1,200,000 Refugees Have Poured Out of Ukraine Alight, has sent a team of aid workers to Poland. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee the country and many more to seek shelter underground or with family in safer parts of the country. … [Read more...] about Alight Deploys Rapid Response Team To Poland
Welcoming Afghan Families Home
Approximately 75,000 Afghans have arrived in the United States since the summer of 2021, when the Taliban takeover sparked a mass evacuation. In the wake of this mass arrival and in partnership with the State of Minnesota, Alight stepped forward to set up homes for arriving Afghan families. … [Read more...] about Welcoming Afghan Families Home
Beyond Blend
Introducing the Beyond Blend! We are so excited to announce that, in partnership with Dunn Brothers Coffee, we’re offering Beyond Blend for sale! … [Read more...] about Beyond Blend
Buy One, Give One – Pencils
The Pencils For Getting Back To School Alight has designed this inspirational set of 7 pencils. For each set we sell, a pencil set will be given to a refugee student in Pakistan, Uganda, or any place Alight is helping young people learn. … [Read more...] about Buy One, Give One – Pencils
Reaching Afghan Kids In Uncertain Times
The situation in Afghanistan has developed rapidly. Even before the Taliban takeover, the country was one of the hardest places in the world to be a child. Now kids and families don't know what to expect next. But Alight has a solution that has worked in times of crisis. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Radio Muallim was developed to reach children locked down at home with educational activities and lessons, so they wouldn't fall behind and had something positive to focus on in challenging times. 200,000+ kids learned age-appropriate numeracy and literacy through a series of radio broadcasts hosted by older children. Lessons featured stories, poems, games and physical exercise to keep kids interested and engaged. Support Alight's Response DONATE NOW! Alight's Pakistan team is working to bring Radio Muallim to Afghanistan to help kids feel a sense of normalcy in this time of uncertainty and fear. Alight has worked with Afghan refugees for nearly two … [Read more...] about Reaching Afghan Kids In Uncertain Times
Bringing Magic to Nakivale Community Library
Today’s 365 brings us back to the Nakivale library. The library is looking for new books that will be fun and engaging! What is more engaging than Harry Potter? Nothing! The Changemakers team was able to purchase 56 copies of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in French and in English! These books will make the stories accessible to readers of all ages and all cultures! Now residents of Nakivale can experience the magic of Harry Potter! … [Read more...] about Bringing Magic to Nakivale Community Library
One of the Good Ones
Today is all about the recognition of an amazing person who also happens to be a mother. The Assistant Commandant in Nakivale, Ms. Justine Gonza, has been an incredible partner and friend to Alight. She has by an advocate for the secondary school Rubondo, which Alight helped fund. She also has been helpful to the host community of Uganda in making sure their voices are heard. “Justine has shown unconditional love by uniting and advocating for both the refugee and host community co-existence and wellbeing in Rubondo community, through these engagements the community is able to receive first-class services from all the implementing partners,” explained Andrew, an Alight team member. To show our support for Justine, the team wanted to surprise her on Mother’s Day with an award for her service. “Ms. Gonza, we appreciate you today for your sincerity and generosity during the time you are needed. You have always been a mother to the community and the staff around you and today we … [Read more...] about One of the Good Ones
Community Gardens
Conflicts and wars are not just disruptive but also destructive to both human lives and activities including farming. A once-happy self-reliant community of Pure and Kiri in Kajo-Keji was forced to abandon farming as their main source of livelihood to stay in Korijo IDP camp after the conflict in 2017. While in Korijo IDP camp, most of the community were forced to travel to the refugee camps in Uganda to receive the food ration or risk going back to their original homes within the county to harvest from their abandoned farms. “With war, you can’t do anything. We were forced to abandon our fruitful and fertile land for safety in Korijo IDP camp where there was barely any food. We had to risk our lives to collect abandoned food in the garden or cross to Uganda for food ration” narrated Juru, a member of Mother to Mother Support Group (MtMSG) in Pure. The food crisis among some women was partly resolved when Alight came up with a great idea of introducing the kitchen garden … [Read more...] about Community Gardens
A New Garden
Variety is the spice of life and plays a key part in nutrition. Today’s Changemakers 365 project is all about food and mixing it up! The Alight team in South Sudan has a plan to improve customers' diets as well as their income. Through kitchen garden trainings, the team can teach about the importance of nutrient-rich gardens and how to grow the food. The team gathered groups of mothers who had an interest in expanding their knowledge of gardening. The trainings went incredible and the gardens flourished. “The kitchen garden has greatly added to my financial status. I now own a goat and two chickens at my home from the money I got from sharing the sale of the kitchen produce” said Aker Akol Bol, the lead mother of the mother-to-mother support group. Another member of the group, Aguak Deng Wol, said, “I am very lucky to have benefited from the kitchen garden project. After acquiring the knowledge from the group, I felt empowered to start growing my own vegetables at home. I … [Read more...] about A New Garden
A New Clean Space
Today, our Changemakers 365 journey takes us to South Sudan. Mothers in the Aweil West County who attend our nutrition programs have wished for a better experience. Currently, the program only has a patch of dusty ground to teach from. When classes get long, sitting on the dusty ground for hours at a time is unappealing and makes returning to sessions less likely. Alight team members saw an opportunity to improve our services! By getting mats and blankets, they can completely transform the experience for the customers. "We are no longer sitting on the bare ground/floor that always dirtied our clothes when getting services. But now we are happy we have enough sitting mats, thanks to Alight for increasing mats in our facility", a mother in Lolding nutrition site. Great work Changemakers! … [Read more...] about A New Clean Space