In Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda, you can find talent around every corner. And much of the talent comes from our drama performance troupes. Made up of Congolese, Rwandese, and Burundian refugees, they spread positive messages throughout the settlement. Their message? The importance of women empowerment and respect. “They help people think about how they use their own power - whether they use it for bad or good," said Sonia from the ARC team, who works closely with the groups. This message is important anywhere in the world. And it's especially important in Nakivale Refugee Settlement, where people are at their most vulnerable. So for Day 325, we're getting something to help these drama troupes perform at their best – new costumes. When performing theater, one of elements that truly makes the performance stand out are the costumes. And one particular dance troupe was without costumes to make their performance look cohesive and colorful. So we bought the … [Read more...] about Drama Queens

There are over 120,000 refugees in Nakivale Refugee Settlement. Which begs the question - how are they all looked after? One way? Our community activists. Community activists are members of the community who keep their eyes and ears open for victims of sexual and gender-based violence, and help those victims get the support they need. “They allow us to reach out to the places we cannot reach,” our colleague Sonia told us. Our community activists are volunteers – they don't get paid for the work they do. So today, we wanted to recognize some of our all-star activists who go above and beyond in their work, and do something to make their jobs just a little easier. These all-stars travel throughout the settlement for their work. But Nakivale is huge – over 32 square miles. And right now, it's the rainy season, which getting around a little uncomfortable. We wanted to provide them with a way to reach their destination dry – umbrellas! Two of the all-stars activists we met … [Read more...] about You’re An All Star

The Nakivale team is always excited about their work, always positive and generous. And this has a lot to do with their leader – Richard Khaemba. Richard is ARC's Regional Coordinator. And he fuels the Nakivale team's spirit. He provides positive and warm support, knows when to step in and when to take a step back. “Richard is relational and has had our backs as staff," said Sonia, one of our teammates at Nakivale. "He is a father and a friend.” Richard is already well connected to his team in a relationship sense, but when it comes to work in the field it can get a little more complicated. His phone is old and unreliable, which makes it difficult to connect to his team when they're off in the furthest corners of the refugee settlement. So on Day 323, we wanted to make Richard's work just a little bit easier by connecting him to his team, wherever they are, with a new phone! With his brand new phone, Richard will be able to communicate those positive affirmations … [Read more...] about The Better to Hear You With

Nakivale is home to over 120,000 refugees. And they rely on ARC water points throughout the camp for all their water needs - there are no other sources. This is where our plumbers, the unsung heroes of Nakivale, come in. They help send 30,000 liters of water per week to the farthest reaches of Nakivale. That is a LOT of water - and that means there is always a need for the plumbers! But when you live in a refugee settlement as large as Nakivale, getting around can be difficult. The plumbers have to travel all over the camp, fixing problems as they come up. So with the rest of our Nakivale staff, we formulated a plan to surprise the plumbers with an easier way to get around the settlement. The surprise? Bicycles! Bicycles are a quick way to traverse the roads of Nakivale and reach the water points that need repair in a timely manner. Not only does this keep them from spending so much time traveling, but it also helps serve the people who are reliant on the water more … [Read more...] about Just Like Riding a Bike

At Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda, one of the ways we serve refugees there is with water – lots of it. Our extensive water system pulls from a nearby lake, purifies the water, and then distributes that water to 42 points throughout the settlement. And it’s the only water that the over 120,000 refugees living in Nakivale have access to. So it goes without saying – it’s important that the system doesn’t break down. That’s where Justice comes in. He leads and oversees a team of plumbers who walk the pipeline and fix any problems that come up. “This is a 24 hour job,” says Andrew, our Operations Officer at Nakivale. “Justice is awake at all times to make sure that water gets to where it needs to go.” Justice could use a few things to help him do his job, efficiently and safely. So for Day 321, we decided to do a little something special for him. “Justice has a passion for this work,” says Andrew. “He’s proactive.” And you can see this passion right away with … [Read more...] about Justice for All

At Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda, we work with a lot of partners – from health providers to the police. But there’s one partner in particular we really couldn’t do without – the Refugee Welfare Council. “RWC leadership is the first point of contact for information of what’s going on in the community," explains Sonia, one of our Protection Officers. “They support us in identifying abuse cases, referrals to hospitals and the court system, things like that. Without their support, we wouldn’t be able to help nearly as many women, girls, and vulnerable people in Nakivale.” The Refugee Welfare Council team recently upgraded to newer offices in the settlement. But there was one problem – they didn’t have any office supplies. So for Day 320, we’re helping make their offices whole, so they can settle in and get back to doing what they do best. We got the Refugee Welfare Council team all the things they’ll need to work smoothly in their new space - pens, pencils, … [Read more...] about Office Space

A lot of us have been there before – you've graduated from college, gotten a job or an internship, and moved into a place of our own. You've started your new, adult life. But there's just one problem – you don't have a lot of stuff. "Most of our volunteers are on their own for the very first time," said Sonia of the ARC Nakivale team. "They don't even have things like plates, cups, forks, and knives." But these young recruits play a very important role in Nakivale. "They fill the gap that we have, because the number of staff is not enough to cover every single place. With them, we're able to have bigger coverage,” said Sonia. So on Day 319, we surprised our hardworking volunteers with a first-time-on-your-own starter pack! Right now we have six volunteers who have just graduated from University. Since most of them are still looking for experience, kicking their careers off with ARC is the perfect fit. "I have a passion for this type of work," said Carolyn, one … [Read more...] about Their First Real Job

Daily doses of change involves a lot of listening – to the needs of refugees, host communities, even our own staff. And while we finished up sports projects in Nakivale Settlement, we tapped into the expertise of our team, who are on the ground every day listening to the needs in the communities they serve. Our teams are experts in listening. That's what our Kuja Kuja program is all about. Kuja Kuja is a system to improve customer satisfaction amongst refugees around the world. And one of the regular pieces of feedback received is about access to fetching water. Nakivale is home to over 100,000 people, all of whom collect water at water points throughout the settlement. These water pumps rely on generators to move water from reservoirs to water points in the community. If the equipment breaks down or becomes clogged, the water pumps stop working. Without the pumps, people are unable to get water to drink, cook, or clean. "We need a solution to fix the generators quickly" … [Read more...] about Keeping Things Flowing