Publications from Dadaab Archives - LERRN: The Local Engagement Refugee Research Network /lerrn/category/publications/publications-from-dadaab/ Ӱԭ University Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:02:14 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 New Publication: “The ‘Not Yet’ and ‘Never’ Resettled: Individual and Communal Waiting Strategies Among Refugees in Kenyan Camps” /lerrn/2025/new-publication-the-not-yet-and-never-resettled-individual-and-communal-waiting-strategies-among-refugees-in-kenyan-camps/ Wed, 19 Mar 2025 18:54:16 +0000 /lerrn/?p=10263 We are excited to announce the release of a new publication titled: “The ‘Not Yet’ and ‘Never’ Resettled: Individual and Communal Waiting Strategies Among Refugees in Kenyan Camps” by Rachel McNally, Pascal Zigashane, Abdikadir Abikar, Arte Dagane, Mark Oyat Okello, and Ochan Leomoi, published in Ethnic and Racial Studies This study delves into the complex […]

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We are excited to announce the release of a new publication titled: by Rachel McNally, Pascal Zigashane, Abdikadir Abikar, Arte Dagane, Mark Oyat Okello, and Ochan Leomoi, published in

This study delves into the complex dynamics of waiting for resettlement faced by refugees in Kenyan refugee camps, specifically focusing on the strategies individuals and communities develop as they navigate uncertain futures. By examining the psychological, social, and economic dimensions of waiting, the publication sheds light on the resilience and adaptability of refugees in the face of prolonged displacement and uncertainty of resettlement.

Abstract

For many refugees, going home is not possible because of continued instability and local integration is unavailable due to host country policies, so resettlement becomes the only possible “durable solution” to displacement. In Kenya, despite long-standing resettlement programmes, there remain over 588,000 refugees and asylum seekers living in the country. While most studies of resettlement focus on those who resettle, this paper sheds light on the perspectives of those who are still waiting in Kenyan camps for resettlement: those who have “not yet” and perhaps will “never” be resettled. Through focus groups and interviews with 75 refugees in the Dadaab refugee camps, Kakuma Refugee Camp, and Kalobeyei settlement, we find that camp residents experience waiting for resettlement individually and communally. Individually, camp residents assess options, place life plans on hold, and face the mental health consequences of prolonged uncertainty. Communally, camp residents interpret policy changes, share information, and exchange remittances.

This research was co-produced with equal participation of researchers with lived experiences of displacement, currently residing in Kakuma and Dadaab, Kenya. This work is essential for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners working in refugee studies, migration, and humanitarian aid.

We hope this research sparks meaningful conversations and contributes to advancing our understanding of displacement, waiting for resettlement, and resilience in refugee communities.

Policy Brief: Waiting for Resettlement Increasing Transparency in the Resettlement Process in Kenya

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Access to Tertiary Education for Refugees with Disabilities in Dadaab Refugee Camps /lerrn/2024/lerrn-working-paper-26/ Wed, 27 Nov 2024 20:00:18 +0000 /lerrn/?p=9376 Working Paper 26 by Abdi Omar Aden,York University Executive Summary This paper investigates higher education opportunities for refugees with disabilities in the Dagahaley refugee camp (Dadaab, Kenya) with an emphasis on inclusivity, parent support, resource availability, barriers, and recruitment processes. The study employed qualitative methods to uncover existing tertiary opportunities for persons with disabilities, while […]

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Access to Tertiary Education for Refugees with Disabilities in Dadaab Refugee Camps

Working Paper 26

by Abdi Omar Aden,York University

Executive Summary

This paper investigates higher education opportunities for refugees with disabilities in the Dagahaley refugee camp (Dadaab, Kenya) with an emphasis on inclusivity, parent support, resource availability, barriers, and recruitment processes. The study employed qualitative methods to uncover existing tertiary opportunities for persons with disabilities, while exposing the challenges they encounter. The research included interviews with high school graduates who had no tertiary opportunities and with those who had received scholarships in Kenya from international non-governmental organizations and donors. Participants highlighted the problem of accessibility to scholarships and lack of opportunities for persons with disabilities in higher education. The recruitment process for higher education was quite restrictive and highly competitive, based largely on high school grades. Participants suggested ways to make recruitment more accessible to persons with disabilities. Access to tertiary education for refugees with disabilities in Dadaab is still immensely challenging, despite its value in strengthening skills and expertise for refugees.

