Changemakers 365
Do the doable.
The American Refugee Committee’s Changemakers 365 campaign aims to get people to think about the small things. The things that, when thinking about the overwhelming picture of supporting a refugee camp, get lost in the shuffle. The everyday things that people need to live with even a modicum of comfort.
The goal behind the Changemakers 365 campaign is to effect real change for $500 or less a day. And to do so every day for an entire year. To keep supporters up to date with the change they’re making, ARC shares weekly email updates, regularly posts blogs about the projects, and they run a WhatsApp feed for real time updates, photos, and videos of the progress they’re making on projects throughout the refugee camps.
For the thirty days of September, Atomic Data is helping do the doable for two refugee camps in Africa. Our donations will support Kyangwali Refugee camp in western Uganda and the Nairobi Training Center where the Refugee Olympic team trains in Kenya. During our share of the 365, ARC will be executing projects that were picked specifically for the two locations by Atomic Data employees—based off lists of needs provided by ARC teams at the camps.
Here’s a list of projects Atomic Data sponsored for the two camps:
For Kyangwali:
- Toys for children whose mothers are receiving services.
- Establishing ARC GBV service centers in communities which will take services closer to Kyangwali residents.
- Wheel chairs for persons with disabilities.
- Water cart for boys doing commercial water business.
- Home fumigation for vulnerable persons in community.
- Purchase of helmets for SafeRiders. “I was riding and something went into the eyes of the rider which almost caused as an accident”-Shuni, Kyangwali Guard.
- Initial seed & tools for Boys out school (BoSCH ) – Selling produce.
- Children marathon – Short kid’s marathon around base camp.
- Walking aids for the blind.
- Picnic for staff to enable more ideation and relaxation to serve Kyangwali residents better.
- Laptop for Girls out of School (GOSH)-This will help them play different skills training videos using Peco projectors.
- Peco projectors for GOSH-These are for use in learning centers like schools, GOSH and in communities with facilities that enable the use of such equipment.
- Cabinets for school
- Desktop computer for Community Activists to share.
- Permit loan for safe ride motorcycle taxi drivers.
- Sewing machines for community livelihood activities.
- Stretcher for host communities that have no Ambulance service, so community members can carry pregnant women to nearby health facilities.
- Solar lights for persons-with-special-needs.
- Laptop for public address system used for community awareness.
- Clothes for children and vulnerable babies of child mothers who are survivors of rape.
- Solar panel to Kyangwali Secondary School.
- Kids soccer / netball gala
- Immediate service delivery for persons of concern – for example like plastic sheeting, doors and other items to prevent risks like rape.
- A Little Library where community members come and borrow books, newspapers and other reading materials.
For the Nairobi Training Center:
- Beds, mattresses and sheets
- Over-the-counter pain medications.
- Scholarship for athletes not currently attending school.
- Computers/tablets/computer lab + typing skills software.
- Wifi network for training center.
- Training Shoes.
- Refrigerator to make bathing ice.
- Vitamins and nutritional supplements.
- Support from a dietician.
- Security Cameras and alarm surveillance system.
- Solar panels for warm water and lighting.
Of course, as an IT company, our minds turned toward the technology based projects like a WiFi network, projectors and computers. But we wanted to include a lot of projects for the most at-risk individuals like games and sports for the kids, wheel chairs and assistive supplies for the disabled, and gender-based violence (GBV) support products and services.
During ARC’s visit to our offices, their representatives and our own CEO, Jim Wolford relayed their experiences in and around refugee camps in Uganda. We even got on the phone with an ARC team member in Uganda that took time out of his night to chat with us. What they had to share was heartbreaking and humbling. It was a stark reminder to be thankful and aspire to give what you can to the less fortunate in our global community. Atomic Data has a great relationship with ARC and we are already looking forward to our next venture with this great non-profit. Check out ARC’s Changemakers 365 blog here.