This is the season of giving—but it’s also one of gratitude. This time of year is about being thankful for the incredible people in your life, and showing them that you see them, that you appreciate everything they do.
For the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing special “thank you’s” with dozens of the people in our world who make our work possible. Chosen by our field teams across the globe, this Thank-a-Thon seeks out those who might need a little something extra to make their work go more smoothly, giving them a boost and showing how much we value their extraordinary contributions.
Starting with Regina Lauren….
Regina is a policewoman in Kapoeta, southeastern South Sudan, where domestic and gender-based violence can be a big problem. In Kapoeta and in the region, Alight is a leader in protection programs, many of them in partnership with local authorities like the police. Together, they help to support survivors.
One of the challenges the Alight team faces is that there is currently no “safe house” in the area, or place where victims can safely stay while their cases are handled. So Regina stepped up to the challenge, transforming her own home into a safe house for survivors, especially women and children. She provides food, shelter, and most importantly, safety.
“As a policewoman, the community sometimes undervalues my job—they think that since I’m a woman that I won’t advocate for the survivors,” she says. “But I always stand firm.”
For our first day of the thank-a-thon, we showed Regina how incredible we think she is by providing her with some extra soap, bed sheets, and sanitary pads for the survivors to use while they stay there. This will help make them a bit more comfortable as they take the first step on their healing journey—and make Regina’s job a little easier.
Thank you, Regina, for everything you do—everyday!
