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The MAGAZINE DADAAB EDITION Issue #4 | February 2015 TALENT HIDDEN IN DADAAB Having won many medals in ALSO BUSH CLEARED IN IFO HELPS BOOST FIGHT AGAINST SGBV competitions back in his home country, Ethiopia, Okugny Feels his DRC Brings Virtual Degree classes to Refugee Students in talent is wasted in the camp and Dadaab Refugee Camp wishes he could get a chance to show Dadaab marks International Day of Zero Tolerance to it to the world inside FGM CONTENTS SUB-EDITORS Mohamed Abdullahi Jimale Editorialelling untold stories” is our manifesto. Going beyond cultural Sahal Ali Hussein EDUCATING A GIRL IS and social barriers, our dedicated team works hard to air the 3 EDUCATING A NATION plight of all, from all the corners of the camp, reporting facts EDITOR-IN-CHIEF truthfully, objectively and without bias. In a patriarchal community Paul Odongo “T where women have very little Welcome to yet another edition of your favourite read. In this edition, we say in issues affecting them cut across all issues, but focus majorly on Sexual and Gender-Based Vio- or the community, 19-year old CONTRIBUTORS lence, especially early marriage and FGM. Nadhifo is helping change Through the years, agencies in Dadaab have been involved in major sensi- lives of girls by advocating for Kin Abdi Awes tization campaigns to help kick some of the cultural practices carried out their right to education. Mohamed Osman by refugees – that are a threat to the safety of children, women and girls in the camps – to the curb. This, in a bid to let the girls live, to give them Mohamed Mohamud Duthe freedom. Freedom from guilt. Freedom from depression. Freedom from DOOR-TO-DOOR CAMPAIGNS Mohamed Hassan Afey the trappings of the detrimental culture we’ve built our lives around and 13 BY HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL to put structures that will ensure that they flourish and play their role ef- EMPOWER YOUTH LIVING WITH Ahmed Issack Kheir ficiently in the society. DISABILITY IN DADAAB REFUGEE Mohamed Bishar Bashir In this edition, we tell even more exhilarating stories untold, of refugees CAMP and asylum seekers. Find out about some of the unforeseen effects of Simon Bol Dhiel forced child marriage as children found in prostitution in the camp speak Having gone through stigma out. Who will come to their rescue? Just me and you, doing something and discrimination, youth Mohamed Abdullahi (LUNGU) about it. with physical disability is now stronger, following door-to- Mohamed Bashir Bishar Some stories that may be missing from the third edition have also been door campaigns by Handicap Abdiweli Omar Mohamed republished in this edition. This owes to the fact that one of the stories International. He feels stronger published enkindled inadvertent interest in the refugee community, on and helps empower other Asad Hussein grounds of the perceptions some readers had. persons with similar conditions. On this note, we would like to assure you, dear reader, that all stories pub- lished in The Refugee Magazine are at the sole discretion of the writers, CONTRIBUTING EDITORS who are majorly refugees, and are in no way, meant to portray the stand of OF WORDS UNSPOKEN Anne Ndegwa the magazine or its publisher – FilmAid – or partner agencies. With regard 7 to this, as ‘The Refugee Magazine’, we would like to assure our readers that AND AN UNTOLD MYSERY Ninah Lisanza all content published is true and is counterchecked for professionalism in A side-effect of forced child the publication. marriage that is never spoken DESIGN & LAYOUT As always, we hope you will enjoy reading through this edition, and do not about is revealed as children Paul Odongo forget to give your feedback through the contacts provided. involved in prostitution in Dadaab Speak out. Cheers! 3 PHOTOGRAPHY Paul Odongo Sahal Ali Hussein Editor-in-Chief The Interactive Stories in The Refugee Magazine are written by refugees for the refugee community. In no circumstance is any story depictive of the opinion of FilmAid or any Scan this QR code other organization except where specified with your smartphone otherwise. and drop us an email 14 7 Follow us @therefugeemag i The Refugee. Issue 4 | February 2015 The Refugee. Issue 4 | February 2015 ii INSIDE DADAAB NEWS taking away my certificates, mobile phone and all the money I had,” says Ojow Agura, a refugee living in Ifo. Many people say the bush was a good hide- out for perpetrators or idlers who in turn attacked people, robbing them and injuring others. “On my way to the market, they stabbed me on the leg then took my bicycle and mobile phone,” says another refugee in Ifo, Oman. The event was followed by a mass awareness cam- paign against SGBV to serve as a build up forum for the International Day of Zero Tolerance to FGM, which