The moments right after the birth of a baby are precious. Mom gets to hold her little one her in arms for the first time, filled with joy and relief. Families rejoice. The last thing that everyone should be thinking - during and after the birth - is having a bed. But at the maternity clinic in Palabek, there weren't enough to go around. Instead, during those precious moments, many moms and babies have to stay on the concrete floor. Mats on hard floors were clearly not good enough for these new mothers. So we returned to the maternity clinic, this time with new mattresses and blankets! “These beds are important because they increase mother’s comfort and keep people off the floors,” said Sharon, one of our partners at the Office of the Prime Minister. Keeping mothers off the floor is simply the right thing to do - plus, it will help to to reduce disease and infection. Now at this clinic, moms have one less thing to worry about, and one more thing to make the time spent … [Read more...] about Made for Moms

Right now in Palabek, refugees are settling into their new lives. And their Ugandan neighbors are getting used to their new neighbors, too. Yesterday, we helped one village of Ugandans living next to Palabek with some farming supplies. We want them to know that we're not forgetting about the challenges they face, too. There was something missing though, something that these farmers needed to really produce the best crops. Their idea? Ox plows! Tilling the field can be very time consuming and hard manual work. This village has many cows at their disposal that are up to the task, but not the tools to make the most of them. Our staff wanted to ease the work load of prepping the fields, so we returned with 2 plows and a whole lot of smiles from the community! Having plows will help to amplify the hard work the farmers are already doing. It's an extra tool to keep in their back pocket - and another way to say thank you for being the best kind of neighbors! This … [Read more...] about A Farmer’s Friend

In the areas around Palabek, farming is a way of life. Communities - including refugees - rely on their crops for food and an income. But because Palabek is the newest refugee settlement in Uganda, people need to start their farms from scratch. This is an adjustment for the host community - the Ugandans who were already living in the area - as well. They sometimes pitch in to support South Sudanese refugees as they get settled in. We thought this was pretty incredible. So we wanted to surprise one Ugandan village with some extra supplies to make sure they weren't stretched too thin. We bought watering cans, seeds, fertilizer, and pesticide sprayers for the whole community. Everyone cheered and sang out in their traditional greeting, feeling joyful and happy as we handed over the supplies! It was a wonderful moment, a time to show up for people who have show up for others. They've given their time and resources to helping their new neighbors - this was a day for us to … [Read more...] about Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

Education is so important. A well-equipped classroom is not only a place to learn and be challenged, it’s a place to figure out your strengths and discover opportunities. This is true for classrooms everywhere, and especially in a refugee camp. But schools in refugee camps face different challenges, too. Getting access to the resources they need – including qualified teachers, books, and materials – isn't always easy. Most schools in Palabek Refugee Settlement can’t afford to buy all the kids school supplies, and their families can’t either. So we put our heads together and came up with a solution for one school in need... Instead of just a one time purchase of school supplies, we established a school supply library! Students can use the supplies while in the classroom (things like pencils, scissors, rulers, and more) and then return them for other students to use during the next class. The teachers were thrilled. “You are looking after these children,” said head … [Read more...] about It’s Scholastic

In an emergency situation like the one happening in Palabek, it takes a true team effort to make sure everyone’s needs are met. One of the biggest needs is making sure people are safe – and that’s where Palabek’s police force comes in. It’s so important to set the police up for success. And right now, they have one major problem. “When the generator goes out, we have no light to help survivors of violence,” said Vicky, the head of the police. “We need to be able to see what condition they’re in.” A generator isn’t always reliable - and it can be expensive to fix. So we decided to find them a fix that they can always depend on. Solar lights and chargers! It’s so easy...they just need put the solar panel out into the sun. Once charged, they can use the lights and night and also as an energy source to charge their phones. Now, wherever they are, they can communicate easily and support refugees who seek help at all hours, day or night. “We are very happy with … [Read more...] about Serving and Protecting

Welcome to Palabek, Uganda's most recently established refugee settlement and home to over 30,000 refugees. Located just across the border from South Sudan, the camp sprung up when crisis struck in the country, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee. There's so much great need in the camp. But despite that need, the resiliency of everyday people is beginning to shine through. People are seeking a sense of normalcy, and even finding moments of joy. Sports are helping. A women's netball team has gathered, with coach Kavine heading the effort. She and her team play every single day! But they're playing with a makeshift netball and hoops - they don't have real equipment to fuel the game. You may have guessed what came next! With a little boost from the 365 team, Kavine's team scored new balls and hoops for their evening netball matches. “This is so exciting!” said Kavine, “my friends and I love to play netball to stay in shape. It is a great way to spend time with my … [Read more...] about Welcome to Palabek

For our last day with Mama Noume, she had one final idea. She and her fosters live in the same building as the workshop, but there weren't any doors separating work from home. Just something as simple as a door to separate the workshop and the living quarters goes a long way toward building in a little privacy. We got right to work installing doors throughout the house, sectioning off the main sewing room from her bedroom. We also installed another door in the front of the house and one in the back. These are strong metal barriers that will last - and are also much more safe. What a ride it's been with Mama Noume! She let us into her home, shared her ideas with us, and let us join in on her journey to making Nakivale a better place to be, for everyone. Thank you for all you do Mama Noume! You're a true changemaker. … [Read more...] about Open Doors

Even a new coat of paint can bring a lot of joy. It can make a room feel totally different. Today, we're bringing a little of that joy to the inside and outside of Mama Noume's home. There is nothing wrong with a brown house - but we wanted Mama Noume’s house to feel totally new. Having a refreshed space can lift your spirits, and the young mothers she takes in could use that lift. We repainted the outside of the house and painted the entire interior. It wasn’t too flashy that it stuck out, but it just felt more buttoned up and clean. The interior walls used to be cracked and falling apart. Now they're flawless and beautiful, just as they deserve! Tomorrow is our last day of the renovation. Stop by to see the finishing touches! … [Read more...] about Feeling Fresh

One of the ways Mama Noume impresses us most is her business of selling sustainable sanitary pads. Today, we'll be working to make her business take off even more. Her idea? A supplies refresh. Mama Noume teaches sewing using the materials for the pads. They're are a great way for the girls to learn - not to mention a source of income once they're finished. With the expansion of the house and new sewing machines, Mama Noume can take in more students - but she won’t have more supplies. Because we're in the business of solving problems and not creating them, we wanted to help out with more materials! When the new students come, they won't put a stress on the existing supplies this mama has been able to collect. More materials means more pads and more pads equal more income! This is the kind of trend we like to see. … [Read more...] about More to Work With

Mama Noume’s new place was looking incredible! Totally new structure, solar power, and more sewing machines! It has turned into quite the bustling place! Inside the house is where all of the fancy fabrics used to make clothes and reusable sanitary pads are kept. Currently, Mama Noume has a dirt floor which is hard to keep clean and causes some of the fabrics to get damaged. We came up with a solution - a concrete floor. This floor will keep things clean. It's also a lasting solution, laying a new foundation for Mama Noume and her kids. Now that the building was going to be much cleaner, we had the perfect thing to help give it another little boost...Tomorrow, we're going to the market and coming back with something that will keep things rolling! … [Read more...] about Solid as a Rock