Kakuma Refugee Camp: Where Knowledge and Hope Resides

Abstract

Far too often refugees are being researched on; however, the purpose of this chapter is to research with refugees while exploring the ways refugee youth in a higher education protracted context can become producers of research and knowledge. I sought to collaborate with my co-researchers / co-authors through a community-based action (CBA) approach at Kakuma Refugee Camp to assure that their youthful (ages 18–35) voices were included in this study. A CBA approach seeks to speak with participants, not for them. They learned about the research process, why research is needed, and how we can produce it together. Using a critical-hope framework, that is, a pedagogical tool that uses a critical theory lens to address unjust systems through meaningful dialogue and empathic responses, we co-led 30 psychosocial peace-building education (PBBE) courses in Kakuma and Nairobi, Kenya. Data were collected from the researcher and co-researchers’ reflective logs on our own observations in the PBBE courses. A thematic analysis approach was chosen in order to avoid focusing on the norms and/or creating specific norms that dictate, demand conformity, and silence divergent voices. There were three themes: time, place, and person.

Citation

Martin, S.B., Warsame, D.I., Bigirimana, C., Lajustine, V.U., Teferra, G., Abdi, A.S. and Taban, J.O. (2018), "Kakuma Refugee Camp: Where Knowledge and Hope Resides", Sengupta, E. and Blessinger, P. (Ed.) Refugee Education: Integration and Acceptance of Refugees in Mainstream Society (Innovations in Higher Education Teaching and Learning, Vol. 11), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 139-155. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2055-364120180000011012