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Access to Tertiary Education for Refugees with Disabilities in Dadaab Refugee Camps

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DOI

Citation

Aden, A. O. (2024). Access to Tertiary Education for Refugees with Disabilities in Dadaab Refugee Camps. Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN).

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Refugee Welfare in Kenya: Challenges and Solutions /lerrn/2024/lerrn-working-paper-28/ Tue, 26 Nov 2024 18:26:15 +0000 /lerrn/?p=9364 Working Paper 28 by Abulogn Ojulu Okello, York University, Borderless Higher Education for Refugees (BHER) Program Executive Summary This paper delves into the intricate terrain of refugee welfare in Kenya, exploring the challenges faced by refugees and the solutions devised to alleviate their plight. Kenya’s experience in hosting refugees offers a compelling narrative, shaped by […]

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Working Paper 28

by Abulogn Ojulu Okello, York University, Borderless Higher Education for Refugees (BHER) Program

Executive Summary

This paper delves into the intricate terrain of refugee welfare in Kenya, exploring the challenges faced by refugees and the solutions devised to alleviate their plight. Kenya’s experience in hosting refugees offers a compelling narrative, shaped by conflicts, environmental disasters, and economic instability. Established camps like Dadaab and Kakuma strain resources and infrastructure, leading to tensions between refugees and host communities. Lack of documentation exacerbates vulnerability, impeding access to essential services and legal protections. Additionally, scarcity of clean water, insufficient food supply, inadequate shelter, and inadequate healthcare facilities compound refugee hardships. Despite government and international efforts, challenges persist, including donor fatigue and limited integration opportunities. This exploration of refugee welfare in Kenya highlights barriers and proposes solutions to inform future policy and practice, which is crucial for ensuring the dignity, security, and well-being of refugees both in Kenya and beyond.

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Refugee Welfare in Kenya: Challenges and Solutions

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DOI

Citation

Okello, A. (2024). Refugee Welfare in Kenya: Challenges and Solutions. Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN). 

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Role of Education in Protecting The Environment and Women’s Rights at Dagahaley Camp Dadaab, Kenya /lerrn/2024/lerrn-working-paper-24/ Wed, 28 Aug 2024 17:09:59 +0000 /lerrn/?p=9113 Working Paper 24 By Dahabo Abdi Ibrahim Executive Summary Education promotes both individual and national development by contributing to increased productivity and a hope for the eradication of poverty, disease, and ignorance (Kigotho et al. 2016). Author, with a lived experience of displacement, offers an exploration of environmental education and women’s rights, seeking to better […]

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Role of Education in Protecting The Environment and Women’s Rights at Dagahaley Camp Dadaab, Kenya

Working Paper 24

By Dahabo Abdi Ibrahim

Executive Summary

Education promotes both individual and national development by contributing to increased productivity and a hope for the eradication of poverty, disease, and ignorance (Kigotho et al. 2016). Author, with a lived experience of displacement, offers an exploration of environmental education and women’s rights, seeking to better understand how women refugees in the Dadaab camp are disproportionately impacted by environmental and climate changes that are of both local and global origins. Paper brings attention to marginalized women’s voices, including her own, and the distinctive and valuable insights that these perspectives can offer about the gaps and faults in our current environmental and educational systems, policies, and practices.

The four female refugees at the center of this study carry the burden of global and environmental changes, despite being the least responsible for this degradation. Their plight has been inflicted by others around them, both in terms of their displacement and the environmental conditions they exist in. Profound gender inequality exists in roles that women are forced to fill, specifically when they are relegated to living in the shadow of their male counterparts. The impacts of this disparity are widespread, preventing women from accessing environmental resources, being included decision-making spaces, and contributing to solutions to environmental declines.

The research paper focuses on decision-making and action plans. A group of girls and women educators explored ways to promote women’s rights and climate justice in elementary and secondary schools and developed plans to promote women’s rights and climate justice in schools.

