Have you ever had that one friend who can seemingly do it all? For us, that’s Gracien. He’s the Director of Social Development for the King of Kabare, the traditional ruler in the region in Eastern Congo where Asili has taken root. But he’s also a historian, a writer, an expert on gorillas and other wildlife, and a very good friend of Asili’s. Gracien spends his free time – not that he has much of it! – on writing. “I love history, and I love Congo’s culture. I want to record some of these oral stories and traditions so that future generations will know them, too.” He’s already had a few publications, which students read in school. Gracien has been a steadfast supporter of Asili from the very beginning. We wanted to thank him for having our backs, for believing in us even when there wasn’t much in the beginning to believe in. So for Day 355, we thanked him with a gift that will help his work as a writer go a little smoother – a brand new laptop. “Wow!” said Gracien as we … [Read more...] about Write Away
Archives for December 2017
Seed Funding
We all know that person who has a great idea for a novel that never quite gets written, or dreams of making it big in music but sticks to karaoke instead. “Don’t quit your day job,” goes the age old adage. But quitting her day job was exactly what Delphie did. Delphie used to be a journalist for a local radio station in Bukavu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. But, she had dreams of being a landscape architect – and starting her very own business. She tested out her skills with us, volunteering her time, energy, and talents toward designing the landscapes outside our Asili clinics. And, everyone who comes to the clinics remarks at how just very beautiful the landscapes are. People even take wedding and family photos there. A couple months ago, Delphie quit her job, deciding to pursue her idea for a business full time. So for Day 354, we decided to thank her for everything she’s done to make Asili clinics the incredible places they are – by giving her some seed funding to … [Read more...] about Seed Funding
Family Dinner
For the past few days, we’ve taken a closer look at the rockstars behind the scenes, who are absolutely critical in helping us serve over 120,000 refugees in Rwanda. These aren’t folks who are in the spotlight very often, in fact, they rarely ever are. So that’s why today, on Day 353, we’re showing our gratitude to some of our Rwanda teammates who fly under the radar, but who do so much to support what we do and to keep us safe – our cleaners and drivers. We asked Bernad, ARC Rwanda’s Country Director, what we could do to show these teammates that we value what they do. His answer? A dinner, together. “These drivers, they take us to nice restaurants all the time when visitors come, or when we have important meetings,” he said. “But I want to show them that dinner is not just for visitors and senior colleagues- we can actually all sit together , and what’s more, make the dinner about honoring them.” So we gathered all the drivers and all the cleaners that are stationed … [Read more...] about Family Dinner
Steady As We Go
When it comes to getting things done, we all have our” “go to” places – from the mechanic down the street, to your favorite coffee shop, to a doctor that you trust – these people and places provide reliable services that never let us down. The same is true for our teammates in Rwanda. Over the years, they’ve come to rely on incredible partners who are always there just when you need them. And unlike a favorite coffee shop, having reliable partners in the humanitarian context can literally mean the difference between life and death – it means someone getting the care they need in time, or not. So we asked some of our very best partners and vendors to gather for a surprise reception, held in their honor, complete with tea, cookies, thank you gifts, and a whole lot of gratitude. Some of the most important vendors in Rwanda are pharmacies. “We trust that they have the medicine whenever we need it,” said Bernad, ARC Rwanda’s Country Director. “And a lot of these medicines relate … [Read more...] about Steady As We Go
Behind the Scenes
In any humanitarian context, there are always different kinds of people that are needed to get the job done – planners, activists, dreamers, and doers alike play a role in saving lives. But we truly couldn’t do the things we do without one role in particular – our warehouse crew. Working in the warehouse perhaps doesn’t sound like the most exhilarating job in the world. But in Rwanda, the warehouse is where most medications for the country program are held. It’s where expensive supplies are stored and kept safe, and dispatched when the time is right to six camps throughout the country. It’s where records are kept, stretching back almost a decade. There’s only a few guys who work at Rwanda’s main warehouse in Kigali, and most of them have never even met some of their colleagues who work at the ARC office! So for Day 351, we decided to change that – thanking our colleagues at the warehouse for the incredible work that they do, and bringing everyone along for the ride. We … [Read more...] about Behind the Scenes
A Simple Thanks
Our team in Rwanda is unstoppable. They manage six different refugee camps and serve over 122,000 refugees. But they're so busy with the day to day, that they don't often get the chance to pause and appreciate the things they've accomplished together. So we gathered the team for a meeting – for the sole purpose of saying thank you. We surprised our teammates with gift bags filled with a thank you card, some snacks, and a new notebook. Small things – but with big meaning behind them. "They're surprised because we never have meetings just to say thanks," said Bernad, ARC's Country Director in Rwanda. "Sometimes we forget to rest and reflect a bit." Smiles were abundant as the team opened their baskets. “Your kind gesture and recognition to us is so appreciated," said Betty, one of our Rwanda teammates."It shows us that you value the work we do." "This kind of thing means a lot," said Bernad. "This may look simple, it may not cost much, but for me it touches the … [Read more...] about A Simple Thanks
A Night Off
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
The Doctor Is In
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
Paul for President
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
Mom Knows Best
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