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THE REFUGEE MAGAZINE
EDITION
It’s the big birds that teach the young ones to fly. | August - September 2020 | YEMI | 1 |
African Musings:
Editorial Director Foni Vuni
Copy Editor Musa Asubuhi
Creative Director Mary Mwangi
Design Director Wairimu Kioko Features Editor Olyvia Kimathi Contributing Writers
Foni Vuni, Genevieve Uwajeneza, Hussein Ogate, Maria Maina, Eugene Mbana, Fred Birori, Herispeak, Tut Michael, Ndorimana Emanuel Advertising enquiries musa@wikitabu.co.ke Editorial enquiries musa@wikitabu.co.ke
| 2 | YEMI | August - September 2020 |
Š2020 by Wikitabu Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Permission to reprint or quote excerpts granted.
Published by Wikitabu Publishers Ltd info@wikitabu.co.ke www.wikitabu.co.ke
contents
07
Editor’s Note 12
The I.Y.D OROMO CULTURAL 19 ASSOCIATION
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16
YOUTH ENGAGEMENT
contents
22
TODAY’S WORLD
| 4 | YEMI | August - September 2020 |
25
I NOW KNOW
ANGAZA TRAINING 28 REPORT 38
HOPE FOR TOMORROW
contents
46 52
WACYOREZO WE URICYOGERE
POEM TRANSLATION
CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION 58
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56
ONLY ME
| 6 | YEMI | August - September 2020 |
contents 63
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Editor’s note:
A Today, we celebrate the young people leading solutions for their communities, their commitments to make their communities a better place.
midst the Corona virus pandemic, youth from refugee and host community have rapidly to diverted their focus and efforts to better support their communities. They have continued to be resilient, finding innovative ways to continue providing services for their communities, putting others in their communities first regardless of the challenges, and also working collaboratively with each other to find solutions for their communities.
CONNECT WITH ME ON FACEBOOK - click my pic.
i n u V i n Fo
| August - September 2020 | YEMI | 7 |
Despite the resilience young people have displayed in their work, it’s important to also take into account that with uncertainty of the future, some young people are still finding it hard to face the new reality. I mean, who is finding it easy? Who is sure that in a month they will go back to school/work? That the
| 8 | YEMI | August - September 2020 |
livelihood/business you run will pick up? That you will still have enough savings to sustain you? That you will still be able to meet up with your peers and have a cup of tea or a meal at your favorite restaurant? It’s hard to plan ahead when you are not sure of what will happen in the next 4 months before the end of the year. The pressure that many people are facing
in the community has affected their well-being and mental health. It’s important to take into account young people’s mental health and well-being. How are you supporting the young people in your community. We are physically distanced but can still be socially connected. Today, we celebrate the young people leading solutions for their communities, their commitments to make
their communities a better place. However, one important thing I urge the different stakeholders on is that with the different phases of Corona, let’s not seek to replace the young people with the work they are doing on the ground. Instead, let us work with them to scale up the response they have already initialized. This is an opportunity to recognize that youth
have been playing a role, they are still playing a role and they can still play a role in working towards a better community.
all are faced with, its not easy. Things may not seem to be working now but we shall still seek out the light at the end of the tunnel. It may be dim, we may not see it, it may take time, but we shall still find it.
Happy International Youth Day.
| August - September 2020 | YEMI | 9 |
International Youth Day is a day that we get to celebrate young people in our community. Today I celebrate
you. For being able to think about others in your community, coming up with solutions, supporting others in your community, following guidelines the government has set, having the strength to continue regardless of the new reality we
| 10 | HOM.Ed | August - September 2020 |
| August - September 2020 | YEMI | 11 |
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YOUTH ENGAGEMENT FOR GLOBAL ACTION The theme of International Youth Day 2020, “Youth Engagement for Global Action� seeks to highlight the ways in which the engagement of young people at the local, national and global levels is enriching national and multilateral institutions and processes, as well as draw lessons on how their representation and engagement in formal institutional politics can be significantly enhanced.
