a smartphone, it's more … [Read more...] about Getting Smart

Yesterday, we put all of the Safe Ride boda bodas in Kyangwali on the path to having a license and being legal drivers. Today, we're focused on safety. Kyangwali is a dusty place. Dirt, grit and small rocks can kick up into our boda boda drivers eyes. It's very dangerous for them and for their riders. "I have to spend money on tablets because of the dust," said Boda Boda Driver Chris. "Insects go into my ears and eyes and make me cause accidents." Some boda bodas have crashed and died because of the conditions in the settlement. So on Day 255, safety was on the top of our minds. We needed to get these guys the helmets they needed to keep themselves and their passengers safe. With our changemaking budget of $500, we were able to purchase 19 helmets. Because there are many more than 19 boda bodas, we devised a scheme. The boda bodas will pay a little each month until their helmets are fully paid. Once they've fully paid, a helmet can be purchased for the next driver. The … [Read more...] about Wear Your Helmet

In Uganda, one of the easiest ways to get around is by Boda Boda - motorcycle taxi. And in Kyangwali, it's pretty much the only way to get from A to B, other than by foot. A couple of years ago, we launched a social business in Kyangwali to help these taxi drivers do two things: make a living providing their customers with safer rides and work to prevent violence against women in the settlement. There are dozens of boda boda drivers in Kyangwali. But before Safe Ride came along, only one driver in the whole of Kyangwali had their license. With Safe Ride, we've done a bit better - 5 people now have official licenses as boda boda drivers. Why? Because getting a license is expensive. Drivers with a license have more protection were an accident to occur. And riders definitely feel more confident having a licensed boda boda driver. But boda boda drivers make very little money, and a license is beyond their reach. So, on Day 254, we wanted to put a license within reach of all the … [Read more...] about A Driver’s License

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