The 2010 world refugee day celebration theme ‘They have taken away my home but they can’t take my future’ not only causes a thousand questions in the refugee minds but it gives room to opposite view of the UNHCR work in Kakuma refugee camp.
World refugee day was celebrated at Napata Ground on Saturday 19th June 2010 by different cultural dances, poems, and speeches from Agencies workers, refugee representative. Refugees appreciate the support the government of Kenya and the local agencies give in this critical life threatening circumstances but still question the UNHCR accountability to these forgotten vulnerable human beings.
Refugees leaders and elite’s have always raised a complain of who benefits who in this camp. Questioning the heavy and sweetable words used in yearly coasting celebration. ‘’we have been in the camp for the last 18 years’’ a Ugandan refugee woman said ‘’no change, no plan, no hope, no home, what is this future?’’ she asked.
This comes amid the increased number of refugees in the camp which just in half a years has swollen from 42.000 thousands refugees to 81,000 thousands by the time the celebration takes place. “Refugees are in Kenya since before the independent and we welcome and cater for their security. As we are reassuring the protection for the refugees, we have opened police posts so there are peaceful environment.” A Kenya government Official was making a speech on the world refugee day at Kakuma.
The futures mean a lot to refugees. The education is not quality, feeding is always for keeping people not to die but mental development and effective work is not considered. Refugee who holds the same work and position as national are paid a wage baptized ‘’incentive’’ which ranges between 40-90UD.
Imagine if one can not afford 5,000 Kenyan Shillings to pay school fees for the child in primary school, imagine if one can not eat at least 2600 cal per day, image if one spends eighteen years and above in Kakuma refugee camp, imagine if one is only able to get basic medicine after queuing for two or three days at the clinics, what is the future these refugees expect ahead of them. A Kakuma refugee living is the future of agencies worker.