Community Support Center Day began in 2022 as a personal birthday gesture dedicated to children affected by conflict and displacement. Since then, it has grown into an annual community initiative shaped by children, families, volunteers, partners and supporters.
Community Support Center Day did not begin as a large event.
It began with a birthday.
In 2022, I made a personal decision to dedicate my birthday to children whose lives had been disrupted by conflict and displacement. Having experienced displacement myself, I knew how easily a child can feel forgotten when difficult circumstances make their needs and childhood almost invisible.
I did not want my birthday to be only about me.
I wanted it to become a reason to remember children who were carrying experiences no child should have to carry alone—to spend time with them, listen to them, play with them, share food and create a day where they could simply feel seen and valued.
That was the beginning of Community Support Center Day (CSC-Day).
Why We Created CSC-Day
Children living through displacement can experience disrupted education, separation from familiar places and uncertainty about their future. But children are still children. They need opportunities to play, build friendships, express themselves, laugh and feel that their lives are about more than the difficulties surrounding them. CSC-Day was created to offer a space built around human connection, play, dignity and community. The idea was simple: use one personal occasion to create a moment of joy and solidarity for children facing difficult circumstances.
From a Birthday Gesture to a Community Day
The first idea belonged to one person, but CSC-Day was never meant to remain a personal project. As people learned about the initiative, friends, supporters, volunteers and partners began finding ways to contribute. Their involvement helped transform a birthday gesture into a shared community initiative. People have contributed time, resources, skills, encouragement, relationships and solidarity. That is what CSC-Day represents for us: what becomes possible when people come together around children, families and communities.
Why We Continue
CSC-Day became an annual moment because the reason behind it did not disappear. Children affected by conflict and displacement still need opportunities for joy, friendship and belonging. Families still need to know that their struggles have not made them invisible. Communities still need spaces where people can meet, play, talk and build relationships. The day is therefore connected to our wider work throughout the year. Sport and local games can bring children together. Mental health activities can create space for expression and healing. Education support can protect a child's opportunity to continue learning. Women and youth can take leadership roles. Community conversations can strengthen relationships. CSC-Day brings many of these possibilities into one shared moment.
From 2022 to the Years That Followed
The first CSC-Day in 2022 gave us the beginning. In 2023, we brought the day to Kitundu Camp in Uvira, focusing on solidarity with families displaced by the 2020 Uvira floods. In 2024, CSC-Day grew into a larger gathering at Kitundu IDP Camp, bringing together more than 1,300 participants through sport, local games, mental health activities, community meals and awareness discussions. Each year has its own story. Each year also teaches us something about the communities we walk alongside.
A Day Built With People
Today, CSC-Day is much more than the birthday where it began. It represents children who deserve to be remembered, families rebuilding after displacement and the coaches, volunteers, therapists, community leaders, local authorities, partners, donors and supporters who each find a way to contribute.
At the heart of it is a simple conviction: Every child deserves moments of joy, dignity and belonging, even in the middle of difficult circumstances. That is why we continue CSC-Day. Not because one day can solve the challenges facing a community, but because a day of human connection can remind us of what we are working toward—and bring people together around the work that must continue afterwards.
Looking Ahead
CSC-Day will continue to evolve with the communities around us. Some years may be large gatherings. Other years may require a different approach. Circumstances can change, and we will respond honestly to them. What will remain is the reason we started:
- To remember children.
- To create space for joy.
- To strengthen connection.
- To stand with communities affected by conflict and displacement and
- To keep building relationships through which healing, dignity and opportunity can grow.
Community Support Center Day began with one birthday and a personal decision to give back. It continues because many people have chosen to carry that spirit forward.
Walk With Us
Community Support Center Day continues because people choose to take part. You can support the work, share our stories, connect us with potential partners, volunteer your skills or help more people understand the realities facing children and families affected by conflict and displacement.
Healing Hearts, Building Futures.
