A simple kit – just a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a bar of soap, presented with kindness – can go a long way. Especially in a place like Bidi Bidi. Every day the dust flies as gusts of wind blow through the neighborhoods, enveloping children and flinging clothes from clotheslines. And simply using neighborhood latrines can become hazardous when there isn’t any soap to wash up with afterwards.
“When people arrive here they receive only one bar of soap,” said Hildah, a member of ARC’s Protection team. “That’s 500 grams…it cannot last long.”
Of course, with so many people arriving at Bidi Bidi each day, it’s an uphill battle to supply people with all the things they need. But to start, on Day 20 our team did what was doable and provided hygiene kits to the most vulnerable in Zone 5.
“It can have an impact on the community,” Hildah said as the team assembled hygiene kits – a simple toothbrush, toothpaste and a bar of soap packed in a tiffan. After packing up the kits, we went immediately to the shelters of people who needed the most assistance – the elderly, people with disabilities living alone. Our team met with them, talked about their concerns, and presented the kits along with hope that things will get better.
“I am very prepared to give these out,” Hildah said. “It makes me happy, and people have been asking for this. We didn’t have an answer, but since these supplies arrived, I’m so excited.”
There is a great need at Bidi Bidi for all kinds of support, basic items needed for hygiene included. The women who received these kits are incredibly grateful for it. We’re showing that they’re not forgotten, that they’re not alone in this.
Tomorrow, we’ll return to the Ariwa Health Center, to continue the much needed maternity ward renovation.