A
contemporary conflicts and humanitarian emergencies, such as Syria and Myanmar, as
The aim of IYD 2020 is to shed light on the need to enable the engagement of youth by making local, national and global institutions more inclusive for the purpose of strengthening their capacity (and relevance) to achieve global action.
| August - September 2020 | YEMI | 13 |
s the United Nations turns 75, and with only 10 years remaining to make the 2030 Agenda a reality for all, trust in public institutions is eroding. At the international level, against the backdrop of an increasingly polarized world, the international system of governance is currently undergoing a crisis of legitimacy and relevance. In particular, this crisis is rooted in the need to strengthen the capacity of the international system to act in concert and implement solutions to pressing challenges and threats (examples include some of the worst
| 14 | YEMI | August - September 2020 |
well as global challenges, such as the COVID-19 outbreak and climate change). Enabling the engagement of youth in formal political mechanisms does increase the fairness of political processes by reducing democratic deficits, contributes to better and more sustainable policies, and also has symbolic importance that can further contribute to restore trust in public institutions, especially among youth. Moreover, the vast majority of challenges humanity
currently faces, such as the COVID19 outbreak and climate change require concerted global action and the meaningful engagement and participation of young people to be addressed effectively. The aim of IYD 2020 is to shed light on the need to enable the engagement of youth by making local, national and global institutions more inclusive for the purpose of strengthening their capacity (and relevance) to achieve global action.
This year’s IYD seeks to put the spotlight on youth engagement through the following three interconnected streams: 1. Engagement at the local/ community level; 2. Engagement at the national level (formulation of laws, policies, and their implementation); and, 3. Engagement at the global level.
| August - September 2020 | YEMI | 15 |
| 16 | HOM.Ed | August - September 2020 |
THE INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY
By Genevieve Uwajeneza.
Y
outh engagement to me is the active participation of young people in the planning and decision making processes to formulate policies that contribute to the development of not only the communities that we live in, but also our countries at large. I believe youth engagement can be supported mainly by ensuring that organizations that are involved with youth are well funded and staffed to ensure smooth, effective
“We cannot always build the future for our youth but we can build our youth for the future.� ~Franklin D. Roosevelt
and continuous running of the activities that support the youth. They can also be supported by ensuring that there are well trained personnel that are equipped with information and creative approaches on
| August - September 2020 | YEMI | 17 |
My Name is Genevieve Uwajeneza. A Rwandan by nationality and an Urban Refugee living in Kenya. I am 24 years old. I have been living in Kenya for the past 23 years. I attended school here and was fortunate enough to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Education. Currently, l am a volunteer youth leader working under the Refugee Affairs Secretariat.
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how best to ensure that youth are involved and are constantly engaged in the processes that involve them.
views on what they think should be implemented when policies are being drafted .These will ensure the youth feel included.
It is important for the youth to be fully engaged in these processes because they are in a
My message on this International Youth Day is that we, the youth, are the future, therefore, who
better position to bring up issues that they face in their day to day life. Youth constitute a greater majority of the population in most countries, therefore, it is important to engage them and ensure that they also share their
best than us to build the future that we want. “We cannot always build the future for our youth but we can build our youth for the future.� ~Franklin D. Roosevelt
OROMO CULTURAL ASSOCIATION By Hussein Ogate
M
y name is Hussein Ogate. I am an Ethiopian refugee currently living in Kenya.
I formed this organization to bring together youth to appreciate culture, love and peace through art, songs, poems, and sports like acrobatics and athletics.
We have programs like:
☑
Traditional songs performance
☑ ☑ ☑
Acrobatics classes Athletics Dances
We also do environmental clean-ups in our community.
| August - September 2020 | YEMI | 19 |
I work with an organization called Oromo cultural Association. It is a Community Based Organization registered within the County of Nairobi.
Through the above avenue, we come together and help each other. We conduct hall meetings once a month to check on each other and advance our agendas.
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TODAY’S WORLD
The greatest gift you can give to others is time. During my social work experience, I learnt the true meaning of these words first hand.
By Maria Maina
This serves as the beginning of your legacy in the world. In the
This is the time for the young to grow and develop so as to make a better home, a better Africa, and a better world.
| August - September 2020 | YEMI | 23 |
G
iving yourself wholeheartedly for someone in need is the most rewarding experience one can have. By offering your talents, energy, and material possessions, an indelible impact is left on the people who have been touched by your kindness.
