Ariwa was just a tiny town of a few hundred people before the Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement sprang up around it. The settlement is now 270,000 strong and every business, every public service, every bit of infrastructure that was in place before refugees arrived is now being tested.
The Ariwa Health Center is one such place. The number of patients visiting the center has skyrocketed, with three or four babies being delivered per day (three per month previously). The five beds in the post-natal ward are always full.
Although the Health Center is now bustling with activity, little attention has been paid to the building itself – the walls, the furniture, or the environment inside.
With much to be done on the inside, the team rolled up their sleeves yesterday and started with the most pressing need – fixing the falling ceiling. Next, the center needed a good scrubbing. And, to prepare for a fresh coat of paint tomorrow.
The ARC team went quickly to work with the team of volunteers, cleaning and sanding the walls and floor to prep for paint.
“We are very hopeful. We are hopeful that there will be very many changes. The mothers and babies will benefit,” said Sonia, a member of ARC’s Protection team.
Cleansing the walls of the Health Center went a long way to give the space a fresh, open, even airy feeling. And the mothers who stay in the post-natal ward will now be surrounded by those clean walls instead of the neglected room they were faced with before.
But we’re not done yet. Tomorrow, we’re taking this makeover to the next level with a fresh coat of paint. Stay tuned!