Read the full paper here:

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Summary and Key Takeaways: Role Of Education in Protecting the Environment and Women’s Rights at Dagahaley Camp

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DOI

Citation

Ibrahim, D. A. (2024). Role of Education in Protecting The Environment and Women’s Rights at Dagahaley Camp Dadaab, Kenya. Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN).

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An Analysis of Women Empowerment Programmes and Gender Equality in Hagadera Refugee Camp, Dadaab, Kenya /lerrn/2024/an-analysis-of-women-empowerment-programmes-and-gender-equality-in-hagadera-refugee-camp-dadaab-kenya/ Fri, 16 Aug 2024 14:36:36 +0000 /lerrn/?p=9104 By Kiin Ahmed Mohamed Being a refugee is one of the hardest things any human being can face. But being a female refugee brings even more challenges. This blog post is based on my personal experiences growing up and the research I completed for my Master of Education from York University through the Borderless Higher […]

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An Analysis of Women Empowerment Programmes and Gender Equality in Hagadera Refugee Camp, Dadaab, Kenya

By Kiin Ahmed Mohamed

Being a refugee is one of the hardest things any human being can face. But being a female refugee brings even more challenges. This blog post is based on my personal experiences growing up and the research I completed for my Master of Education from York University through the Borderless Higher Education for Refugees Project.

I am the first daughter of my parents and have lived my entire life in Dadaab refugee camps, since 1992. For three decades, Somalia has been ravaged by a deadly continuous civil war that has destroyed families and communities. I always dreamed about life beyond the camps and what it would be like to work and live in a country where I felt free. Education was a passport to these ambitions for me as a child, but as I grew older, I realized that many of my friends dropped out of school due to family pressure to marry or a lack of understanding of the value of female education. Even after all these years, many girls and young women in camps continue to suffer the same hardships I witnessed when I was still a child. I was fortunate to complete my secondary school in the camps with the support of my family. There have been many studies showing that education can transform the lives of girls and women, and their families. Education can provide them with new knowledge and skills that will allow them to take charge of their own lives and have autonomy over their own thoughts and actions.

In Dadaab, men dominate women, both within and outside the household. Many men and women believe that teaching a girl is a waste of time and money compared to educating boys. The Somali saying “Jamacad naageed jiko udanbeyso” means women’s education will be in the kitchen and being in school is a waste of resources. Another Somali proverb states, “Jaamacad naageed waa jikada,” which translates as “a woman’s university is her kitchen.” This is a problematic saying that is well known and said in Dadaab. It is popularly believed that boys will carry their families’ names, find work, and lead their families, while girls and women will take care of housekeeping and family-related chores. Once a girl is married off, the family name is lost; instead, she becomes a piece of property for the family to whom she was married until she dies. If she possesses wealth, the family/husband she married will take both the wealth and her.

During my primary and secondary education, the number of girls in school was low. There were no female teachers in schools because females could not change their life circumstances, as they always stayed home to cook and take care of their children. Men, on the other hand, were free to do whatever they wanted with their lives. Many of the girls in my neighbourhood did not have the opportunity to attend a school or further their education beyond basic or secondary school because many families do not value schooling when they are living in a refugee camp, where they can and will leave at any time to return to their home country.

Many of the girls and women with whom I grew up had to deal with challenges such as being coerced into marriage at a very young age. Many families in Dadaab are impoverished. As a result, they compel their daughters to marry young to obtain a minimal income from men, primarily those from the United States, whom some parents view as a source of cash. Unfortunately, many girls in Dadaab marry men they have never seen or heard of prior to their wedding day. Many men come from the United States of America to marry younger girls in Dadaab, and after they return to America, they divorce the young girls. There are instances where young girls or women become pregnant prior to divorcing and give birth to a child at an early age. These young, divorced mothers are frequently left to care for their children but have lost their chance to study. These challenges have a negative impact on their emotional and physical health, which is especially challenging in a place like Dadaab, where conditions are already harsh. Many girls and women suffer from severe depression or are afflicted by a chronic illness. A young, divorced mother’s life is not easy; they feel helpless, and their family is uninterested in their aspirations and dreams. This situation is mostly due to long-held cultural views, which is why it is uncommon to see women in leadership roles here in Dadaab.