African community, the fellowship between people of different ages is developed at a young age
given to them by their elders in order for them to make impactful decisions for their lives and this
with neighbours and friends. This instills the virtue of compassion and charity for your neighbour.
world .
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During this crisis that has rendered the whole world stagnant, community fellowship and service has been elevated and has seen the involvement of both young and old. To improve the community, the youth should internalize advice
It is therefore important that from a young age the youth are taught the importance of helping and given opportunities to help make a better world. This is the time for the young to grow and develop so as to make a better home, a better Africa, and a better world.
My name is Maria Nyaguthie Maina and I am 19 years old. I currently reside in Nairobi, Kenya. I am an intern at an organization called Elimu nyumbani and a student at Tangaza University. Contact me on: Email: mainamaria563@gmail.com Facebook: Maria Maina
I NOW KNOW
By Foni Vuni
| August - September 2020 | YEMI | 25 |
What is the difference between a refugee, an asylum seeker and a migrant?
Who is a refugee?
| 26 | YEMI | August - September 2020 |
A refugee, according to the 1951 Convention, is a person who has fled their country owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion. This is because they are at risk of serious human
rights violations and persecution there. The risks to their safety and life were so great that they felt they had no choice but to leave and seek safety outside their country because their own government cannot or will not protect them from those dangers. Refugees have a right to international protection.
Who is an asylum-seeker? An asylum-seeker is a person who has left their country and is seeking protection from persecution and serious human rights violations in another country, but who hasn’t yet been legally recognized as a refugee and is
waiting to receive a decision on their asylum claim. Seeking asylum is a human right. This means that everyone should be allowed to enter another country to seek asylum.
Who is a migrant? Migrants are people staying outside their country of origin, who are not asylum-seekers or refugees. Some migrants leave their country because they want to work, study
must leave because of poverty, political unrest, gang violence, natural disasters or other serious circumstances that exist there.
or join family. Others feel they
1951 convention Difference between refugees, asylum seekers and refugees. UNHCR on Asylum seekers
| August - September 2020 | YEMI | 27 |
To read and understand more click the links below:
Connect with me on IG click the poster.
| 28 | YEMI | August - September 2020 |
By Eugene Mbana Send me an email - click the icon.
info@angazafrica.org www.angazafrica.org
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Angaza Africa held its inaugural training on the 18th of July 2020 in the busy town of Kitengela on the outskirts of Nairobi. The event was geared at providing urban refugees from the Banyamulenge Community, based in Kitengela, with sustainable business skills in this era of COVID-19.
T
communication, unit economics and the overall running of a small-scale business. The feedback received, post the event, was extremely positive. The participants felt that the one-day event was very informative and they greatly enjoyed the different trainings as well as the special presentation by the guest speaker. The participants are extremely eager for more training events of a similar nature and look forward to events of this kind that will cover training sessions over a longer period of time. This successful debut-training event by Angaza Africa demonstrates our vision of hosting unique Afro-centric events that support and showcase Africa’s young entrepreneurs.
| August - September 2020 | YEMI | 29 |
he group of 15 trainees represented various skills sets and businesses that ranged from musicians, small-scale businessmen and women to high-school graduates. As the main organizers, the Angaza Africa directors were also the main trainers with the inclusion of an invited guest speaker, Mr. Nick Muigai, who is a seasoned events planner having worked in the US and locally. The training’s main focus was to provide a platform for the participants to gain an understanding of branding,
INTRODUCTION
Execute Afro-centric events; captivate Africa.
To provide a healthy environment for young Africans to learn sustainably and thrive publicly through natural and learnt talents and abilities. Our objectives are to: Execute unforgettable events all over Africa. Hone local artists into international celebrities. Actively advocate for African refugees
| 30 | YEMI | August - September 2020 |
�� �� ��
THE PROBLEM The problems we intend to solve are: Poor integration between local community and refugees. Marginalization among the refugee community. Lack of jobs for marginalized refugee community. Lack of entrepreneurial education for refugees.
⚠ ⚠ ⚠ ⚠
OUR SOLUTION Sol. 1
Interactive experiential forums meant to pass knowledge and skills critical to build livelihood.
Sol. 2
Provide platforms to hone learnt skills.
