Kakuma Refugee Camp Holistic Support

For this year's World Refugee Day, we spoke with IsraAID staff members who shared their experiences and hopes for the future. Today, and every day, we acknowledge the strength, resilience, and contribution of our refugee team and community members around the world – from Kenya to Venezuela to Ukraine.

Adi

Community Outreach Worker – IsraAID Kenya – from Ethiopia

I come from the Oromo Community in Nagelle Borena, Oromia region of Ethiopia,

Tell us about the community you currently live in and your experience settling in.

Settling into Kakuma/Kalobeyei was very challenging at first because of the harsh weather and shortage of water. To cope, I focused on finding work, first with other organizations, and after five years, with IsraAID.

What are your hopes for the future, yourself, your family, or your community?

I hope to progress in my education and continue gaining more knowledge on how to serve the community, myself, and my family.

What gets you up in the morning?

The knowledge that it is a new day and I can help the community, especially the children who are in need of learning materials. I know through my own experiences what it feels like to not have any support in your childhood years.

Chance

Community Outreach Worker – IsraAID Kenya – from the Democratic Republic of Congo

Tell us about yourself and the community you are from and the community you currently live in.

I am Sadiki Chance, born in 1985 in a place called Lemera in Uvira/Sud-Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo. I have been in Kakuma Camp, Kenya since June 2010. I came after war erupted in my home country, in which my both my parents died. My community in DRC is called Bafuliru. We are farmers, pastoralists, and hunters.

When I first reached Kakuma, language was a barrier as I didn’t speak Kiswahili or English. I immediately learned English, and I now speak French, Kiswahili, English, and my mother tongue Lingala Kifuliru. The climate is also very different here. It is extremely hot and dusty, however because of the situation in my home country I can not go back.

I came to Kakuma a single man but now I am married with two children.

What are your hopes for the future, yourself, your family, or your community?

My hopes are in God, as the longer I am alive, the brighter my life becomes. My experience working with IsraAID has ignited my passion for supporting the community and now I want to establish my own community-based organization. My lack of academic education affects the opportunities available to me, so I am currently studying for a Diploma in Social Work, which I will finish this year. I hope to then further my education at the degree level.

IsraAID is currently working with refugees, migrants, and internally displaced people in Albania, Colombia, Kenya, Moldova, Romania, South Sudan, Uganda, and Ukraine. 

It’s been more than two years since COVID-19 upended the world. Not a single country was spared, and especially not the 83 million refugees across the world. IsraAID has been at the forefront of responding to this crisis, including in Kakuma and Kalobeyei Refugee Camps in Kenya.

In order to bridge the gap between the community’s needs and IsraAID’s capability amid COVID-19 restrictions, the IsraAID Kenya team had to derive new ways to continue reaching the communities we work within, despite the constantly changing restrictions.

What was meant to be a roaming Child Friendly Space allowing facilitators to meet children and their families across the region, launched in another format - as home visits. Through at-home activities, the children continued to receive support in developing their creativity, decision-making skills, resilience, and managing stress.

During door-to-door activities, facilitators have been able to make stronger connections with not only the children, but also their families. Improving relationships with parents and caregivers maximizes the benefits of the CFS activities. Facilitators can educate the adults on how to ensure the children’s physical and emotional needs are met, and can provide COVID-19 messaging and stress management skills which are just as important for caregivers as the children. 

As COVID-19 restrictions eased, our team was able to return to regular CFS activities, reaching thousands of children, but even after larger group activities were able to resume, the team continued their door-to-door visits to ensure no child was left out, especially children living with illnesses or disabilities. We expanded our Protection activities through increased door-to-door visits and mobile CFS activities, creating the opportunity for facilitators to notice additional issues at home that may not have previously been addressed, to be referred for additional services. We also increased community awareness of referral pathways at household and school level.

To support our growth in the Protection sector, consultants offered refresher Child Protection, safeguarding, case management, and stress management training, ensuring all staff who are in contact with the community are prepared to identify and respond to protection issues, as well as manage themselves and their mental health in difficult situations.