Starting a new business is tough. It takes dedication, creative thinking, and access to resources. But for most people at Nakivale Refugee Settlement, that last piece is sometimes missing. There just aren’t a ton of resources available. The Nakivale Rotaract Club is starting a bunch of small ventures at once – a poultry project, farming cooperatives, and now, a tailoring shop. This group of young people are ambitious and scrappy, but it’s a lot of work balancing them all. So for Day 42. we’re helping the women who run the tailoring shop build their business with some essential things they need to keep going. We got this group of woman another sewing machine that will expand their business, along with some supplies, too. Now they can bring another seamstress on board, and take on new customers. It’s not a lot, but it’s small steps that will lead to big things for these ladies. And they’re not giving up – they’re just getting started. … [Read more...] about Good Business

Farming is the most common way to build a livelihood in Nakivale Refugee Settlement. But there's lots of ways to go about it - some people have their own individual small farms, while others form groups that work together to save for a specific need. For Day 41, the Nakivale Rotaract Club had an idea to support one of these collectives in particular – a women’s group. The group is a way for women to support each other, to band together in learning, working, and build toward their goals. And they were looking to grow. There are a lot of things that any farmer needs to have a successful crop – seedlings, fertilizer, good soil, and just the right weather. We can’t control all these things, but there was something we could do, together with the Rotaractors. We could get them more seeds! And not just that, the right tools to help them tend to the seedlings. These women don’t let the restrictions they face in Nakivale stop them from doing the things they want to do. With … [Read more...] about Seeds of Change

Youth make up 60% of the population in Nakivale Refugee Settlement. So there are A LOT of young people who are coming into their own, looking for purpose and meaning. And one group who’s done an incredible job doing just that are the Nakivale Rotaractors. The Nakivale Rotaract Club is a service-oriented youth group that meets together once per week, dreaming up ideas (big and small) for how to give back to the community. All refugees themselves, they know well the obstacles that their peers face – and they have brilliant ideas for how to overcome them. A lot of their ideas center around how to get a little extra income – like so many young people around the world, having some pocket cash to try new things, or maybe even start your own business, is an exciting prospect. But instead of mowing lawns or working at a coffee shop, these youngsters were thinking of a way to add value in this refugee camp context – chickens! “Poultry rearing is a profitable livelihood initiative, … [Read more...] about Count Your Chickens

When refugees leave their home countries, they often run with nothing. And they arrive at places like Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda often with only the clothes they were wearing the day they left. So the Nakivale Rotaract Club had an idea. The Rotaract Club in Nakivale is a service group for youth - it's made up of young people (refugees themselves) who want to give back. As the very first Rotary entity in a refugee camp, they're pioneers. And they have lots of ideas. For Day 39, the Rotaract Club at Nakivale wanted to help these newly arrived refugees feel a little more comfortable - and dignified. And it was simple. More clothes! When refugees first arrive at Nakivale, their first point of entry is the Reception Center. But they could stay there for weeks at a time, lacking access to the other services the camp offers. "When refugees arrive here," said Andrew from the ARC team, "they don't have any new clothing to change into. It's hard to keep good hygiene up." … [Read more...] about A Change of Clothes

When it comes to our Nakivale team in Uganda, there is no difficulty finding accomplishments to celebrate. But it's not very often that we get the opportunity to stop, reflect, and show our gratitude for the incredible things they've done together. After all, Nakivale Refugee Settlement is where 365 all began – we wanted to thank the team in a big way. So we asked our teammates in Nakivale what they'd like to do to celebrate. Their answer? PARTY! For our Nakivale staff, getting the chance to leave the refugee settlement and share a meal with coworkers outside of work is rare. Most of team live at the settlement and eat at the staff cantene there. So we called up our longtime partners at Igongo Culutural Center and hotel about an hour outside the settlement, and set up the perfect evening away to forget about work and enjoy one another’s company. The night was kicked off with a thank you message from our headquarters team in Minneapolis, followed by dinner, music, and … [Read more...] about A Night Off

