Voices of Dadaab
On a hot, dusty day early June, reporter Dinah Matengo and cameraman Gabriel Rotich arrived at Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya, home to some 210,000 displaced people.
They would spend a week in the area, reporting and recording for a special episode of Voices of Dadaab that explores what life is like for refugees.
Worldwide, more than 70 million people are currently forcibly displaced, according to the UN’s refugee agency UNHCR.
Among them, 25.9 million are refugees.
30 Years in Dadaab
In its 30 years of existence Dadaab camp has been home to hundreds of thousands of refugees in search of a safer, better life.
Many have found this within the three camps-Ifo,Hagadera and Dagahley, that make up the massive complex. Life for them is safer
One of those was Halima Hussein , a middle aged woman who made the treacherous journey from Somalia’s battle-scarred capital Mogadishu to Dadaab
‘’Back in Somalia, when the war broke out, we encountered challenges such as insecurity, threats and had to trek long distances to get to Dadaab refugee camps. Our husbands were killed, our children scattered. Some us fled without the children. A lot of people lost their lives and did not make it to the refugee camps. Kenya has generously hosted us with support from UNHCR’’, Ali tells us.
Houses in this camp we visited in Ifo are semi-permanent pretty much the resemblance with houses across other camps.Some lucky residents have tin roofs, but for most pieces of canvas that were once pitched as tents form the much needed cover from the sun over their heads.
A few metres away through the narrow corridor we meet Khatred Ali, she is raising a family of 14 with no job,she says its not easy, from having to secure the children education needs to ensuring they have a meal.
‘’ Imagine being a refugee for close to 30 years/ 3 decades and just sitting there, eating sorghum and nothing else.’’ She further adds,’’There was quality education in the past but, currently, it is not the case.’’,remarks Ali
But amidst the unending challenges, Halima Hussein has a reason or two to be thankful
‘’As refugees, we do not always complain. Sometimes, we need to acknowledge the assistance that we receive. Our children have gone through schools and are all grown up, except there are no employment opportunities. Nonetheless, we are grateful for everything’’,Hussein
CLIP-30YEARS A REFUGEE
Lost generation at the camps
One two many times they are referred to as the second generation refugees,they were born at the camps.
Abdi Osman ,was born in 1995 and has been living with her mother Khatred Ali .
At the time of the interview he tells us he was planning on ‘’chilling’’ for the day and basically this has become the norm for him, after having completed his secondary education last year.
‘’Personally, I was born, brought up and educated in Dadaab refugee camps’’,Says Abdi
Having scored a D in his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education exams he had hoped to pursue higher education but not as fate would have allowed it.
He has since been unable to get formal employment and a university scholarship;this he says is the norm among the youth here hence some of his friends have started developing mental health problems
‘’Even after 12 years of learning. Just recently, a friend and fellow country man hanged himself The challenges experienced are many and cannot be summarized’’He adds,’’The biggest challenge facing the youth is education. If the youth cannot get opportunities to study further and just stay at home, they become vulnerable to psychological problems’’
What if he gets the chance to get a scholarship,what would he study?Journalism he says,….Quite impressive he gets on with our camera and is able to capture a few videos.
He hopes one day to be a journalist
CLIP LIFE OF THE YOUTH
Stolen Innocence
Indeed, Life in camps takes its toll on both men and women, young and old alike;but girls and women are targets of frightful attacks and sexual violence during their journey ,which does not cease upon arrival at refugee camps
For purposes of her safety we shall hide her name,…Amina* a s will refer to her came with her family to Dadaab when she was still young and went through her primary education at the camp
But not until she was about to complete her primary education while in class six that her father forced her to marry off
‘’My family was among those living in former Ifo2 refugee camp. While i was in school, my father forced me to marry a man who eventually took me back to Somalia. After living with the man for sometime, I decided to return to Dadaab refugee camp’’,Amina*
Upon her return, her life took a turn to a twist for the worst.Her mother whom she left at Dadaab had now turned her back on her
‘’When I came back from Somalia, my mum said that she will not be able to take responsibility for my care, since she is married to another man and has other children’’
Fast forward, and now she’s helpless, abandoned by her loved ones-all alone;nothing to cling on.
‘’I could not find anyone in the community to help me;I was taken to one of the safe homes but, even there, I could not get much assistance. Thereafter, my father sent some men to take me back to my Somalia,the men had a car,they grabbed and threatened me saying that I should go back to my 60 year old husband. After refusing, they physically assaulted me and the neighbors intervened.’’
