Today, we’re back in Oruchinga refugee settlement with a second idea submitted by the team there for the Changemakers Award (their first idea is here).
Most people living in a refugee camp are in a somewhat vulnerable state – they’ve fled their homes and are often reliant on services provided like clean water or food. But there are those who are extremely vulnerable, who may have a hard time getting around, who don’t have a support network or have difficulty communicating.
On Day 229, we were focused on these extremely vulnerable people, specifically elderly residents living on their own in the settlement.
Visiting their homes, our team discovered that most of them were sleeping on the ground, maybe with a piece of fabric or a sheet of plastic between them and the dirt. “It must be so uncomfortable, every night” said Mercy, an ARC team member. So the team decided to do something about it.
There are 13 small villages that make up Oruchinga settlement. The team found 2 elderly individuals in each of those villages and provided them a mattress to get them up off the ground and a little more comfortable. 26 people in total received a mattress. “I am so so happy,” said Marias. “I have been sleeping on old torn mats with only a blanket but am now going to sleep on a mattress!”
The elderly residents who received the mattresses are living on their own in the settlement. They might receive some help from their neighbors, but otherwise they must do everything themselves. This mattress is the only piece of furniture in their homes. They’ll sleep on it each night, but it will also provide a soft spot to sit at all other times of day.
“It was actually so amazing,” said Mercy. “Marias and the others who received mattresses jubilated! They said they would pray for those who had helped them. They appreciated it so much.”
