Kakuma Refugee Camp Holistic Support

Medical Program

IsraAID Kenya seeks to support the existing health infrastructure by bringing volunteer physicians who both take care of patients directly and train the health staff on critical topics to improve the care they provide. Additionally, IsraAID tracks the issues leading to mortality in the hospitals and seeks donations of medical equipment to avoid these mortalities. The medical program is literally saving the lives of both refugees and the host community members.

Dr. Khory, one of the volunteering doctors, in her short time volunteering identified a critical gap in the medical equipment at one of the hospital in the camps, which was resulting in several childrens deaths each week. With her help, a temporary protocol was put into place, malfunctioning equipment removed, and IsraAID Kenya has since secured a donation to replace the malfunctioning machines.

Eva Products

IsraAID developed a pilot project to help women at the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya sell “Eva Products,” or reusable menstruation products. With a market based on the distribution of rations and free products, entrepreneurship in Kakuma is difficult. For IsraAID, it is important to provide women with the tools to achieve economic independence. One participant expressed appreciation to the facilitators of the pilot project saying, “I really appreciate you being here and working with me to find solutions.”Ava (pictured below), the Project Facilitator, said:

“A lot of the women that we work with are single mothers, and the rations sometimes just aren’t enough. I think it [the project] provides a sense of dignity and a reason for women to get out of the house.”

Art Therapy 

Last month, an art therapist from Israel conducted a training on the transformational nature of art on children's mental health and overall wellbeing. At the Furaha Center- Child Friendly space in Kakuma, we use art to give children a creative outlet to express their dreams and concerns, and to identify issues that children are not always able to talk about. During this training, 23 refugees including the IsraAID Kenya Psycho-social Support facilitators were trained to increase their capacity as they engaged over 200 children who come at the Center everyday. The therapist also held several therapy sessions with young adults – please watch the following video by one of our interns, for more: https://vimeo.com/223003697. 

Furahu Center

“Being a refugee is not an easy thing” these are words of Fabrice, IsraAID PSS facilitator. He is a father of 5 children and in his thirties. He fled his country due to the recurring conflict caused by ethnicity and politics. According to him working at the Furaha Centre has made him feel fulfilled and he looks forward to coming to work every morning. Playing with children makes him feel happy, laugh and also heal the pain he has from the many losses he experienced back in his country. He feels much younger and is a proud parent.

His greatest motivation is to see children enjoying themselves; being able to learn how to play in harmony without discrimination based on their nationality or ethnicity. He drives is passion when seeing distressed children being able to interact with the rest and play happily. He finishes by appreciating the personal growth he has gotten for the last five months he has worked at IsraAID. He feels he has regained some emotional, physical and spiritual well-being that he had lost due to the situation in his past.

The child friendly space (Furaha Centre) seeks to expand staffing enough to provide activities for upwards of 600 children per day, reaching at least 3,000 individual children per month.

Help us reach more children – donate now!

Thank you!

The PSS center has been busy as ever! We have instituted new, once monthly movie screenings. We have had two screenings, which were widely attended and the kids were very excited to see the educational films! 

The center has also received new play equipment which has made for a great deal of fun during free play times. Additionally, the center now has a drum for activities with music. There are several new facilitators who have become valued parts of the IsraAID team and who are doing a great job of getting to know the kids and create new activities for them. 

The facilitators have recently had several trainings, covering the issues they face and referrals to other agencies, to better provide for the variety of needs facing the children. Additionally, an IsraAID volunteer doctor came to give a first aid training to the facilitators to help ensure a safe environment for the children in our care. 

Several new children have been referred to IsraAID for play therapy and art therapy, and the staff has been working hard to follow up on these referrals and ensure the quality of services provided to the children in need. 

In the coming days facilitators will be undergoing intensive trainings with an Israeli art therapist to learn new techniques for promoting resilience through art and play for children in this environment. 

Thank you for continuing to support IsraAID's work in Kakuma - together we are creating a safe enviroment for the children, a daily distraction form the hardship of living in the camp.