was to be marked on February 6, 2015; and launching of “Sandbox” a new six-part film series produced by FilmAid in Dadaab. The film aims to address GBV, conflict management, early marriage and aid workers-community relations among other themes of concern. Clearing of the bush has been lauded as a milestone in the protection of the refugees, ensuring that they can live and move safely. Now women will be able pass BUSH CLEARED IN IFO HELPS BOOST this area peacefully, without fear and worry of getting FIGHT AGAINST SGBV sexually assaulted or getting By Hassan Afey and Mohamed Duthe robbed.. Ifo Section C Chair fo residents feel safer after a bush that was associ- ry of getting sexually assaulted and their property taken ated with many acts of violence against residents – away,” said the Chairman of Section C, Mr. Khalif, “and especially women and girls – was cleared out. as leaders we are optimistic that we will no longer hear IThe event, which took place on February 4, 2015, the bad news of women raped in this area.” saw people come in large numbers from various agen- “Representatives from the partner agencies who spoke Clockwise from Page 1: A cies and the refugee community to clear out the mas- at the event gave encouraging speeches directed to- bulldozer helps fell trees sive thicket between Sections A, D and G, that, as the wards women, saying that women are an integral part of during the exercise. Fatuma residents say, aided as a hideout for villains who carried the society. “As FilmAid, we thought it wise to bring the Roba of FilmAid, Lewis out heinous acts even in broad daylight. agencies together so that we can make a step in making Murithi of Handicap Inter- national, Charity Kola of The initiative to clear out the bush, which was organized this area safe for our women and girls, who are the ma- FilmAid, Nicholas Midiwo by FilmAid, in partnership with the Danish Refugee jor victims of SGBV,” said the FilmAid Dadaab Outreach Officer, Charity Kola. Hawa Digale, the DRC represen- of UNHCR and Mohamed Council (DRC), brought together other agencies includ- from the Department of ing the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), National Coun- tative at the event echoed words encouraging men to support women, for mutual benefits. Refugee affairs pose for a cil for the Churches of Kenya (NCCK), The Department photo after the exercise. of Refugee Affairs (DRA), Handicap International (HI), However, women and girls are not the only people who Two boys watch as the Refugee Consortium of Kenya (RCK), Center for Victims were majorly affected by the existence of the bush. bush is cleared. A woman of Torture (CVT), CARE and Save the Children among Many other residents also resonated to the fact that the burns vegetation cleared others. initiative would go beyond just protecting the women out. Men from Handicap The refugees living in the blocks near the area expressed and girls from harm, to contribute to the general securi- International pull chopped branches headed to the their joy of seeing the bush cleared. “Now women will ty in the area. “I was attacked by a group of about seven ‘incinerators’. be able pass this area peacefully, without fear and wor- men while passing the bush on my way to an interview, Photos: P. Odongo 1 The Refugee. Issue 4 | February 2015 The Refugee. Issue 4 | February 2015 2 IN A PATRIARCHAL COMMUNITY WHERE WOMEN HAVE VERY LITTLE SAY IN EDUCATING ISSUES AFFECTING THEM OR THE COMMUNITY, 19-YEAR OLD NADHIFO IS HELPING CHANGE LIVES OF GIRLS BY ADVOCATING FOR THEIR RIGHT TO EDUCATION A Girl is By Mohamed Bishar Bashir n a camp where the girl child mock exams, emerging the best tion, even after the passing on of her faces numerous obstacles on overall student in Hagadera with father in the year 2005. “My mum really Educating her path of growth and develop- a mean grade of A (minus), at the encouraged me and has been quite Iment, more and more girls are same time being the top performer supportive,” she says. getting empowered. in English, Kiswahili and Arabic. Female genital mutilation (FGM) and On a normal school day, girls would She, however, was a little disap- early marriage have been the biggest a Nation be seen fetching water, working pointed when the results for the issues that girls in the camps have had in the homesteads or collecting Kenya Certificate of Secondary to deal with, that greatly affect their firewood while boys are in school. Education (KCSE) came out last education. But with the numerous But now the tables have turned, and year, missing the B plain grade by sensitization campaigns that have been more girls are getting enrolled into one point. “I expected to perform carried out in the camps over the years, schools and very few drop out due much better.

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