Tears rolling down her cheek, while she narrates to us her horrific experience she says she even considered taking her life as the community had now castigated, ‘’Whenever I went in the camps, I was called a bastard and discriminated against. It has now been 3 years and this has even affected me psychologically’’
Having survived two narrow rape ordeals and one forced marriages,her security was now at stake and she had to abandon her education.
But after every sunset comes a new sunrise,she met Rukia Hussein who now took her up and hosted her in a safe home
‘’I have been doing this for close to 10 years.I started doing this work because I came across many girls facing problems such as domestic violence and rape.’’
Her case has since been forwaded to the UNHCR Protection team but she still can’t go to school and is forced to read from her protection area
CLIP :STOLEN INNOCENCE
Life long learning in a refugee camp
In principle, access to education in the refugee camps and the Dadaab region outside the camps is limited. There are 22 primary schools and 9 secondary schools in the entire refugee complex.
We visit one Hormuud Primary School in Hagadera camp.Classes are ongoing as normal and of interest to us is the special needs classes.
“The school offers five main programs; mainstream primary education, early childhood development education, special needs education, information comunications technology and school meal programs, says Aden Mohammed the headteacher
We meet Abdullah Hussein he is part of the 14 teachers who teach 153 students in the special needs department
He says,’’It is the easiest yet more complex’’
Of the class we talk to some of the six of the visually impaired students are set to seat for their Kenya Certificate of Primary Exams(KCPE).Well, its not easy.
“We don’t have enough Brailles and talking calculators, we don’t have books to read and now we are in class eight,” Osman says. “We don’t have enough computers, we also don’t have a car to carry us from home to school and earlier we had a car to carry us.”Says Noor Osman a visually impaired students
While there could be a slow education process as compared to other schools in Kenya, the school is keeping up with the radical changes in the education sector and have a running IT department that is connected to the internet.
At the same time, they have role models to emulate such as Michael Kagwa who is a Ugandan refugee teacher and is part of the administrators in the school.
In 2016, he took a shot at the Global teacgers Prize , a $1million award presented annually and finished in the top 50
“We should not look ourselves as being hampered from any progress as refugees, we can do a lot more than that,” Kagwa says. There’s connectivity in this school. We can go global for example we can check on connections with the rest of the world at any given time.”
CLIP : EDUCATION
Driven to care
How much time passes between a laboring woman’s decision to seek care and her arrival at a health facility? Transportation for emergency obstetric care should be swift and timely, but for many refugees in the world’s conflict zones, it is not.
However at Hagadera Refferal Complex, they are trying to change this notion.
With a 24 hour ambulance as well as advanced community health services the hospital has been able to significantly reduce cases of home birth.
Fidelis Mbatiah is the head nurse and she says, the hospital has a fully fledged maternity wingh that has seen cases of maternal deaths go down
‘’In 2018,we had approximately 3000births that is inclusive of host and refugee community, Out of 3000births we managed 258complications that were treated successfully for maternal deaths we had 5maternal deaths 4 indirect causes 1direct cause’’
Cultural barriers seem to still be a challenge in securing consent of mothers to undergo ceasaran section.This has equally affected, uptake of family planning,
‘’If a mother is going to emergency CSmost of them decline’’,Maureen Lucas midwife at the hospital tells us,she also adds that ‘’ what we do is that every time you deliver a mother you encourage them to take family to encourage child spacing’’
But that is not enough, the hospital has resorted to talking to men on dealing with reproductive matters
‘’We’ve been involving men in matters of reproductive health this is through the small meetings that people if there’s a meeting where there’s a reproductive focal person who talks to them and tells them matters of reproductive health not for women alone’’
Progressively, the hospital staff tell us they are starting to adapt the use of community health workers in helping them with their delivery needs and child growth
The hospital run by the International Rescue Committee also has a free malnutrition sector where underweight children are placed to assist in their subsequent growth while still premature.
CLIP TO ATTACH: DRIVEN TO CARE
Farming a profitable venture in Dadaab
Temperatures in Dadaab average to 30 degrees celcius, that sort of resonates the climate of a desert but alas with this climate farming still exists in this region
In his expansive farm, we meet Abdi Mohammed commonly referred to as ‘’PiliPili’-In Swahili it means pepper,well and as his name suggests he supplies pepper to the camps market.
Not only does he supply pepper, but he grows friendly crops such as tomatoes, onions, okra and watermelons.
These are basic household utility crops that has given him a good venture to fend for his family
‘’Some days we make between Kshs 1,000, 1,500 and even sometimes, 2,000; The least we make is Kshs 1,000.’’
UNHCR supports the farmers with water for irrigation from a nearby borehole and drip irrigation kits, he appreciates the help but water still seems to be a recurring problem.
