Sometimes, feeling empowered means equipping yourself with lots of different tools that you need to move forward confidently in the direction of your choice. For Yemeni refugee girls living in Mogadishu, one of those tools is having the physical confidence to defend themselves. "In the Yemeni culture, girls aren't allowed to go outside without her brother, mother or father for fear they'll be harassed by boy," said Husna, one refugee girl we work with in the city. She told us that it might help if they had some training for how to defend themselves, if it ever came to that. We decided to hold a "self defense day," where school girls could participate in a self-defense class and other outdoor activities. It was a chance to help the girls feel confident when they venture outside alone, and also an opportunity to freely play - something they don't get very often. "I feel like a prisoner who was set free today!" said Husna. "I got to laugh, play, and be myself with new … [Read more...] about Self-Defense Day

There's nothing quite like getting lost in a really good story. Stories move us, they give us a glimpse into different places, times, and lives. Stories are powerful tools - they can expand our hearts and our minds. In Mogadishu, young Yemeni refugees are living side by side with Somali residents, but they often don't get a chance to get to know each other, to hear about each other's lives and experiences. If they did, thought our Alight Somalia team, they might realize they have more in common than they think... Using the power of storytelling, our team organized a one event for Yemeni and Somali kids, bringing them to together to share, spend time together, and get lost in a good story. One of the Yemeni students shared some of the most important Yemeni stories from back home."My desk mate doesn’t know anything about Yemen," she said, "so this is my chance to teach her about my culture through storytelling.” The kids also had an opportunity to simply cozy up with a … [Read more...] about Expanding Hearts and Minds

What Salim Mohamed, a young Yemeni refugee, misses about his old school is the trees. "We had five huge trees in my old school in Yemen," he said, "and during break time we would gather under the tree chit chat, rest and climb. We only have one baby tree in my current school in Mogadishu.” We might not be able to recreate those huge, beautiful trees for Salim in an instant - but we can surely plant the seeds. So together with the Alight team in Mogadishu, we put on a tree planting day for all the students at Salim's school! It was a full day of planting, watering, and tending to the trees, giving them the best chance at taking root and growing tall. It was an opportunity not just to honor Salim's request, but to show every student that it's possible to change things for themselves - to recreate the things they love, wherever they are. … [Read more...] about Seeding the Future

We wanted to give the Yemeni refugee students we work with an opportunity to do something outside of the classroom, something that might be different than their normal day to day. Learning to hone their painting skills is something that most students don't really get an opportunity to do - but it's a great creative outlet. And, it could serve them well in the future too. Painting can be for art, or for fun, but it can also be good business. Many signs - from shops to restaurants to businesses - are hand painted in Mogadishu. So having this skill in your back pocket is never a bad idea. Together with the arts teacher at one of the schools we work in, Bartamaha, we put together a brush painting workshop for students - girls and boys alike. "In our traditional context, social-cultural perceptions tie painting and brush work to masculinity," he said. "but I am proud to offer this skill to everyone!" "I am happy that I did the painting," said one girl. "Women are not limited … [Read more...] about Outside the Box

In Mogadishu, Alight teams have been working to do what they can for the thousands of Yemeni refugees now living in the city. Many of them are young people, desperately trying to keep their education alive and opportunities open. One of our teammates in Mogadishu, Zaila, had an idea for how to keep these students engaged in school while at the same time connecting them with other students - an inter-school academic competition! "Competition inspires students," he said, "and meeting in friendly competition enables children to expand their circle of new friends from different schools." So the team got to work, organizing a one day academic bowl! For its inaugural run, we gathered students from two schools - Bartamaha and Sacada schools. "I have played and taken part in different competitive activities like sporting, but for academics, it’s the first time!" said Abdulkadir, a student from Bartamaha. "I found it to be very enjoyable. I met new friends from Sacada School … [Read more...] about Friendly Competition