Hello! Today, we’re back in Nairobi, spending time with the Refugee Coalition of East Africa (RefCEA).
RefCEA is a coalition of ten community-based organizations that specifically consist of LGBTQI refugees. By creating a coalition, the group has been able to better advocate for and support more individuals, becoming stronger together.
The coalition was formed in April 2018, and only just moved into their office space a couple of months ago. They have big dreams of spaces for livelihoods trainings and a computer lab, but they’re also trying to make the office feel more like an office and a little less like a partially empty building.
One of their needs was a little more space to work, and to make the dream of a computer lab a little more real. As we sat for our meeting, the whole group was around one desk, and didn’t have much independent working space. The natural first step? Desks they could work on!
We made sure the desks were multipurpose and could be used for meetings, trainings, and had holes for wires for the day the room was turned into a computer lab.
Now, the group won’t have to be cramped around a single desk for meetings, but can be spread out, comfortable, and allow for even more people to learn.
Meet Sam!
Sam developed an interest in forced displacement, food insecurity, and identity while working on her master’s degree. She’s now using this knowledge to support Changemakers 365 across our country programs. When she’s not off on a work trip, she’s busy fermenting beverages, training for half marathons, or listening to podcasts at her home in Minneapolis.
