As a refugee, holding on to your most dearly held traditions reminds you of who you are. Reminds you of home, of family.
For one Muslim community living in Nakivale Refugee Settlement, that tradition is coming together in prayer. “Prayer brings us together,” said the community’s Imam. “It helps us know one another.”
Right now, this community is doing what they can to keep the faith. But they don’t have proper prayer mats, so instead they’re using plastic sheeting to kneel on.
“It’s not ideal,” said the Imam, “but it’s what we’ve got.”
This was a problem we could solve. We got prayer mats for the mosque, enough for every member of the community to use when they come to pray.
We had also heard requests for fruit trees, specifically mangoes. “Mango trees bear fruit. People can grab one and eat them on the move. It’s nutritious. And as refugees, we can’t afford to buy fruit at the market,” said the Imam.
So, we thought, why not solve two problems at once?
Having access to prayer mats will help this community feel a little more whole. A little more at home. And with the addition to fruit trees, the whole mosque experience is transformed.
“This is a strong community. But now we are stronger.”