Sol. 3
Support and mentorship.
| August - September 2020 | YEMI | 31 |
TRAINING
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RA
ININ
C
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G
THE
ommunication on the training was sent out to the participants one (1) week ahead of the event through a letter and phone call. Planning had started two (2) months to the event. The directors intended to bring in 10 refugee youth though the number increased to 15 as the training day approached. The program was circulated to the team a week to the event with 3 plenary sessions planned and adequate time for interactive sessions. The training event would start at 10 a.m. and end by 3 p.m. The three sessions were as follows: Personal branding and communication by Mary Events planning by Nick Unit economics by Musa
✅ ✅ ✅
| August - September 2020 | YEMI | 33 |
FEEDBACK FROM PARTICIPANTS The participants overwhelmingly enjoyed and found value in the event and sessions there in. Based on the evaluation form circulated, this was their feedback:
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✅ What they found most important:
85%
50%
Personal branding
Communication
30%
Understanding how to run a business
Notable mentions: Realized their need to study Enjoyed Nick’s presentation Enjoyed their interaction with others Enjoyed the nature of training
✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
To be invited next: Accomplished Kenyan artists Movie makers Media presenters Successful business men/Job creators Jeff Koinange
�� �� �� �� ��
✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
What they want to learn next: The entertainment industry How to improve their perand how it works. sonal brands. How to create jobs online. How to improve in their muPolitics sic and writing. Customer care How to conduct business and scale it. How to manage talent as a business. How to network effectively.
✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
| August - September 2020 | YEMI | 35 |
What they loved most about the invited guests: Experienced Caring Available Organized Passionate Time keepers Outgoing Encouraging Unique Motivating Welcoming Focused and indusVisionary/Dreamtriuos Jolly ers Pushed for unity among Africans
CONCLUSION
A
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frica has always held so much promise with the continent providing the world with most of its raw material, and though its future was curtailed by greedy colonizers, we can make things better for our children. The youth remain as the best hope for Africa to surmount its problems. They are passionate, hopeful, strong, and innovative, and when shown love and direction, they will definitely take it upon themselves to thrive. Angaza Africa stands as a bridge between now and the future.
| August - September 2020 | YEMI | 37 |
| 38 | YEMI | August - September 2020 |
“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning�. ~Albert Einstein
By Fred Mukiza Birori
I
am Fred Mukiza Birori, the founder of Hope for Tomorrow Project.
Coming to Kenya in 2015 is something I had not envisioned in my life, not until the war broke out in Burundi. We had no option but to run.
We c h o s e t h i s approach because through sports, academics and other talents, many under privileged youth around the world have defied the odds and have tremendously changed their lives and those around them.
| August - September 2020 | YEMI | 39 |
A Community Based Organization based in Kitengela, Kajiado County. Our main agenda is to inspire and mentor refugee children and youth to excel through sports and academics.
| 40 | YEMI | August - September 2020 |
But as they say, “we live in the present, the rest is history.� Life must go on. I grew up just like any other young and ambitious youth going about their daily business. I had big dreams and goals that I would have loved to accomplish within given timelines because my growth and studies were very consistent. Even though things changed a bit, my biggest question to date
More than 70% of these children will always miss crucial stages in their lives while running away from war and it’s not a guarantee that they will find a soft spot settling in host countries.
is, “What about the refugee children and youth whose prime time is cut in half ‘to be continued elsewhere’?”
We founded Hope for Tomorrow Project on these grounds. Our intentions are solely to help these children and youth overcome the stigma associated with war by engaging them in various activities that will inspire their thinking while creating new opportunities
| August - September 2020 | YEMI | 41 |
More than 70% of these children will always miss crucial stages in their lives while running away from war and it’s not a guarantee that they will find a soft spot settling in host countries. This is because it is a process and they are totally disoriented by the time they get there.
There will be a complete paradigm shift in their thinking and norms, especially because of the language barrier and the system of schooling in their host country.
for tomorrow. We chose this approach because through sports, academics and other talents, many under privileged youth around the world have defied the odds and have tremendously changed their lives and those around them.
| 42 | YEMI | August - September 2020 |
The basis of our mentorship programs is to teach them discipline, give them hope and preach peace and love to them. Hope for tomorrow project is open for partnerships with like-minded organizations. We have partnered with our host community through our soccer teams which consist of children and youth between the ages of 6 and 20. We conduct trainings and tournaments where our youth
not only network, but also get to learn from cultures represented.