One of the major things we do at Nakivale Refugee Settlement is help to look after those who have experienced trauma and violence. We help them process their experiences and get the support they need to move forward and stay protected. But we couldn't do it without one person – Dr. George. Dr. George works for Medical Teams International. They're our health partner in Nakivale, working alongside us in the fight against sexual and gender-based violence. They treat victims who need medical attention and make sure they get connected to our teams who can work with them to restore emotional health once they heal physically. But Dr. George is speical. "Whenever we refer cases to MTI," said Jimmy from the ARC team. "He makes sure that they get supported immediatley. He goes out of his way to treat the patients kindly and with respect. He makes our work easy." For Day 348, we wanted to do something to surprise Dr. George – a gift of gratitude, for all that he does for refugees … [Read more...] about The Doctor Is In

Everyone has that one friend who's always coming up with big ideas and big dreams. They have a passion for life - and making everyone’s life around them better, too. In Nakivale Refugee Settlement, that person is Paul Mushao. Paul is the president of the local Rotaract club in Nakivale. Rotaract is a community service club for youth that's part of the Rotary universe. And Paul's club is the first ever Rotaract club in a refugee camp - he led the effort to get it off the ground. He's known for his "make it happen" attitude and for having an unending list of dreams he wants to accomplish. We're all about doing the doable at ARC. So naturally, we were drawn to Paul - someone who lives his life to the fullest, and lifts other people up along the way. Paul's Rotaract club gives back to the Nakivale community by supporting refugees in their dreams. But it also does so much more. It gives club members a feeling of belonging, an identity, a purpose, and meaning, all while doing some … [Read more...] about Paul for President

Every refugee faces their own set of challenges. From getting enough food to eat to finding clean drinking water to keeping your family safe, being a refugee can be overwhelming. But imagine not having a partner to support you in facing those challenges - you have to do it on our own. That's what single mothers in Nakivale Refugee Settlement overcome each and every day. “In this community, one of the highest risk people we have are the single mothers,” said Sonia, an ARC Protection Officer at Nakivale. But these moms show up their children and communities, despite the risks they face. So for Day 346, we wanted to thank them. We asked our Nakivale field staff to identify some all-star single mothers in the community that needed to be thanked – and they had some great candidates for us! “We want to appreciate that despite all their struggles, despite tough situations, they're there for their children," said Sonia. "They provide school fees, food on the daily, even … [Read more...] about Mom Knows Best

This month, we're taking time to thank those who are out of the spotlight, but in the center of what we do. These are the unsung heroes of humanitarianism, people who go above and beyond not because they have to, but because they want to. But one of our most important partners in Nakivale Refugee Settlement has yet to be thanked – the police. The police at Nakivale play a protecting and monitoring role. They work with our teams to make sure anyone implicated in crimes – particularly sexual violence and abuse - are charged and that the victims are protected. They also look after the whole settlement and make sure everyone is safe. Their partnership is so important to ARC's success and refugee safety. And for that, we wanted to say thank you. On Day 345, we presented the Nakivale police with solar power lamps, solar electronics chargers, and new water bottles. The lamps will help make it safer to work at night, and the water bottles will help them stay hydrated as they … [Read more...] about Protecting Nakivale

When we asked our teams in Nakivale Refugee Settlement who they’d like to thank this month, one person really stood out – Juliet. Juliet works for UNHCR, the UN’s Refugee Agency. They coordinate all the service providers at Nakivale. They play an important role as an agency, but what makes them really stand out are the incredible individuals who have become our colleagues and friends. One of those friends in Juliet. “Juliet is one of those special people who have been so supportive of ARC the whole time we’ve been here,” said Sonia, one of ARC’s protection officers in Nakivale. "She’s taken time to mentor each and every one of us. We can’t work alone. She helps us understand that we all need each other.” We wanted to give a big thank you to Juliet for being the great mentor that she’s been to so many. So we surprised her with a gift that shows how much we appreciate her friendship and support. Juliet spends a lot of time on the phone – she’s constantly coordinating and … [Read more...] about You’ve Got a Friend