At Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement, much of our work is supported by an incredible group of volunteers. Every day, they get up before sunrise, making their way to the place where ARC’s vehicles will pick them up for the two-hour journey through the wide-open spaces of Bidi Bidi to their posts.
“It’s passion,” says Vivien, one of our all-star volunteers. “When you see the vulnerability of these people, you see there’s a need and a way to help them. And since I’m here, why don’t I volunteer to help them?”
When thinking of all the doable things we could do in Bidi Bidi, the ARC team knew for sure that they wanted to find a way to support volunteers like Vivien. Something to help them make it through the hot, dry desert of Bidi Bidi. Our answer? A portable field kit.
We soon learned that the backpack alone made all the difference.
“I’ve been carrying my papers in my hands simply every day,” said Doreen, another volunteer. “Sometimes I feel embarrassed. Yesterday it rained and all of my papers were wet.”
Another key item inside the backpack was a phone credit for their pay-as-you-go phones, essential to calling home to parents, spouses and children. They also found pens, hand sanitizer, a first aid kit, a water bottle, and some bubbles – for playing with kids.
“Blessing me with this is an encouragement,” Vivien said, “It is an encouragement that you believe in the work I’ve been doing, and that I can do more than what I’ve ever done before.”
