The women’s group in Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement we’ve met have an eye toward the future. They come together for song and dance, but they don’t stop there. They’ve also started gardening together.
Rose – the leader of the group – helps the women plan their gardening plots, taking advantage of the space available to them and their desire to get to work. The women have faced terrible traumas, both in South Sudan and on the road to Bidi Bidi, but gardening helps them to heal – even for a while. “When we work, we forget those other things,” she said.
So for Day 67, we’re helping their gardens to grow. ARC team members gathered together to give these women tools they needed – seeds, hoes, rakes, and watering cans. The gardens will help them grow food for their families, and to sell some in the market, too.
Seeing the gifts, the women immediately let out a cheer. They began to celebrate with dance, inviting the ARC team to join. And after the jubilation, Rose led the group in dividing the seeds amongst all the women and creating a schedule for sharing the tools.
This group’s abundance of spirit, joy, and creative thinking makes doing the doable with them that much easier – they’re already undertaking amazing things. We’re just helping them do that much more.