• Connect with us on Facebook • Contact +254756225179 Email: hopefortomorrowprjt@ gmail.com
| August - September 2020 | YEMI | 43 |
Finally, we have had tremendous support from the Danish Refugee Council who are pursuing our registration as a CBO. Also, the Xavier Project have conducted free mentorships and computer trainings for our kids and for this we are eternally grateful. We are also ever so grateful to Ball to All who donated balls to us and many more well-wishers who support our cause.
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| August - September 2020 | YEMI | 45 |
ONLY ME
| 46 | YEMI | August - September 2020 |
Her eyes were wide open, staring penetratingly back at me. She was in shock at the realization of what I was about to do. I always wonder what they contemplate during this moment. Are they shocked at what is eminently about to happen? Or did they see it coming‌ perhaps in the darkness that lingers somewhere behind my eyes? I never see it coming either even though deep inside me, I know when I am ready for another. The thing inside me never gets satisfied‌ never gets its fill. It goes still but only for a time.
By Herispeak
I
She struggles for a little while longer and finally… her little feet stop moving and her arms fall to her side. I smile as I close her eyes and turn her head to the side,
I was just one of the many children who belonged to no one… who was lucky to be alive, yet so unlucky to have either lost or been separated from their loved ones.
| August - September 2020 | YEMI | 47 |
tire of the stare, so I move the pillow upwards, to completely cover her face. ‘It would be dark soon for her anyway and perhaps she can gain peace in that last moment without having to stare at the boyish face looking down on her,’ I tell myself.
| 48 | HOM.Ed | August - September 2020 |
then cover her as if she was simply taking a nap. I hobble quietly back to my bed, taking the pillow with me and tucking it under my head as I lay down. I glance back at her. She looks peaceful asleep, only that it is an everlasting sleep, never to wake again. I smile again. She is my sixth in the two years I have been here. I think back to my arrival at the camp. Hurt, bleeding and with injuries
all over my body, no one had expected me to survive. I felt confused and lost. There was no familiar face, no one I knew and no one who knew me. I was just one of the many children who belonged to no one‌ who was lucky to be alive, yet so unlucky to have either lost or been separated from their loved ones. My wounds had healed slowly with one exception. I could no longer walk... at
I wanted to belong, in the wild, dusty vastness of the camp, I wanted to feel that someone cared but only the darkness within me embraced me. And I
embraced it back. I was not just any other refugee child. I mattered and one day, they would remember me… they would say my name in fear and they would revere me. They would know who I was. That I was not to be ignored nor to be pushed to a murky, smelly, corner of the room to wallow in my own thoughts and feelings… only to be attended to when they felt like it. The same weakness they thought they saw in me is the same weakness I
| August - September 2020 | HOM.Ed | 49 |
least not for a long while and so someone had eventually brought a wheelchair for the 8 year old boy with sad eyes and a weak, scarred, broken body. That’s what they all thought of me… that I was a destitute, little disabled boy. But I knew the truth and one day… so would they.
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saw in the 6. They were tinier than the rest, always suffering from one ailment or another... always needing attention. The very same attention that I desired and craved for. So they could not stay because if they did, how would anyone ever notice me? Or see me beyond the wheelchair I was confined to? I needed to be here more than they did. And so, I had to help them move along to the next realm quickly. As I dozed off, their forlorn little faces flashed before my eyes and each time, my smile grew wider and wider. Eventually, I drifted
off to sleep. I woke up in the morning as usual and waited for the panic to ensue. All the other children woke up and went about their morning routine eventually heading off for breakfast. All except she and I. And when Maria came to get me out of bed as usual, she noticed the lone child still in her bed and walked over to her. It did not take long for her to raise the alarm and for a while‌ everybody forgot about me. I stay put on my bed, silently observing it all. After all, I had no choice, did I? I had kept the fact that I could walk for a
short distance to myself. There was no need for anyone to know anyway. It was my little sweet secret‌ my weapon of choice when I needed it. I watch them fuss over the body, running in and out, each time coming back with someone new as if it would
would remember to attend to me once all the fuss had died down. She would soon be forgotten. One day‌ one day they will love me in the way I want to be loved.