Many girls never had family support to pursue education due to cultural norms. In Dadaab camps, women who furthered their education like me still face men’s domination in the in workplaces and decision-making process in the family. In addition, girls who get married and want to continue their studies face severe challenges to educational equality, which leads to higher dropout rates in the camps. The community often believes that young girls/women adhere to family responsibilities and denies girls full of access to education. The humanitarian organizations also failed to support parenting responsibilities in the school environment. As a result, girls are denied equal to access to education services.

The challenges faced by the refugee learners, particularly teenage girls, in the education system can be solved a number of ways:

  • Conducting training programs to educate parents and the community at large that girl child education is important for the society and treating girls should be no lesser that the way boys are valued in the society
  • Engaging the community in a culturally responsive program that produces well informed parents who understand that education of their children is a foundation of their bright futures and better careers
  • Offering financial assistance and scholarships to hard working girls in order to motivate them to do well in their academics and prevent them from dropping out
  • Encouraging girls to seek both emotional and material support from organizations that promote girl child education
  • Advocating equal treatment of children, particularly in the education sector
  • Implementing policies that protect the rights of refugee girls in the education system, including quality education and addressing systemic barriers
  • Making schools accessible for student parents
  • Establishing peer mentorship programs to help refugee youth to connect to local students and other refugees living other spheres of the world, helping them to navigate the educational systems and bringing social connection to foster a sense of belonging.

By implementing these solutions in a holistic manner, girl child education can be better for teenage girls in overcoming the challenges they face and enabling them to succeed academically and socially, while accomplishing greater goals and achieving milestones.

 

Author bio:

Kiin is a resilient refugee girl who grew up in the Dadaab refugee camp, where she overcame numerous challenges to complete her master’s degree. As the firstborn in her family, she balanced supporting her parents with her ambition to become a change-maker in her community. With over 14 years of experience as a nutrition supervisor at the International Rescue Committee’s Hagadera main hospital, Kiin dedicated herself to improving the lives of others. She eventually relocated to Canada as a skilled worker through the Refugee Point Program, continuing her journey of empowerment and advocacy for refugee girls.

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Can Higher Education be a Pathway to Repatriation for Youth Living in Displacement? A Study of the Career Trajectories of Master of Education Students from Dadaab Refugee Camp /lerrn/2022/lerrn-working-paper-19/ Thu, 01 Sep 2022 20:15:29 +0000 /lerrn/?p=5673 Working Paper 19 By Abdikadir Bare Abikar, Master of Education Graduate, Dadaab Response Association Executive Summary This paper reports on the results of a research project conducted as part of a Fellowship with the Open Society University Network. In this paper, I asked how has participating in post-secondary education in the Dadaab refugee camps – […]

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Can Higher Education be a Pathway to Repatriation for Youth Living in Displacement? A Study of the Career Trajectories of Master of Education Students from Dadaab Refugee Camp

Working Paper 19

By Abdikadir Bare Abikar, Master of Education Graduate, Dadaab Response Association

Executive Summary

This paper reports on the results of a research project conducted as part of a Fellowship with the Open Society University Network. In this paper, I asked how has participating in post-secondary education in the Dadaab refugee camps – specifically completing a Master of Education degree through the Borderless Higher Education for Refugees Project – shaped the career pathways of graduates? To answer this question, I interviewed four men and four women who graduated from the Master of Education program in the Dadaab camps. Some graduates of the BHER Master of Education program have returned to Somalia and become employed in meaningful careers with the UN or NGOs, supporting the rebuilding of the country. Higher education opened up the possibility for sustainable voluntary repatriation, meaning that resettlement is not the only durable solution that is connected to higher education. Other graduates have remained in the camps but have used their skills supporting other students in the BHER project, teaching, doing research, and leading refugee-led organizations or community initiatives. Overall, graduates have the options either to go back to their countries of origin, or to remain in the camps. However, what is important is not going back as solution but that wherever you go, the knowledge, skills and experiences acquired are applicable in multiple ways. The BHER program positively influenced the youths in the camps and their career pathways. The paper recommends continuing the BHER program and starting other similar programs that provide hybrid or online higher education opportunities for refugees, without the need to leave the camps to access education. UNHCR, universities, donors, and NGOs can support these programs to expand access to higher education. For refugee youths, the paper recommends taking advantage of all possible higher education opportunities that are available, especially online courses.

