The Oromo are the largest ethnic group of Ethiopia. Since 2017, over 1 million Oromos – the majority women and children – have been displaced from their homes inside of Eastern Ethiopia due to conflict. Minnesota is home to over 40,000 members of the Oromo diaspora. One of whom, Aanne Atomssa, is ARC’s very own team member! Aanne came to the U.S. 18 years ago, but she remains connected to her community back home. Aanne and a group of other women leaders in the area were particularly moved by the recent conflict and humanitarian emergency in Ethiopia. They wanted to do something to help. So together, they formed the Siiqqee International Oromo Women. One way that they plan to achieve this goal is by building homes. “Disaster happened, and we knew we had to do something," said Aanne. "Something big. Building homes is that something big.” The Siiqqee International Oromo Women set out to fundraise to meet their goals, with events in the U.S. and around the world. … [Read more...] about Like Family
Archives for May 2018
Seeing Clearly
Losing your sight can be terrifying. But for women who are taking care of their children in Kalma Refugee Camp, it can also mean putting the entire family at risk. Many women in Kalma are breadwinners in their family. They have the triple role of taking care of their children, their extended family members, and making sure there’s food on the table. Cataracts are common in Kalma Camp, but access to surgery is not. As you may imagine, losing their sight can have ripple effects that go far beyond these superhero women. Most families can’t afford to pay for the simple surgery that could fix their problem. So we’re fixing it for them. For today, we honed in our efforts on two moms and one dad – Asha, Kaltoum, and Adam. “I have one son whom it has been a long time since I could see his face well,” said Asha. “Today, I open my eyes to see him clearly. I see my two sons – Musa and Gabriel whom I consider a gift from you.” It was a quick fix, at relatively low cost. But … [Read more...] about Seeing Clearly
A New Beginning
For the next couple of days we’re spending time with the people of Kalma Camp in South Darfur. These communities don’t have a whole lot of support, they do a lot with a little. But for people who face extra challenges – like a physical disability – hurdles in Kalma can morph into mountains. There are a lot of kids in Kalma who face physical challenges. But, it’s so important that they continue to socialize with their peers, go to school, and get around the camp with ease. Our teams wanted to do something to help. So they sat down with people in the community and came up with a plan for three children – kids who, despite the obstacles, are working hard toward a bright future. What do these kids need most? Wheelchairs. Abdulsalam, age 9, Mojahed, age 14, and Izaedin, age 16, all got new wheelchairs – tools they can use to get where they need to go. And the kids weren’t the only ones over the moon about these gifts. “Izaedin loves education and he is very good, but it … [Read more...] about A New Beginning
A Musical Gift
At the Questscope Youth Center in Za’atari Camp, we have a music room. Classes are taught by one of our mentors, Hayam, a Syrian musician who lives in the camp. Hayam guides youth in their lessons and experience of music. It’s an important method to help calm anxiety and foster healing in the rough environment of a refugee camp. Taima, a very talented girl, plays the keyboards. She is so talented that she started playing publicly at celebrations and ceremonies at the Youth Center. Hayam encouraged her to start playing at weddings and celebrations outside of the Youth Center, but she couldn’t afford to purchase a portable keyboard. So we surprised her with one of her very own! “When I brought the keyboard it was a surprise. I didn’t tell her that Hayam recommended this gift,” said Manar Amro of the Questscope team. “When we gave it to her she became very quiet, and then broke out into a smile and kept saying, ‘Is this for me?’ We drew a smile on this … [Read more...] about A Musical Gift
Spirit of Hospitality
Syrians are well-known for their warmth and hospitality. They’re also famous for their cuisine. Having a clean space to welcome visitors is of paramount importance, especially for people who have already lost so much. The ability to invite friends and family over for a meal or cup of tea brings much-needed routine and community into a refugee camp. Moayad and his family lived in a caravan with a rough and leaky floor. Because it wasn’t well-sealed, insects and moisture would come in through the cracks. Their kitchen and bathroom were also incomplete and in poor shape. Seeing an opportunity for change, we set about doing some maintenace to these spaces. We also put in new flooring! Although the changes were fairly basic, it made a huge difference to their home. Moayad and his family can now invite their loved ones over with pride, to a space that reflects their spirit of hospitality. Moayad said, “You granted my wife's dream to have a neat kitchen! And my … [Read more...] about Spirit of Hospitality