change the fact that she was dead. It was always this way and nobody suspected a thing. Eventually, they
| August - September 2020 | HOM.Ed | 51 |
WACYOREZO WE URICYOGERE
| 52 | YEMI | August - September 2020 |
by Ndorimana Emanuel
S
inshidikanya ko utari wishimye
Kandi nimishinga yawe ihamye Mbere yo kuza kwa corona Ngo idusheganye ibyo Twubatse bishikamye
Ibishingure itishisha
Corona waranyangije Warandindije Corona iyo utabaho ibi Ntibyari kumbaho ngo Mbure unyitaho none
Waraje utambika amatako Abamfashaga ubu bandeba nkumutako
Jyewe udafite igihugu Ubuzima bwajye nukuzunguruka naho ndaye ngeze Ndangwa nirungu gusa
Inkunga zarakamye
Kubwo gusiga urungano
Utarazigamye
Ngasanga udashaka
Nukwimyiza imoso
Kunsanganira
Kuko nimyanzuro
Isaba kwigengesera kugirango bagusagurire
Ndahungira he? Ndahingira he?
Wenda corona nizibukira Inzira zajye zitakiri inzozi iryo Zina nzarizika
Ndirire nde wundi? Utari rurema ko uru runyagwa
| August - September 2020 | YEMI | 53 |
Idahamye yibigo biturengera nayo
Bakambatiza izina ntifuza “impunzi�
rwatumye abatuye isi batatira imiterere yahozeho ya tura tugabane Ya tira utirure none kubera corona Ndakorora ukitarutsa Nakitsamura ukitsimba
| 54 | YEMI | August - September 2020 |
Nasubira ukumva wansogota iyo mbitekereje biransiga Ukuntu ntigeze ntekereza ko harumunsi nzaza ngusanga Ukansaba gusiga intera ngo ntagusangiza icyorezo
None corona inteye inzara iranzonga Inzara zihindura amabara Amaso arasa namaraso nyabyiringirira kubera Inshuti nabavandimwe Ubaka ubuzima Imitima yuzuye umwijima Namatama yacu yakobowe nimikori yamarira adakama Amagara iyo aterewe hejuru Buri wese asama aye
Nari impunzi idasinzira Kubwo gushaka inzira
Nisanze nisararanga Corona aho isesekariye nsarura nkisangiza
Kandi narasoromaga nkasagurira nisoko Bikandinda gusuzugurwa Ngira uwo nsabiriza Kuko abasangira ubusa bitana ibisambo Corona subira aho wavuye dore ndashavuye
Mfite irungu no kwigunga genda corona urigenga
Ntakire nde? Ngo angenere ko nuwandenganuraga ari gucungana Nubugingo bwe bwite Bugenda bwanga kubera ubwoba
Wacyorezo we uricyogere Wabaye icyohe tugutinya kurusha icyihebe. ~MANERI
Ntawe udahangara Umukire umukene Twese dufite igihunga | August - September 2020 | YEMI | 55 |
Ningorane ntaho guhungira
POEM TRANSLATION *Ndorimana Emanuel* but he uses *Maneri* as a pen-name. He is 21 years and his home country is Congo. The poem is written in Kinyarwanda. Basically, the persona in the poem is a Refugee talking about how life has changed due to Covid-19.
| 56 | YEMI | August - September 2020 |
I
n the first stanza, he remembers life before Covid-19. He talks about how he used to survive, basically, by being assisted by people who were well off. For example, if you are a Refugee and have friends abroad, they were in a position to send you money for upkeep when you were going through a hard time. But since corona came, it affected the whole world. This, getting assistance, has become a great challenge.
The second stanza talks about how people have stopped assisting him during this Covid-19 pandemic. All those people who used to assist him have deserted him. The third stanza talks about how Covid-19 has drained everyone of their resources. Anyone who had not saved before Covid-19 is just trying to survive by all means. In the fourth stanza he is asking, where will he run to? Where will he farm, he that does not have a
country? His life has become that of survival. He sleeps anywhere he can. All the people that used to help him now refer to him as a Refugee. He says, “Maybe when this Covid-19 pandemic is over people, will stop seeing me or referring to me as a Refugee.” Stanza five; He talks about how the culture of sharing has ended due to the fear of Covid-19. People used to share items, now that culture has stopped due to the fear of spreading the virus. Right now when one coughs, people run away. When he thinks if all these things, it breaks his heart.