Read the full Working Paper here:

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Can Higher Education be a Pathway to Repatriation for Youth Living in Displacement? A Study of the Career Trajectories of Master of Education Students from Dadaab Refugee Camp

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DOI

https://doi.org/10.22215/glrnw/224041

Citation

Abikar, A.(2022). Can Higher Education be a Pathway to Repatriation for Youth Living in Displacement? A Study of the Career Trajectories of Master of Education Students from Dadaab Refugee Camp. Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN).

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Report from the Dadaab Response Association: Challenges for Refugee Businesses from the Pandemic to Devastating Fires /lerrn/2022/dra-report-refugee-businesses/ Sat, 13 Aug 2022 01:28:49 +0000 /lerrn/?p=5606 Okello Oyat, Ochan Leomoi, Arte Dagane, Abdikadir Abikar, Dadaab Response Association This blog post is part of a broader study led by the Dadaab Response Association on the impact of COVID-19 on life in the Dadaab refugee camps. Please see the new working paper for more information about the study and about the impact of […]

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Report from the Dadaab Response Association: Challenges for Refugee Businesses from the Pandemic to Devastating Fires

Okello Oyat, Ochan Leomoi, Arte Dagane, Abdikadir Abikar, Dadaab Response Association

This blog post is part of a broader study led by the Dadaab Response Association on the impact of COVID-19 on life in the Dadaab refugee camps. Please see the new working paper for more information about the study and about the impact of COVID-19 on refugee education in the camps.

Despite restrictions on formal employment for refugees living in the Dadaab camps, running a business within the camps is a very common practice. Before COVID-19, refugee businesses in Dadaab flourished. Refugees could obtain travelling documents to go outside Dadaab and stock their businesses. Hotels were also successful and could earn a lot of money. Many incentive workers (refugees who are paid a small honorarium to work for an international organization) used to find it easier to eat at the hotels instead of preparing their food themselves, and then would pay the hotel owners at the end of every month. All agencies used to conduct workshops and seminars in the three camps, where their participants would receive food vouchers for hotels owned by refugees and the host community. This practice helped financially support refugee-owned businesses. Taxis would operate freely across the camps, carrying passengers to and from one camp to the other. Some people have specialized in moving items cheaply from one camp and selling them profitably to the other. Many youths are self-employed in the transport sector; they own motorcycles, bicycles, tuk-tuks, Altos and Pro-boxes. Beautifying businesses for men and women are common across the camps. Women own salons that have experts who design wonderful styles for their clients. These salons are also used by women and girls as an environment for social interaction, where they share views and support each other when one woman has an issue or a challenge. Some members of the refugee community also received cash or in-kind goods from fellow community members for the role of watchperson at the communal tap-stands. Each tap-stand for water collection has a member of the community who ensures water is collected in a peaceful and orderly manner.

Unfortunately, COVID and the public health restrictions put in place to respond to the pandemic had devastating impacts on refugee businesses. According to Zubair, a community worker in the camps:

It affected every part of the camp, but some people were badly affected, especially the business community. The lockdown affected transportation of goods to Hagadera and outside the camp. So, there was a decline in the economy in the camp. Those with small businesses ran bankrupt and left the market. I know some of them. Even those who were teaching in private institutions were badly affected. They were not getting payment. Even dugsis (madrasas) were affected. So, the children suffered because of education and the teachers suffered because of no work and payment. The parents suffered also; they had to care for their children all the time at home. So, some of them also closed their businesses because of the children. They did not want their children to go outside and extract the disease. Same time there is no caring center where they can take the children. So, everybody became stranded because of the disease and affected badly.

On top of the economic impact on businesses, another community worker, Fahmi, noted that remittances have also declined. He explained, “Because before Corona came, people were getting money from friends and relatives abroad. Even now collection of food has changed to two months’ interval. This has badly affected the community.” Though the COVID rules were helpful public health measures, they were woefully inadequate considering the huge need and scarcity of resources (i.e., face masks, hand sanitizers, etc.) and health personnel in the camps. As well, it had the effect of amplifying the isolation of encamped refugees who were already on the social, economic, and political outskirts of the country. The indefinite nature of the pandemic for the foreseeable future compounds other negative social effects of encampment such as limited mobility and lack of employment rights.

