When it comes to being there for people who've suffered violence, just a private space can go a long way. But if that space can feel safe and welcoming, that makes a huge difference in the way the person seeking help might feel. That's why we're back at the counseling kiosk in Oruchinga settlement today, Day 132. The space needed a few small changes. We were able to get a rug so there's something soft under foot. There's also lots of toys and stuffed animals for younger visitors, and plants to give the space a calming feeling. Inside the cabinet are some of the essentials we need for a counseling space - tissues, pamphlets, and information about other services available. Soon the walls will be painted, and then cushions for the benches will be the final touch. Dan Banjera, an RN at the health clinic the counseling kiosk is attached to, was glad to see we'd thought of these softer touches. "There are lots of cases of violence, but people don't want to report them. All of this … [Read more...] about Privacy + Comfort

One place where survivors of violence often open up or seek help is at the doctor’s office. On Day 131, we’re helping the clinic in Oruchinga refugee settlement receive these patients in a more sensitive and appropriate way. When people who have suffered violence arrive at the clinic they are upset. “We counsel and comfort them,” said Dan Banjera, an RN at the clinic. “But we don’t have a dedicated space. We try to improvise private spaces in exam rooms or offices.” We wanted to give the clinic and survivors a private space. So we got another local contractor busy building and the ARC and clinic teams got together to decide where the counseling kiosk would go. The teams chose a spot in the clinic yard, away from the main buildings and the waiting area. The counseling kiosk was completed a few days later and then delivered to the spot the team had chosen. When the health team saw the new kiosk they were thrilled! “This will boost the way we are doing our services,” said … [Read more...] about A Simple, Private Space

The youth center in Oruchinga refugee settlement is looking good. There’s paint on the walls, and tables and chairs sit on the new concrete floors. But there’s one more thing that the youth group asked us for help with. One of the groups’ goals is to learn and practice English. They’re hoping to bring a teacher in to help. But they also wanted a few books so that they could practice on their own. Well, we were able to do them one better. It just so happened we had several boxes of books in the ARC office, shipped to Uganda by Books for Africa. The books were on an assortment of topics and included a lot of fiction. But there were so many that they would definitely need a bookshelf to keep them all. So, Jen – ARC’s team lead in Oruchinga – commissioned a carpenter to build and paint a large book shelf (canary yellow to match the youth center walls). When the bookshelf and books were delivered, the youth group was over-the-moon. They went through the books right away and … [Read more...] about A Little Library

With the inside cleared out and cleaned up, the youth center in Oruchinga Refugee Settlement is looking good. But empty. Issa Cubaka and his friends have some ideas for how they’d like to fill the space. “We’re missing tables and chairs,” said Issa. “At first we’ll have them for our use. We can use them for English lessons or people can just take a book and sit in the chairs and read.” Without a place to sit, relax and chat, it wouldn’t be much of a youth center. So, on Day 129 our team headed to the store to find the plastic chairs and tables that the group requested. When we arrived to deliver them, Issa let us know about another idea they’d had for the plastic furniture. “We have a futbol team, but we can’t afford balls, shoes or jerseys,” he said. “So, we can rent the chairs and tables to people in the community if they have some event. With the rent money, we can buy the things we need for our team.” The youth group even has the idea to someday open a restaurant … [Read more...] about A Table and Chairs

Oruchinga Refugee Settlement doesn’t have a youth center. There’s not a public space especially for young people to be together, socialize or build community. Issa Cubaka and his friends wanted to do something about that. They had a partially completed structure that was their’s to use, but it needed some serious work. When they came to us for help, we were happy to get them the support and supplies they needed to be able to transform the space themselves. It was no small job. They started by removing the huge piles of rubble that filled the space. Then, they spread out a layer of cement over the dirt to make a smooth, clean floor. And once the cement had set, they completed a wall to separate the space into a large room and a smaller room in the back (we’ll tell you what that room’s for tomorrow). The finishing touch? A couple of coats of canary yellow paint on the interior walls. This time, doing the doable took Issa and his friends about four days. But it was all worth … [Read more...] about A Place to Hang Out

We've been spending the past week in Oruchinga. It's a refugee settlement unlike any other –small and interspersed with national villages in Uganda, it's been in existence for nearly six decades. "It's a peaceful, quiet existence between refugees and nationals," Jennifer, our Case Management Officer, tells us. Living side by side, refugees and nationals go to the same markets, grow food on neighboring plots and attend the same schools. Today, we are visiting one of these schools – Rwamurunga Community Secondary School. We had some art supplies that needed to be put to use and our team suggested taking a short walk across the road to Rwamurunga Secondary where we met the Head Teacher, James. "These were the very supplies we were going to purchase," exclaimed James as we shared the art supplies with him. "Hands-on learning is really important. We have fine arts class and these supplies can even be used in geography. They will be used across many classes!" Though it was … [Read more...] about The Tools To Create