Kakuma Refugee Camp

I don’t think any of our group was looking forward to visiting Kakuma Refugee Camp. We were expecting to see starving people, a hopeless situation. Photos you have seen on the news of starving refugees are taken at Dadaab Refugee Camp. It is in eastern Kenya near the border of Somalia with an estimated population of over 500,000! What we found at Kakuma Refugee Camp was nothing like that.

Although no one ever wants to live in a refugee camp, the conditions at Kakuma were decent. Perhaps that is because the camp has been in existence for almost 20 years. We actually came away from our visit with a positive and optimistic feeling. The refugees are not locked behind gates and barbed wire fences. They are free to come and go as they please both within the camp and outside. There are educational and employment opportunities within the camp, however they are a limited resource dependent upon funding.

First a little background, Kakuma Refugee Camp is located in northwestern Kenya 95 kilometers from the Sudanese border. It is also close to Ethiopia and Uganda.

This area is located in a harsh climate. Kakuma is the Kiswahili word for “nowhere”. The average daytime temperature is 104 degrees. It is in a semi-arid climate where no agriculture is possible. Kenyans who live in this area are the Turkana, nomadic pastoralists who raise goats and camels. There is not enough water or vegetation to support cattle.

Kakuma Refugee Camp was established in 1992 for Sudanese Refugees. Refugees are people that have been forcibly displaced from their home countries due to war or persecution. Many of you have probably heard of the Lost Boys of Sudan. This is the refugee camp where they lived. Today the population is about 83,000 consisting of refugees from Somalia, Ethiopia, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Uganda and Rwanda in an area covering 13 square kilometers.

The camp is administered by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. Other organizations involved are: World Food Program (WFP), International Organization for Migration (IOM), Lutheran World Federation (LWF), International Rescue Committee (IRC), Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS), National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), Windle Trust Kenya (WTK), Film Aid International, and Salesians of Don Bosco in Kenya.

Our host for the day was Father Luke, a Salesian priest. He runs the director of the Don Bosco Vocational Training Centre. At this centre they offer training in Computer, dressmaking, electrical installation, masonry, metal work, motor vehicle mechanics, plumbing, secretarial and carpentry. However, the most popular classes are English. This is because English is the official language of the camp. During the past calendar year they have enrolled 602 students.

Here are some of the statics Fr. Luke shared with us:
• There are 250 live births a month.
• Monthly, there are 1500 new arrivals including some transferred from Dadaab.
• Many of the refugees are unaccompanied minors.
• The majority of the adult Sudanese have returned to South Sudan since independence. However, they have left their children behind because there are more educational opportunities available in the camp than in South Sudan.
• There are twelve primary schools and only one secondary school within the camp.

When refugees arrive they are provided with a tarpaulin with which to construct a home. It is then up to them to build a more permanent structure as time goes on. Food is distributed once a week.

To ease tension between the refugees and the Kenyan people who live outside the camp, 20% of the services offered in the camp are designated to go to the locals. This has greatly helped the situation. The day after we visited there was going to be a food distribution to the Turkana who are also suffering from the drought. I met a young Turkana computer student at Don Bosco. She had completed secondary school and qualified for university. While she was waiting to be admitted to the university she was taking a computer diploma course.

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Agricultural Show 2011

Saturday we went to the Agricultural Show in Kitale. Think of county fairs or the state fair. Kenya holds three agricultural shows every year: Nairobi, Mombasa and Kitale. The primary purpose of these shows is to showcase agricultural methods, innovations, and products. The majority of Kenyans are subsistence farmers trying to raise enough maize and beans to feed their family for a year. It is the highlight of the year for many Kenyans.

Because rain was threatening, we were there a little over an hour. It probably isn't much larger than the LV County Fair. There were four barns of cattle. We

went through one of the major seed companies test plots to showcase their seeds and other agricultural products. There is a real move to encourage farmers to plant those crops that were once indigenous to Kenya and used for food before the coming of the white men. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, the seeds are much cheaper and no chemicals or fertilizers are required. We even bought a bag of toasted amaranth. It should make a good addition to the granola that I make for our breakfast.