After the first upsurge of the pandemic, when life in the camps became normal again following the lifting of many of the public health restrictions, businesses still experienced multiple challenges. Most small-scale businesses collapsed because the owners used the capital. Even some private organizations, like the African Entrepreneur Collective (AEC), have moved to Dadaab to support refugees and the host community to thrive in business, government policies of refugee immobility and documentation are still some of the barriers in Dadaab.

Lack of proper planning in the design of markets in the three camps have also contributed to many losses. Businesses in the Dadaab camps are prone to fire, leading to major financial losses. Last year, in December 2021, the market in the Dagahaley camp was completely consumed by fire.  The market in the Ifo camp has also experienced two consecutive attacks by fire. The worst one happened in the middle of the night in June 2022 and left many people with serious losses of their property. The fire was caused by electrical short-circuiting in one of the shops. People managed to contain its spread to other places, but not before the fire burned a quarter of the market.

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Finally, the war between Russia and Ukraine is causing unprecedented challenges in the Dadaab refugee camps. Prices of basic commodities are rising at an alarming rate. This is a big problem in the camps, where most incentive workers earn less than one hundred US dollars a month.

Overall, from the pandemic to fires, the last few years have been devastating for refugee businesses and for the ability of refugees to be self-reliant. Combined with a rising cost of living, it is increasingly difficult for residents of Dadaab to access necessities.

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The Impact of COVID-19 on Education and Youth Well-Being in the Dadaab Refugee Camps /lerrn/2022/lerrn-working-paper-18/ Sat, 13 Aug 2022 01:09:36 +0000 /lerrn/?p=5604 Available in عربي Գ̧ 貹̃DZ Working Paper 18 By Okello Oyat, Ochan Leomoi, Arte Dagane, Abdikadir Abikar, Dadaab Response Association Executive Summary The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in school closures globally, including in the Dadaab refugee camps. This study explored the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education in the Dadaab refugee […]

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The Impact of COVID-19 on Education and Youth Well-Being in the Dadaab Refugee Camps

Available in عربي Գ̧ 貹̃DZ

Working Paper 18

By Okello Oyat, Ochan Leomoi, Arte Dagane, Abdikadir Abikar, Dadaab Response Association

Executive Summary

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in school closures globally, including in the Dadaab refugee camps. This study explored the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education in the Dadaab refugee camps. Based on semi-structured interviews with refugee educators and service providers in the camps, we found out how the pandemic has negatively affected young refugees’ lives. While the schools attempted to implement distance education, it was ineffective overall. In addition to disrupting learning, there were many negative consequences of the school closures, including the cancellation of school feeding programs, worsened social issues, and a rise in mental health issues and suicides. While the issues highlighted in this paper are connected to the impacts of COVID-19, most of the issues were long-standing structural problems that already existed in the camp, including limited resources, funding shortfalls, overcrowded classrooms, a shortage of trained teachers, and limited Internet infrastructure. As a result, it has been challenging to reopen schools and to offer quality education to students. If donors and NGOs want to tackle the adverse social effects of the pandemic for students, they will have to not only reopen schools and mitigate the risks of contracting the coronavirus, but also address the underlying challenges of living, learning, and teaching in a space that is organized to exclude and immobilize refugees.

This study makes several recommendations on how to “build back better” to improve refugee education going forward in Dadaab. Although the pandemic brought significant challenges in Dadaab, it also provided an opportunity to explore how refugees can work out their own agency for survival, without the physical presence and intervention of the humanitarian workers and the Government of Kenya. This opportunity for agency was especially important in a camp setting that is designed to sequester refugee residents and make them vulnerable, voiceless, and dependent on humanitarian handouts. Future education initiatives must include meaningful refugee participation and leadership from refugee-led organizations and initiatives. There is a need to hire more qualified teachers on the ground to address the significant teacher shortage. The agencies handling education should ensure that all schools can access learning through digital platforms by providing all the required infrastructure and technologies. Teachers in Dadaab should receive training on how to use technology to deliver lessons to students, to take advantage of alternative teaching methods in case schools close again. Finally, as schools reopen, it is important to make sure that different groups of learners are not left behind, especially refugee girls.

