Kakuma Refugee Camp Holistic Support

Apio Annet - Country Director, IsraAID Kenya and IsraAID Uganda

How has the COVID-19 outbreak impacted your daily work?

Refugee camps are a particularly difficult environment to control the spread of infection because access to vital essentials — including soap, water, other hygiene products, and indeed information — is extremely limited. Refugees in remote areas speak multiple languages and very few own radios; television is not even an option.

How are you able to respond?

Our facilitators, who — during ‘normal’ times — run each of our Child-Friendly Spaces, are our main asset. They’re locally-recruited, meaning that they are from the refugee or host communities, and IsraAID Protection professionals have trained them to support children and their families. This means that across Kenya and Uganda we have 75 young, committed community leaders, ready to jump into action.

Irene Mulanda - Child Protection Specialist, IsraAID Kenya
Why do you enjoy working as a Child Protection Specialist?

"I love working with and for the children. They are all special in their own unique way. Finding creative strategies to enable them to cope well with their problems is more than just a job, it brings forth a fulfilling experience by itself."

What do you hope for the future of the community?

"I hope the community becomes even more self-reliant, in their skills, their knowledge, and their confidence. Resilience will enable the community to bounce back, regardless of any negative forces that come their way."