One of the fascinating things we saw was an irrigation system for small plots.

I don’t know if you can tell from the picture, but it uses a large bicycle pump to power the irrigation system. By pumping like you would to fill a tire, it causes the water to flow through the hose to the sprinklers. The cost was about $30.

A bigger, more elaborate system used something similar to a stair master exercise machine. There were two pedals on a stand. You pump the pedals up and down and the water flows. It cost about $80. Amazing simple technology to meet a need.

You can’t get away without buying something. I bought a new basket with a lid for $2 and a couple of necklaces.

This is a coffee bush.

Here is tea.

Cultural Day

In an effort to create national unity, the government is encouraging the
organization of Cohesion Clubs in secondary schools. Two St. Monica’s girls attended a workshop over August holiday. As only four students from the entire

Trans Nzoia district were allowed to go, it was quite an honour. They are now

ambassadors to other schools to encourage the establishment of Cohesion Clubs. The purpose of these clubs it to bring together students of all ethnic groups. They need to recognize the importance of their ethnic heritage, yet realize the importance of national unity. Kenyans need to see themselves as Kenyans first rather than members of a particular tribe that can be manipulated against one another.

Last Saturday the Cohesion Club held the first ever Cultural Day at St. Monica’s. Each class worked together to prepare a presentation of song and dance. They were to use dances from their people, community or tribe.

It was an amazing day enjoyed by all probably the highlight of the school year.

I’m afraid the photos don’t do justice to the dancers. Most classes combined songs
and dances of two or more tribes. The smiles and joy on everyone’s faces was priceless. You couldn’t believe the enthusiasm of the audience. Occasionally the teachers would join in voluntarily as the spirit moved them or as they were invited by the group. Even I got into the act several times!

Typically there is a leader of the dance. This leader stands in front of the group. They begin the song and the rest of the group responds so it is a give and

take between the “caller” and the group. The drummers then join in once a rhythm is established.

The flexibility of Kenyans is amazing. We’ve written before about loving to watch

the liturgical dancers at Mass. That is nothing compared to what they can do! What natural rhythm. What beauty and grace in their movements.

The girls enjoyed the day so much they have requested to hold a Cultural Day every term.

Concern is Touching

Today is the beginning of the Agricultural Show held in Kitale. Nation-wide there are three such shows in Kenya: Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kitale. Think of the state fair. The primary purpose is to showcase and promote agriculture. There are permanent booths that display universities, banks, seed companies, etc. Then there are small individual booths selling food items, crafts, agricultural products, furniture, and novelties. Student groups come to perform in the grandstand during the day and professional entertainers come at night. For the children there are games, carnival rides and camel rides. We understand it is the highlight of the year for many Kenyans.

My Form II students have always asked me about current events as we start class. Earlier this week they asked if I would be going to the Agricultural Show this weekend. I told them that we would probably visit on Saturday. (The Showgrounds are less than a mile away, so it is easy for us to attend.)

This morning these girls told me that we shouldn't go because they are worried about our safety. As you probably know, Al Shabab is a Somalian terrorist group that has members in many African countries. The newspapers here have been filled with stories lately about their infiltration into Kenya and recruitment of young men now that Kenya has declared war on Al Shabab and invaded Somalia. Another teacher yesterday told them that it wasn't a good idea to go to the Agricultural Show because it was a large gathering and therefore a possible target.

I assured them that we would think twice about going. If we went it would be in the morning, not late afternoon or evening when the big crowds would be there.

I was really touched by their concern about us. We are aware of possible danger, but it is much more likely to occur in the larger cities than in Kitale. Just like in the US, we are aware of circumstances, are smart and take safety precautions. The US Embassy in Nairobi does a great job of alerting us of possible dangerous areas and giving us the latest information about the possibility of threatening situations. We are not worried about our safety but it is sweet that the girls want to take care of me.