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The Impact of COVID-19 on Education and Youth Well-Being in the Dadaab Refugee Camps

 

View the full LERRN Working Paper Series here:

DOI

https://doi.org/10.22215/glrnw/223032

Citation

Oyat, M. O., Ochan, R. O., Dagane, A. S., Abdikadir A, B. (2022). The Impact of COVID-19 on Education and Youth Well-Being in the Dadaab Refugee Camps. Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN).

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LERRN-RRN Webinar | Building Research Relationships and Setting the Agenda /lerrn/2021/lerrn-rrn-building-relationships/ Thu, 02 Dec 2021 18:25:47 +0000 /lerrn/?p=4565   Event details and recordings available here. In the second of a series of webinars on the ethics of forced migration research co-hosted by the Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN) and the Refugee Research Network (RRN), our panel of speakers reflected on the theme of building research relationships and setting the agenda. The panel […]

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LERRN-RRN Webinar | Building Research Relationships and Setting the Agenda

 

In the second of a series of webinars on the ethics of forced migration research co-hosted by the Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN) and the , our panel of speakers reflected on the theme of building research relationships and setting the agenda. The panel featured Dr. Alice Nah, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Politics at the University of York, UK and one of the founding members of the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network, as well as Mark Okello Oyat, Director of the Dadaab Response Association. During the webinar, Dr. Oroub El-Abed joined the panel, bringing her experience as Regional Research Coordinator for LERRN in Jordan and Lebanon, and as Lead Researcher in Jordan for the Centre for Lebanese Studies.

The panel began by reflecting on the importance of questions on research partnerships and agenda-setting. Moderator Susan McGrath, reflecting on the experiences of the RRN and the challenges of sustaining a research network, highlighted the , entitled . Alice Nah, who started her work on displacement as an advocate and activist,  discussed how institutional incentive structures can take academics away from relevant research by emphasizing theoretical contributions to academic disciplines over relevance, practical impact, or solutions to the problems displaced communities face. That can make it challenging for academics to do reciprocal and impactful research.

For Mark Okello Oyat, who lives in an encampment, this conversation is personal because researchers usually come from outside of the camp with their own research agenda and set of questions, which limits the participation of refugees themselves. It is important to empower refugees to tell their own stories and to conduct their own research on topics that they consider to be important. An alternative approach, like the one taken by LERRN, has provided researchers  from Dadaab a platform to  publish their research on refugee education as LERRN Working Papers. These papers examine topics that have been neglected in previous research and global discussions, such as Mark’s paper on the issue of corporal punishment in refugee schools. Mark emphasized that refugees who are empowered to be independent researchers are then able to connect with scholars around the world.

The panelists criticized how refugees are sometimes brought into research partnerships as subordinate research partners. Oroub El-Abed asked “What is the role of refugee researchers being involved? Is it just getting them to do the work or are we really empowering them?” The speakers advocated for involving refugees and local researchers from the beginning of conceptualizing the problems and asking the questions they see as important in their communities, rather than recruiting refugees to implement existing projects.

Mark suggested that research cannot only be about knowledge production, but needs to have a purpose. The evidence collected in research is an important foundation of advocacy for policymakers to lobby for changes in policy and practice. Oroub suggested that research can be part of standing against the authoritarian oppression of refugees and disturbing states involved in that oppression. Making space for refugees in research can involve theatre, exhibitions, or documentaries in addition to traditional written research publications. Alice also emphasized the importance of making the research relevant in different forums, including within scholarly, practitioner, and refugee communities. Well-respected institutions and scholars in the North can also lend legitimacy to the research findings of refugees and local researchers, and stand with them in solidarity when there are potential risks for speaking up.

The discussion raised important questions about trust, power, and resources. Unfortunately, some recent scholarship has not connected with long-standing conversations on these debates. Without reflecting on these questions, we risk reproducing power asymmetries, inequalities, and problematic policy paradigms. Alice questioned how some ever-present issues get onto research agendas in the first place and asked “Who has the power to turn something into something worthy of investigation, worthy of investment?” As explained in a recent open-access article by LERRN researchers (), localizing knowledge production will require transferring power – including power to set the research agenda – to researchers in the South. One of the key features of the LERRN partnership is that the research agenda is set by working groups in East Africa and the Middle East. One thing we have learned during the pandemic is that virtual spaces open up possibilities for more inclusive and global conversations.

