On Wednesday, I set off for Kakuma. It is located in northern Kenya, in Turkana County, and is approximately 800km away from Nairobi. Insha'Allah, I will be staying here for the next few months. Since everyone advised against taking the 15-hour journey by multiple buses, as there have been frequent attacks in that area, I decided to take a flight. I took a fairly small plane (yes, at first my hands were a bit sweaty because the flight attendant seemed fearful and tense) and first had a sightseeing flight over Nairobi. Then came incredibly beautiful and seemingly endless tea plantations. Landing in Eldoret. From there, it became increasingly dry as we headed north and the shades of green diminished. My small, but fine plane The airport in Nairobi Somewhere between Nairobi and Eldoret Between Eldoret and Lodwar - only thin green lines left Lodwar - my landing point Very small airport in Lodwar - in the background, a Christ-like statue similar to Rio
When I arrived in Lodwar, the heat overwhelmed me. Actually, I had already arranged for a driver from Lodwar to Kakuma in Nairobi. After a lot of negotiation, I was supposed to pay around 17 euros for the trip, but in the end, the price was doubled. The fuel prices here have also increased significantly in recent months. The driver only spoke Swahili, so Maggy from Nairobi was always the go-between on the phone to communicate between us. After a 2-hour drive for 120km on a very sparsely traveled but well-developed road passing through several small villages with many goats, occasional shepherds, and children with water canisters on the side of the road, I arrived in Kakuma at dusk. Although the landscape hardly changed during that time, I couldn't stop looking out the window in awe. I saw 3 camels and 10 incredibly beautiful sunsets because the sun kept disappearing behind the mountains/hills and then reappeared.
Goats crossing the road Occasional small villages The 15th sunset The sky is so beautiful! (Greetings to PFNEHMS) Kakuma - finally arrived
In Kakuma, I live at the Tarach Guest House. My contact Bonface, whom I found through several connections, arranged a room and a driver for me and welcomed me.
The guest house is in the middle of Kakuma Town. The town is located on one side of a huge river, which is currently completely dried up. On the other side of the river is the Kakuma Refugee Camp and also most of the offices and accommodations of international organizations.
The dried up riverbed
To be honest, my first evening was quite difficult. After being shown everything at the guest house and visiting the only supermarket, which was already well stocked but still did not have anything I could quickly identify as dinner, I ended up having chips and bananas. I was about to go to my room, but there was a very strange smell in the air. A huge fire was about 50 meters in front of my window. Since I didn't have a glass window, only a metal grille, the smoke came towards me and the screams of people broke through the darkness and heat for the next 2 hours. The power went out, so there was no light or fan. If things go badly, it can take days or weeks for the power to come back on. The thought of being cut off from the world for the next few hours or days was depressing. Being alone in the dark in a new city was a difficult arrival. Due to a fire in a store, some people had tried to loot it and neighboring stores. The police used tear gas, so my eyes were not only burning from the smoke but also from that.
The fire of a store from my window - fortunately, no one was injured
Fatuma, the wonderful host of the house, first helped with the fire and then took care of me. Fortunately, the guesthouse also has solar panels, so I was able to turn on the light late in the evening and fall asleep in a slightly cooler room. Her friendly nature helped so much that I felt safe enough to fall asleep. After almost a week in her guesthouse, I am very grateful that she provides me and many others with a feeling of home. In the past few days, there have been occasional power outages and quite often no running water. But then I always get buckets placed outside my door, dunk my hair in them, and then try to hoist 10 liters over my head and somehow pour the bucket over myself and not over the toilet paper. Especially after nights without electricity, where I search for a new dry spot in my bed every 20 minutes, the cold water feels very good.
Serving suggestion on how to partially stretch the mosquito net Water reserve in the canister This is where I'm sitting right now, writing to you, while both my extra cold water and the beer have become warm again
There are some businessmen, filmmakers, or former refugees staying at the guest house, who are currently negotiating the bride price for a woman from the camp whom one of them wants to marry. For a church wedding, you can apparently pay up to 3 camels and 100 goats, and the traditional wedding is even more expensive for the groom. If he already has children with the woman, he also has to buy back each child, in one case I heard of 30 goats per child. You can get a goat for around 2000 Kenyan shillings, which is about 17 euros. These figures are based on information from an informant in their very specific case and can certainly vary.
Speaking of goats, I think I've eaten goat meat almost every day in the past 2 weeks, and I don't miss being a vegetarian or even a vegan that much. It really is delicious.
