Today is International Women’s Day! It’s an opportunity to celebrate women around the world, to unite around a shared purpose. And for women in in Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement in Uganda, it’s a time to gather together and honor cultural traditions, even far away from home.
Juma and Liliane – ARC volunteers – have been working with a women’s group in Bidi Bidi ever since they started volunteering. The group acts as a support system for each other, a safe space to be together, and a way to celebrate the diversity of their cultures.
For International Women’s Day, the women wanted to prepare a performance of traditional dances. But, they were missing a few things. Rose – the leader of the group – spoke up. “Our tribes don’t dance without beads,” she said.
So for Day 65, Juma and Liliane set out to get them the supplies they need to make these beautiful instruments.
“They have a sound,” explained Rose. “Our dancing will look nice if we wear them. It will bring a shaking sound.”
When the ARC team returned to Bidi Bidi with a boxful of glass beads found in Kampala, the women cheered. “We are happy now. The way we look, it will make us remember our families, our grandparents. It is the culture we are inheriting from our great, great grandparents.”
See – and hear – the beads in action!
We’re not done with these amazing women yet. Tomorrow, we’ll continue working to get this group the rest of what they’ll need to honor their families, their traditions, their homes.
