Opportunigee uses its space for physical and creative activity nearly every evening of the week. The group hosts dance and art classes, instructed by the youth leaders themselves. One of those leaders is Obin. Obin instructs yoga every Wednesday evening, and usually about 20 people show up to the class each week. Everyone loves it! But the studio is only equipped with 10 yoga mats, making it tough for everyone to practice comfortably. Many people have encouraged Obin to charge for the classes he offers - he could make a profit and potentially use that income for new materials. But Obin is resolute in keeping the service that he is able to offer free and open for all. “I want to provide stress relief for everyone and for a short amount of time let refugees forget the idea that they are limited due to their situation," he said. "Everyone is welcome, and everyone can be something.” He was gracious enough to invite us to a class hosted by his friend! As the mats were … [Read more...] about Bending over Backwards

Nakivale Refugee Settlement is brimming with talent everywhere you go. And Opportunigee is no exception! Opportunigee is a self-run youth center teeming with artistic expression and community service. The look of Opportunigee alone is enough to draw someone in - it's filled with beautiful mural art, a stage, and a funky circular building made with repurposed plastic bottles. What’s more is that the outside is only a taste of the energy within - these young people are colorful, vibrant, and filled with determination to make a difference. Patrick, one of the regular youth facilitators, is focused on bettering his community and the incredible environment that Nakivale occupies. With thousands of daily imported products, waste litters the streets. Though there are designated waste bins that are meant to be regularly emptied, they are often overwhelmed and overflowing. Patrick and his co-collaborators wanted to do something about it... Enter the Opportunigee clean-up … [Read more...] about Cleaning Up

Yesterday, we met Veliria. Today, we're helping her kickstart her old business! Veliria used to sell basic foods and small wares out of her home, but eventually the demand on her family became too much. She was forced to close her doors. She needed some capital to generate a larger income for her large family. She has been making change in her community for years and now, as an inspiration, we wanted to give her a boost and restock the shelves of her store. Veliria’s small shop is now stocked with foods and goods such as sugar, coffee, tea, butter, flour, rice, beans, containers, soap, petroleum jelly and many other things! As Veliria provides services for her community, she will also be able to provide for her family - and continue to be an example of selfless care, love, and change. … [Read more...] about Taking Stock

Meet Veliria, a Rwandan woman living in Nakivale Refugee Settlement. She takes care of her husband, her ill mother, and seven children, yet only three are biologically hers. Veliria has taken in four foster children. They range from 4 to 12 years, have varying degrees of disabilities, and all rely on Veliria for clothing, food, shelter and compassion. She provides for her large family in a one bedroom home by doing agricultural fieldwork. Veliria used to offer tailoring services for her neighbors, but was forced to stop when her sewing machine broke. This resilient woman receives no additional assistance for her family, yet she persists day in and day out. “My faith tells me that I am meant to take care of these kids," she says, "and that is what it means to be good.” We wanted to do something to help, and the answer was clear.... A sewing machine! That was her idea for change. With the sewing machine, she can make and repair clothes for her family and sell and tailor … [Read more...] about Meet Veliria

Yesterday, we helped kick start the Gambela women’s netball new look. But there's another team in Gambela that we of course couldn’t forget, the men’s soccer team! Zu is back there today making a difference. The men’s soccer team are role models in their community. They provide a positive outlet for people to get involved, a way to grow together. They had an idea to make their team even better...new jerseys! These jerseys help make the team feel fresh and look their best on the court. The sports teams of Gambela are truly amazing. The energy and life that they bring to those around them is inspiring! Everyone looked great, and they even let us join in their game. It was a truly memorable experience for all! … [Read more...] about Team Spirit

Gambela is a city in western Ethiopia, close to the border of South Sudan. Due to conflict and ethnic persecution in both countries, many people from Gambela have sought refuge in Uganda. But out of this hardship was born the beautiful Gambela community in Nakivale Refugee Settlement. Organized sports for youth provide so many benefits, both physical and emotional. People in the community recognized these benefits, and wanted to support their youth with the things they needed to compete as organized teams. So today, we're helping this vibrant neighborhood fight the daily stressors of life in a refugee camp with something everyone can rally around...a netball team to cheer for! The girl's netball team was completely outfitted with new blazing yellow uniforms, netball nets, hand pumps, and three netballs! We were even lucky enough to be a part of the first practice session led by the team coaches - it's certainly easy to become a lifelong fan of the Gambela girl’s netball … [Read more...] about Over the Net

After two days with farmers who spend their time growing produce, today we're with someone who is growing knowledge. His name is Prince. We first met Prince last year when we thanked him for his hard work educating young minds. And he's never stopped being a force for education - but something was stopping his access to the rest of the world. When we sat down with Prince, he told us about an idea for change he had. A new phone. His current phone was broken - he could receive calls, but the screen was cracked, making email and texting impossible. Many people are interested in joining in to help out with his school, but he can't connect with them. We wanted to be sure Prince had all the tools at his disposable to unleash his and other's talent in Nakivale. So Zu and the crew headed to pick out a phone that could connect Prince to the world and improve the school! Prince was filled with gratitude upon receiving the phone! The smiles wouldn’t stop. “Thank you, thank you, … [Read more...] about Staying Connected

Yesterday, we visited farmers in Rubondo, delivering a new hose for watering their crops. We were so inspired by their excitement and joy that it gave us another idea - a sprinkler. We got to thinking...what if we could attach the hose to a sprinkler and let the sprinkler take care of all the work for our farming friends?! We liked this idea - and the farmers liked it even more! So we came back with a sprinkler to test it out. It worked! The sprinkler sprang to life, shooting water across the whole field. The sun was setting, and everyone was cheering. It was a truly magical moment. Tomorrow, we'll ask the question - what do a changemaker and a phone have in common? Stay tuned to find out! … [Read more...] about Sprinkling Change

Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda is really big. Most people live in an area called Base Camp - and those folks also tend to get the most love. But there's another part of the settlement, named Rubondo, that can sometimes be a bit forgotten. Rubondo is made up of mostly farmers, and they tend to stay near home. Andrew from the ARC team told us that refugees will sometimes only make the trek to Base Camp once a year, and maybe even less! Our friend Zu wanted to make sure Rubondo felt the love too. So we piled into the car and made our way there. When we arrived, we met some farmers who oversaw a huge amount of land. They work together to manage the large fields and they told us how they have a water reservoir, but they have no way to efficiently spread the water across the whole field. They just fill up watering cans, and do it all manually. This gave us an idea...a hose! This would make their access to water all the way across the field possible. When we … [Read more...] about Remembering Forgotten Friends

It's our last day at the reception center in Nakivale Refugee Settlement, and the staff and residents have stolen our hearts. The team's last idea? It was all about net. Netball is a relatively new sport to the settlement. It's similar to basketball, but the hoops have no backboard behind them and the ball is like a volleyball. Games like this allow everyone to take a break and focus on simply having fun. The Netball set up was a huge hit with the kids! “This really means a lot to us. The kids need to play so badly, and this will help,” said one of the staff. These children are the future. Even though their childhood will be different than most, it's so important that they still get a chance to play - and just be kids for a while. … [Read more...] about Nothing but Net