John spent about four years of his life in Kakuma refugee camp. While there, he studied at the Kakuma Interdenominational School of Mission, known as KISOM (pronounce Kee-some). KISOM was founded back in 1997 when refugee pastors realized they would not be leaving the refugee camp anytime soon. They created KISOM to train and equip church leaders and missionaries within the camp.

John was ultimately able to return to his home country of South Sudan. He is a Presbyterian minister and leads Africa Development Aid, an agency focused on humanitarian response and development work. Once a refugee, John now serves others caught up in humanitarian disasters.

From war-torn South Sudan to a refugee camp to Geneva!

I met John in Geneva, Switzerland, in March while at an annual meeting of the ICVA Network. Like John’s organization, IAFR is also a member of this global network of humanitarian agencies.

I marveled at meeting John there. His journey from war-torn Sudan to Kakuma refugee camp to such an influential role is nothing short of remarkable. He is living proof that refugees are more than people in need – they are an important part of the solution to the challenges that they face.

KISOM is part of his story!

It was also encouraging to hear how KISOM played an important role in his personal development. For IAFR has been partnering closely with KISOM since 2011.

Together with our tribe of financial partners, IAFR helped KISOM purchase land in Kakuma and build a campus that currently includes a large meeting hall, three classrooms, and two offices.

We are currently helping them add a kitchen to the campus. It won’t be anything like your kitchen or mine as they cook over fire and have no access to running water. But the space will offer a clean and secure place to store and prepare food without needing to slave over a fire under the relentless semi-desert sun.

IAFR is hardwired into a global nerve center.

ICVA is a global nerve center to which pain and suffering from humanitarian emergencies flow and from which significant international response is coordinated. IVCA has 151 member agencies, including many you have likely heard of (e.g. the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, Care International, World Vision, TearFund, Lutheran World Federation, etc.).

Our membership makes it possible to learn from global, national, and local leaders working in humanitarian space. Such perspective is invaluable as it helps inform our ministry strategy. It also offers strategic connections that will be helpful as the scope and breadth of our work continues to grow. Furthermore, it gives us a voice into the network, representing those we serve and a platform from which we can share what we are learning.

Refugees are part of the solution to the challenges they face.

We engaged with and learned from many leaders while at ICVA last month, including Rev. John. We came away encouraged to see how the people we are serving today may well become part of the solution to some of the most intense challenges facing the world.