Alexander Harvey

When we set out our goals for 2020, a global pandemic wasn’t on the list.  Like so many others around the world, we’ve had to adjust, pivot, and pray our way through every change COVID-19 has brought.  In the Nyarugusu refugee camp, where our work is located, the effects of COVID may be particularly difficult to navigate.  The camp is densely populated.  Healthcare resources are limited.

But amid all the challenges, one thing has remained unchanged: our commitment to equipping hope.  And through that commitment, a new opportunity emerged — one that combined our existing programs, responded to the global pandemic in a proactive manner, and empowered our graduates to serve their community in a tangible way.

We call it Protecting Hope.

COVID in the Camp: A Hard Place Made Harder

The Nyarugusu refugee camp has long been a place of resilience.  Home to over 150,000 refugees, the camp already faced food insecurity, economic limitations, and legal restrictions on movement.  COVID made an already difficult environment more fragile.

As we listened to our local team, it became clear that the best way we could serve wasn’t by pressing ahead with our original plans. It was by adapting to meet the most urgent need: protection.

From Tailoring to Protection: Launching the Mask Project

By mid-year, our tailoring apprenticeship program had already graduated its first cohort.  These skilled graduates were ready to work, but economic activity inside the camp had slowed due to lockdowns and uncertainty.

At the same time, residents were in need of cloth face masks.  So we made a decision: to use our available funds to purchase fabric and hire our tailoring graduates to sew masks for the camp.

We called on our graduates and offered them fair wages for their time and skill.  We coordinated fabric purchasing through local vendors, helping sustain nearby businesses.

This project checked every box of our mission:

        • It empowered local graduates with meaningful work
        • It addressed a critical need in the community
        • It honored dignity and mutual care in a time of fear
        • It created a sense of shared purpose when so much felt uncertain

Faith in Action

This initiative reminded us why Equipping Hope exists.  When we say we want to equip more than relief, we mean it.  We don’t want to just respond to crisis — we want to prepare people to respond with confidence and skill.

In a moment of global fear, our tailoring graduates became a source of comfort and protection.  They weren’t waiting for outside help.  They were the help.

That’s the kind of outcome no strategic plan could predict. And it’s the kind of transformation we want to continue cultivating.

Challenges We’re Still Facing

COVID has brought logistical, emotional, and financial challenges to our work:

        • Gatherings are limited, which affects group classes and training sessions
        • Budget constraints have increased as some donors have had to pause support
        • Increased stress on local teams, many of whom are refugees themselves, balancing family needs and community leadership

We’ve had to slow down some of our plans.  We’ve had to move more cautiously.  But we haven’t stopped.

What’s Next

As we look ahead to the remainder of 2020, we remain committed to our core programs:

        • Teaching Hope will resume with smaller class sizes and safety protocols in place
        • Business of Hope will continue offering support to graduates with added flexibility and creativity

We’ll also continue the Protect Hope Project as long as funding allows expanding to more zones of the camp as we’re able.

How You Can Help

If you’ve been wondering how to help in a time when so much feels uncertain, here are a few simple ways:

        • Give to support the Protecting Hope Project — your donation creates jobs and provides protection
        • Pray for our tailoring graduates as they serve their neighbors
        • Share this story with others who care about refugee support
        • Stay connected by signing up for our newsletter and following us online

Hope Doesn’t Quit

This year didn’t go the way any of us planned. But even in the middle of disruption, hope is still being sewn, stitch by stitch, mask by mask, graduate by graduate.

Thank you for helping us respond with faith, flexibility, and love.

With gratitude,
The Equipping Hope Team