Children and mothers stared at us from behind a fence topped with razor wire. They were new arrivals in the refugee resettlement center of Kalobeyei, part of the Kakuma refugee camp system in remote northwestern Kenya. They are joining the 250,000 refugees already in Kakuma. While the fencing gives the impression that they are in some kind of prison, it is actually there for their protection.

I’ve never seen it so crowded. There were more tents in the reception center than I could count. And their number grows every day.

We have to wait seven months for a proper shelter.

A growing group of people were eager to talk with us through the fence. One of the mothers said that they will have to stay in the floorless UN tents for seven months before they receive a proper shelter in the camp. Her eyes betrayed the weight of this reality.

They may have found safety from war, persecution, and gross violations of human rights, but their challenges are far from over. They are now dependent on international aid to survive. Even water is rationed here. Their freedom to move is restricted. They have few options to pursue when it comes to education and employment in the camp. They live with toxic uncertainty when it comes to their future. People they will never see will make decisions concerning their lives and futures. Among the many losses they have suffered, the loss of place in the world eats away at their identity.

Breaking isolation and strengthening hope and resilience.

We are committed to breaking their isolation and showing up in ways that strengthen hope and resilience. Our primary way of doing this in Kakuma is by partnering with refugee churches because we know many people there look to them as a source of hope, help, and community.

To that end, we sponsored a refugee church conference in Kakuma last month*. Over two hundred church leaders came together for three days of fellowship, networking, and learning. The conference was held on the campus of the Kakuma Interdenominational School of Mission (KISOM) that IAFR helped our refugee partners build.

A Home Coming

It was a joy to participate in the conference. IAFR’s Refugee Church Consultant, Pastor Gatera, joined me on this visit and served as one of the plenary speakers. He is well known in Kakuma. He spent nearly twenty years there as a refugee before being resettled to the USA in 2016. This was his first visit back to the camp. It was clear that his return was an encouragement to many - for they saw he had not forgotten them. He remains committed to strengthening the churches there.

It is a joy and privilege to partner with our uprooted brothers and sisters in Kakuma.

CLICK HERE to see more photos and stories from our visit on our Kakuma blog.

*The sponsorship was made possible by National Presbyterian Church, Washington DC.