Writing From the Sidelines of Hope

The story of a refugee journalist

Qaabata Boru left Ethiopia in 2005 fearing for his life. The second-year journalism student had previously been tortured and persecuted by Ethiopian government officials. Due to the threats targeting members of his family, he chose to run to protect himself and his loved ones. Qaabata did not know what lay ahead. What he found in Kakuma refugee camp was a different set of challenges altogether.

Living in a camp, plagued not only by scorching heat and outbreaks of disease, but also by human rights abuse and unsolved crime, Qaabata realized that he could use his writing skills to give refugees a voice. He brought together fellow exiled journalists from Ethiopia, Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Somalia and Sudan and begun writing stories from within the camp, something that had never been done before. Using meager means, the team of writers saved enough money to print a few pages and the Kakuma News Reflector, also known as KANERE, was born.

KANERE’s coverage of the bureaucracy and mismanagement of NGOs touched a nerve in humanitarian circles. The result was a call for KANERE’s closure. Due to diminishing funds and the threats from officials, the publication moved online.

The KANERE team still faces security threats causing their number of reporters to drop from 20 in 2009 to 7 today. “We have no work rights, no freedom of movement, and minimal opportunities to advocate for our rights — out of sight, out of mind. Many camp residents live here in excess of 20 years. We need our story to be told by us and not people speaking on our behalf,” Qaabata says on the situation of refugees. Qaabata’s concerns today about the status of refugees in Kenya include the heightened negative rhetoric employed by the Kenyan government against refugees. “The Government should understand that refugees are not terrorists but very vulnerable members within the global society,” he says.

With their determination and zeal for real reporting regardless of their circumstance, Qaabata and his team are an inspiration to people in Kakuma. Sharing their passion for reporting, KANERE organized a media workshop on March 1st to educate fellow refugees on the power of written word.

Take a look at the pioneering KANERE website and stay updated with the latest news from within Kakuma camp via their Facebook page.

 

By Amal Mohamed