After two days, our cleaning and painting crews have worked miracles improving the shell of the Safe House. But we’re not done yet! Day 3 is all about the furniture. We’re furnishing space for two families for less than $500!
When women arrive at the Safe Houses in Nakivale Refugee Settlement, ARC staff do everything they can to support them. They work tirelessly to help the people who seek their care. They provide the counseling they need and ensure that they’re connected to any and all services available.
But inside the Safe Houses themselves, one vital element is missing – there has never been any permanent furniture. Instead, when a woman needs to stay in the house, staff scrambles to find anything that the women and children can sleep on…that they can use for some comfort. Because resources are scare, families often end up sleeping on the hard ground.
That’s why this stage of the Safe House makeover is so critical. Simple furniture will make the rooms feel livable and functional instead of confining and uncomfortable. The pieces of furniture were chosen to be practical, pleasant, and cost less than $500 total!
The team chose the key pieces:
1) A simple chair that can be moved around the room or even outside
2) A side table where women can keep a safety phone, a glass of water or other belongings at night
3) A bunkbed frame and mattresses, because women usually arrive with their children
4) A basket to keep their clothes and other belongings
Where before there was empty space, now the room feels full, like a place a person could find some peace. With the simple addition of some basic furniture pieces, the Safe House is now better equipped to help women find some rest.
Everyone is shocked by the transformation over just three days! As Deus, ARC Uganda’s Team Lead for Gender-Based Violence said, “You come in here, sit down, and you will begin to heal. I love it.”