In the past few days, I have spent a lot of time at the guest house. Bonface and Emekwi are two very nice and interesting people who visit me every day, accompany me outside, and show me a bit of Kakuma Town. Emekwi is an older man, among other things, he is also an anthropologist and has worked in so many different places in so many different jobs. Our conversations often lasted for hours and I wanted to write down everything, but I couldn't keep up with all his knowledge and life experience.
The security aspect is still not 100% clear to me. Everyone has advised me not to be outside alone at night under any circumstances. Even with someone else, it is not recommended. There was also disagreement about whether I can be alone during the day. At this point, I can do short trips alone. Fatuma always receives SMS messages from me about where I am going. When I return home, I let her know. It's a bit like being a mother at home, so she can sleep peacefully when I'm out at night. Except it's during the day here. Kakuma is apparently a very peaceful town in itself. However, I attract a lot of attention and every time I leave the guest house, I am approached, touched, asked for money by street children, and followed for minutes. I try to somehow not appear distant and cold, and yet clearly communicate my boundaries. Being alone is still very overwhelming, and often I am practically escorted by my companions. It feels very unnatural. Hopefully, with time, I will learn to deal with it better.
With Bonface on his motorcycle, heading towards the Attraktiin Bridge (in the background)
Meanwhile, I am spending quite a lot of time outside. On Saturday, I went hiking with people from various NGOs. This is the sports program of UNHCR and other organizations. After a warm-up at 6 am, we climbed a mountain, had a wonderful view of Kakuma, and then slid back down. It was more like a climbing trip. Our hair and braids got tangled in thorny bushes every 5 minutes. After a warm-down in the already very hot morning heat, the first tour was completed. The next Saturday, we'll continue. On the way back, squeezed into a jeep with 15 people, my Swahili app popped up and taught me the word for sweating. Very funny :D An employee of UNHCR wanted me to conduct my first focus group interview for my research in that setting. Maybe next time! It was definitely a great opportunity to network and also to get out of the guesthouse.
Sky at 5:57 am at the gas station - if you want to go hiking, you have to start early, after 11 it gets really hot Just after 6 View over Kakuma. Kakuma Town is on the right side of the river, and Kakuma Refugee Camp is on the left side (you can't see it very well) At 7 am on the 'summit'
On Sunday, the Lord's day (a warm hello to the Grüß-Gott-Verein Freiburg :D https://www.instagram.com/gruessgottverein.freiburg/), I wanted to check out the church here. The mass was supposed to be in English. But somehow it turned out to be in Swahili. After 1 1/2 hours, I was glad to be near the end, but then it really started. After at least 8 collections (everyone has to go to the front so that it can be seen who is donating and who is not), a live chicken was also carried to the altar and auctioned off. At least 85 euros were supposed to be raised. In the end, the chicken was not obtained by the bidders, but the priest took it home with 1000 euros (one of the collections) for him and the donations, which were amply rewarded with holy water and blessings. Everything from toilet paper to a crate of cola was included. After almost 4 hours, I finally made it and we said the final 'Amen'.
Unexpectedly, on Monday, I got an internship position at an NGO that works on projects for both the refugee camp and the host community, the Turkana people. More about LOKADO and my research another time, otherwise my computer will overheat.
Today, I was with a film team who want to shoot stories in a settlement for refugees about how electricity has changed their lives. We first visited the largest solar park in Kenya, which can provide electricity to 2500 households in the settlement, so that the people there have electricity for lighting, charging their cell phones, and possibly small televisions. It was partly financed and implemented by the GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit). There was also a meeting with very important people because the High Commissioner of UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) will soon be visiting. We had lunch in the refugee camp at an Ethiopian restaurant. It was the first time I was in the camp. It's a bit difficult to go and get inside due to missing permits, transportation options, and companions. More about that another time as well.
Short break from work - rather a photo shoot The bridge is a very popular photo shoot location - not necessarily necessary. Well, the bridge is, but not the photo shoot
Finally, a few pictures, especially of food!
Ugali (maize meal) - the classic More ugali Chapati - it's a kind of pancake that you can tear into small pieces and fill with meat, cabbage, or other vegetables Ethiopian food in the refugee camp Main street of Kakuma Goat - still alive, right outside the front door Also, right outside the door, a fire of garbage My favorite traffic sign
I'm doing very well, I hope you are too :) Franky (somehow caught on today)