‘’For example, we are in a dry season and the solar powered boreholes are not yielding sufficient water.As you can see, insufficient water is weakening the plants. Some have even started to wither and dry up.’’
Insecurity is also a problem in his farm he tells us
‘’Some of the challenges include lack of proper fencing which needs one to protect the crops from thieves and animals’’
The various development partners working in tandem with UNHCR are working to ensure that these refugees are able to depend on themselves if at any given time they go back to Somalia.
And as a fun fact,the watermelons that come from Abdi’s farm…my oh my….(pun intended)
CLIP TO ATTACH:FARMING
What a Game!
Dusty, dry morning..they all gather in the field at Ifo…ready to witness the battle of two teams playing it out
They come in their numbers you would be mistaken that this is a campaign rally but well its love for the game.
For almost an hour though, The two teams ,Ifo and Hagadera seem to be having a disagreement and upon seeking to know we are told that the best player from one of the camps was given a yellow card and he is still in the team’s jersey awaiting to play.
Well to cut the long story short, disagreement is solved and they get to play.
After the set out 90- min time, the Ifo team scores out to a penalty leaving the crowd celebrating and running across the field.
We speak to some of the spectators off camera , and they express their love for the game as they say it is the only unifying factor in Dadaab.
The junior are not left out,-The United Stars club led by Mohammed Korio is proud of his team
‘’I am dreaming to get quality players as you see right now they were playing I have more talented players, some of them they transfer to other teams because of live promotions, we won two cups ,0 -C twice(Junior level) 2017 and 2016’’
Korio is an optimistic coach and hopes nothing but the best for his team.We ask him who he admires in the Kenyan football team, we pose names such as Victor Wanyama,Mariga,Origi, but he answers us,….No leave Wanyama alone ,We want to get a man like Ronaldo Christiano the best player of the world
CLIP:DADAAB YOUTH TOURNAMENT
Daadab got talent
They say talents are meant to be shared,…so much so we meet ‘Anta Mola Anta’ as he prefers to be known.
Young, creative and funny, 20 year old Anta is a rapper who sings about love.You know what they say about love…..Yes and we seek to find out why love.
He tells us’’ I have a Tanzania girlfriend and I haven’t seen her in a while and all my songs are dedicated to her’’
He was born at the camp, and met her girlfriend at the camps before she left.
He has big dreams first he says is to work with Kenyan established musicians such as Khaligraph Jones and Octopizzo.
Secondly, he hopes he can get a recording labelling studio that can support his music taent
He is part of the UNHCR progamme Artistes for refugees that seeks to provide a platform on which talented refugees can discover, explore, hone and display their talents.
CLIP TO ATTACH: Where he sings for us
Imminent Camps Closure
These are some of the insights we got from the refugees and the underlying elephant in the room lies with the recent threat by the Kenyan government to shut the camp by August 2019
And these are some of the responses we got from all the refugees we spoke to on the same:
Khatred Ali: (Refugee mother)Imagine bringing up a large family, in this refugee situation. How do you take back children who have known nowhere else but a refugee camp and were educated here? Even for us as adults, its close to 30 years since we were last in Somalia. We don’t know where to return to
Abdi Mohammed:(Farmer) :I have no hopes of going back to Somalia because I have a large family which I am taking care of and my children are getting education here in the camps.
Aden Hussein-Hormuud Primary school (head teacher): If the camps are closed where will these students go;I know some of them will drop so we request maybe the government if they are closing the camp they give another alternative to the students
UNHCR Repatriation
Majority of the refugee express their concerns in returning back to Somalia,citing security concerns this even as UNHCR continues with repatriation process
Since December 2014, Somali refugees who decide to voluntarily return to their home country, receive UNHCR support in Kenya and Somalia.
By the time of going to press, we interviewed repariation officer Woja John who says that the number continues to dwindle and as of June this year only 1031 refugees have been repatriated to Somalia
This despite a note –verbale from the Kenyan government to the UNHCR in March 2019
‘’Interestingly there has not been a direct impact on the number of returns, the announcement was made in February and interestingly it was not over the radio or the media; this time the government wrote on official note verbale to the UNHCR but the government has not come back to the population and informed them that this is the decision that the government of Kenya has made’’,Woja tells us
For now it’s a wait and see for the refugees to see if the Kenyan government will actualize their threat to shut down the camp seeing as it is the third time for such an announcement
CLIP:REPATRIATION
‘’Your enemy is not the refugee,your enemy is the one who made him a refugee’’Tariq Ramadan,Philosophic writer