Stay tuned for future webinars in the series in 2022!

This report was prepared by: Rachel McNally, LERRN Knowledge Mobilization and Translation Officer; Amanda Klassen, LERRN Project Officer; and Kail Schlachter, LERRN Project Writer.

The LERRN-RRN Webinar Series on Ethics in Forced Migration Research is coordinated by Rachel McNally, LERRN Knowledge Mobilization and Translation Officer. For further information or ideas please contact us here.

The post LERRN-RRN Webinar | Building Research Relationships and Setting the Agenda appeared first on LERRN: The Local Engagement Refugee Research Network.

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Building Local Professional Learning Communities with and for Teachers in Refugee Camps – A Case Study on Hareed Primary School in Dadaab /lerrn/2021/lerrn-working-paper-14/ Wed, 24 Nov 2021 23:45:07 +0000 /lerrn/?p=5700 Working Paper 14 Abdikadir Bare Abikar, Member of the Dadaab Response Association, Graduate of the Master of Education, York University Borderless Higher Education for Refugees Program   Executive Summary This paper is a modified version of a Major Research Paper for the Master of Education degree at York University as part of the Borderless Higher […]

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Building Local Professional Learning Communities with and for Teachers in Refugee Camps – A Case Study on Hareed Primary School in Dadaab

Working Paper 14

Abdikadir Bare Abikar, Member of the Dadaab Response Association, Graduate of the Master of Education, York University Borderless Higher Education for Refugees Program

 

Executive Summary

This paper is a modified version of a Major Research Paper for the Master of Education degree at York University as part of the Borderless Higher Education for Refugees project, which provides virtual education to refugees in the Dadaab refugee camps in Kenya. In this paper, I employ an action research methodology to argue that, in order to improve the capacity of novice and untrained teachers in schools in the Dadaab refugee complex, local educational actors need to introduce in-service professional learning opportunities to better prepare teachers who have not had the chance to pursue educational opportunities past their secondary studies. The purpose of this study was to first listen and learn from the experiences of employees at Hareed Primary School and to investigate the in-service education needed by untrained teachers in a refugee camp in Dadaab. Phase one of the research was a pre-workshop survey that asked participants questions about any educational training they have received, and their challenges. Phase two involved developing and implementing workshops for novice/untrained educators that modelled how a professional learning community works, and provided modified BHER teacher educational content for new/untrained teachers. Phase three of my study evaluated the impact of the workshops on the development of professional learning communities and if teacher attitudes or behaviors were transformed. My analysis of the data found that the professional learning community improved teacher confidence and positively changed dispositions toward collaboration and ongoing community-driven learning, as well as improved use of technology tools in and outside of the classroom. I conclude with recommendations for present policy and future research within Dadaab and beyond. I think some obvious challenges facing the PLC’s sustainability will be that some of the teachers have been working with minimal administrative supervision. I fear that if the school does not support their continued collaboration, the community may not continue to fully coordinate and cooperate, which would cause the collapse of the professional learning community that we developed. The first recommendation is that the school administration supports the Professional Learning Community to ensure its sustainability. Given the positive impact of this community, I strongly support the idea that other schools should organize similar continual in-service training in the Dadaab camps, using as an untapped resource the teachers that have already been trained at Hareed and the qualified refugee teachers who have been educated in the BHER project, and who now understand the power of creating professional learning communities to empower teachers.

Read the full Working Paper here:

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Building Local Professional Learning Communities with and for Teachers in Refugee Camps: A Case Study on Hareed Primary School in Dadaab

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PRINT-Building Local Professional Learning Communities with and for Teachers in Refugee Camps: A Case Study on Hareed Primary School in Dadaab

 

View the full LERRN Working Paper Series here:

DOI

https://doi.org/10.22215/glrnw/204041

Citation

Abikar, A. B. (2020). Building Local Professional Learning Communities with and for Teachers in Refugee Camps – A Case Study on Hareed Primary School in Dadaab. Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN).

The post Building Local Professional Learning Communities with and for Teachers in Refugee Camps – A Case Study on Hareed Primary School in Dadaab appeared first on LERRN: The Local Engagement Refugee Research Network.

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