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 soul.”
A simple gesture of thanks – an unexpected act of kindness – can mean so much to someone when they least expect it. So many people this month have been completely surprised at our gift of thanks, because too often we forget to thank those who most deserve it.
“This isn’t the normal,” said Bernad. “But maybe it should be.”