Stanza seven; At the moment, everyone is trying to survive on their own. Since Corona came, one only strives to feed himself with the little he gets whereas before, I used to eat and leave enough to sell. Back then, when I was able, I used to be respected. Corona, go back to where you came from. Last stanza; Life is boring. Go away corona. You don’t choose between the rich and the poor. We are all affected. It’s a challenge, there is nowhere to run to. Who will help me since even those that used to help me are trying to survive with the little they have left due to fear of the unknown.
Go away Corona, you have become something that we fear.
| August - September 2020 | YEMI | 57 |
Stanza six; I am a sleepless refugee who seeks to find a way. Now corona has made me go hungry. I am malnourished. My
friends have deserted me, their hearts are full of darkness. My face full of tears.
| 58 | YEMI | August - September 2020 |
CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION FOR DEVELOPMENT Conflict Transformation for Development is a nonprofit organization established in September 17th, 2015 to empowerment refugees and local community by creating economic opportunities, environmental conservation and fostering dialogue in order to live dignified lives. The organization is legally registered by the NGOs Coordination Board. Conflict is a fact of life; therefore Conflict Transformation for Development exists to collaborate with other stakeholders to foster positive peace
B y Tu t M i c h a e l
Creating awareness on the Re-vitalized peace agreement among the Youths and Women
Our Programs are focused on: • Promoting Dialogue • Environmental
conservation • Economic empowerment.
PROMOTING DIALOGUE Dialogue is fundamental as humans are in constant communication with one another .Dialogue can unite as it opens the possibility
to share a common experience of listening to one another. Dialogue is an effective method in peace building.
We conduct environmental education programs, tailored with a hands on approach through establishment of tree nurseries to aid in learning model and experience in sustainable living. The main focus as Conflict
Transformation for development is on School going children, Women and Youth groups in our areas and countries of operation Conflict Transformation for Development together with Transformation Women group
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ENVIROMENTAL CONSERVATION
From right, Conflict Transformation coordinator John, Transformation women group director Bishop John Mbuga and a member of The Women group.
in Migori County has taken the initiative to bring key players
together by organizing the first tree nursery in Migori, Osogo
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ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT Conflict Transformation for Development aims to empower and support women and youth economically through equipping them with relevant skills and knowledge in micro- finance and resource mobilization. If women have the opportunity to self-organize and take part in decision-making, often the whole community will benefit
In December 2019 In partnership with various stakeholders ; URISE for Africa,Bortopra TV,MITTI Alliance and IKO briq undertook a 2 day outreach and sensitization program aimed at Promoting peaceful co-existence among host and refugee communities at Kakuma refugee camp. We carried out activities on: 1. Menstrual and Hygiene
health education and distribution of kits 2. Tree plantations in 3 schools and the UNHCR distribution compound.
3. Mediation and dialogue awareness 4. Empowerment and Motivation talk to the women. .
Email us for any question or inquiries or partnership request. We would be glad to answer your question and set up a meeting with you. For more information: Write to us at Email: info@ctdss.org / conflicttransformation2015@gmail.com Website: www.ctdss.org Tel: +254 721 895 617 / +254 786 895
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CONTACT US:
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Refugee youth soccer teams in Kenya, participating in a soccer tournament.
International youth day 2019 Climate Action for peace
MARKET PLACE
H
i my name is Hussein Hulufe. I am a refugee from Ethiopia and part of the Oromo ethnic groups. I currently reside in Nairobi.
I carry out my business online i.e. marketing and selling shoes. I have been doing this for the last 2 years. I am the proud father of 1 child.
# Telephone +254777111912 Email: hulufehuse@gmail.com
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Life has been tough but I do what I do to sustain my family, Being a refugee does not make it easy but I believe God hears my prayers and that better days lie ahead. I really encourage young people to continue in their creative jobs since there are many right and sustainable ways that can help them to sustain their daily lives.
Hi my name is Kadir Nagesso and I am a refugee from Ethiopia residing in Nairobi.
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I sell Jeans.
Hi my name is Lucy and I reside in Nairobi. I sell customized vitenge bags. Contact me on: 0723747320
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MARKET PLACE
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