Making a Home
Since its beginning in 2012, Za’atari Camp has continuously expanded to try and meet the needs of incoming Syrian refugees. Over the past six years, it’s grown to become the fourth largest city in Jordan - a sprawling "home" to 80,000 people just seven miles from the Syrian border. Meeting the needs of tens of thousands of people is overwhelming. But by doing the doable we’re able to make big differences through small acts – one family at a time. Mohamad lives with his wife Suraya and their three children in a small caravan. Their bathroom is in the same space as the kitchen, which leads to sanitation issues. Their ceiling is also cracked, with sections missing and open to the elements. We knew we could do something to help Mohamad and his family be a little more comfortable – feel a little more dignified. So we partitioned off the bathroom to create a secure and private space. We also did repair work on the ceiling, so Mohamad’s family can stay safe and warm. … [Read more...] about Making a Home
A Roof Overhead
Many of the families we've met in Zaatari Camp are multi-generational – grandparents, parents, and kids all living together in one space, and taking care of each other. Amina Suliman is one of those caregivers. She lives with her children and handicapped mother in one caravan. Though the caravan is small, they are happy to be together. The house has an open central room, but it was missing a ceiling. Even the bathroom had no ceiling! They can hardly spend any time in their central room because they are exposed to the elements – sun, wind, and rain. They even wear coats inside during the winter. "It is very hard to live without a ceiling either in winter or summer – it affected my family," says Amina. "It is killing me every day to see them like this!" Our team knew we could ease this mother's burden through some simple construction project. We put up a ceiling in the bathroom, along with flooring and kitchen upgrades to protect the home from insects and keep the … [Read more...] about A Roof Overhead
A Change for Fatima
Weather in Jordan can be extreme. The winters are cold, with snow and blowing wind moving across the open landscape. The summers are hot, with desert sun beating down, heating the inside of metal caravans where residents live. Fatima Al Zahri knows these extremes firsthand. She lives alone at the edge of camp, bordering a busy road. Her door doesn’t fit properly, so the caravan never gets warm in winter. And due to the extreme heat, Fatima must leave her door wide open to cool the interior of her caravan in the summer months. With no privacy fence to protect her, Fatima is exposed to traffic on the road, people walking by, even packs of dogs that roam the camp. Our team knew they could help Fatima feel more comfortable in her home with just one small change – a yellow extension to her caravan that surrounds the main door. The door serves both as a protection buffer and privacy shield. When she saw the yellow extension, Fatima couldn’t stop smiling! This will … [Read more...] about A Change for Fatima
A Better Kitchen
Meet Nawal. She has a disability and lives with her sister in a tiny caravan in Za’atari Refugee Camp in Jordan. Because it's not easy for her to get around, Nawal spends most of her days inside. But what she loves more than anything? Cooking. When asked what would make her happy, Nawal said she wanted "a good kitchen that she can use proudly." But the kitchen of their caravan isn't built for her needs. We wanted to make Nawal's dream kitchen come true. So our engineers got to work building new shelves and adjusting the cooking area so it's now easy for her to use. When she saw the adjustments to the kitchen, Nawal was overjoyed. "I now realize there are people out there who cares about me!" she said. "You made my dream come true! I really wanted to get a new, nice kitchen. I feel now I'm like any other woman, I thought I was forgotten in this world, because of my disability." … [Read more...] about A Better Kitchen
A Place to Themselves
Can you imagine living in a home where you didn't have a place to go to the bathroom? We've discovered over the last few days how important privacy and protection is for the families in Za'atari camp. And that is true again today, when we met Maryam. This mother lives with her daughter Nirmeen in a small caravan that was lacking both a kitchen and bathroom. They put up blankets for privacy when bathing. They cook in their front yard, next to their neighbors. But, our team knew it wouldn't take much to bring this family some privacy. We constructed a new bathroom space by erecting iron sheet metal adjacent to the home. And we closed off a portion of the outdoor space into a new kitchen area. When they saw their new home, Maryam was ecstatic. "Now I can live safely, I'll stop feeling the eyes of people on us,” she said. “Now my daughter is like everybody else, she has a bathroom and walls, I feel she's finally protected." Team member Manar was also overjoyed … [Read more...] about A Place to Themselves