Posts from: 2019

The latest weather update in Dadaab;

North Eastern Kenya has been having a lot of drought in the past years, but this year it is different, it is heavily raining at the moment. Public transports have been affected seriously. This means that making to the learning center every day for students who come from different camp levels, will hard as it was before. This morning, I have come to the learning center footing, because I had a lot of activities to get done and I need the connections which are only found in the camps. Many students who also came to the learning center expressed the same situations.

Arte one of the graduate students and a program mentor who stays 14 km away from the learning center told me that, any lucky student who comes to the center for study probably will be helped by an NGO vehicle to come to the learning center. As he continues to share his difficulties in providing feedback to his students, he said that “I am staying in dilemma today, whether to mark these reflection papers or think of how to go back home, since transportation is a challenge in the evening”. The other challenge in the camps is that there is no sufficient power and connectivity (has no strong network). Another Program mentor for the cohort three students also told me that coming from home to the learning center is a challenge for him. In a phone call, he told me that, “I don’t know what the situation will be but, will try my best level to make sure that everything meets the expectation”.

Rains come like 24 hours and give breaks for some days and restart before the land dries. It has never happened quite some time. the predictions, also say that it could be a repeat of 1997 “Elnino flooding” the worries for the camps are that the Tana river a distance of 208 km, if the water level rises, then this river will overflow causing a lot of life destruction and loss of life. This is what we are all fearing will happen.

I hope the humanitarian organization, could focus on emergency responses, and be ready to save the affected areas, through provisions of medical attention, food, and shelters.

Reported by Abdikadir Abikar

Graduate student/ Dadaab Refugee Camp

Hello;

What awaited exams for the candidates of 2019 begins today. many students are so worried about the exam because it is the only exam that determines their future. Most of the students hope to get better grades, which enables them to get automatical acceptance from the public university in the country.

This is the longest exam done in Kenya, end of every year and Council unveils the list of dos and don’ts for candidates, teachers and the school administration. The exam is well protected and police forces are deployed in every school that is doing exams. Most of the children who are doing exams are frustrated with the kind of seriousness the exam comes.

In Dadaab, we all also have many students who are registered and all rules are applied, this was one unifying factor that the community Dadaab feels. I met with some students who are registered and the overwhelming with the exam today, as they will begin with English as their first paper to do today. Unfortunately, some of the girls are having some issues related to their status as one of the students in Ifo secondary reported to me that she can’t do exams because she is heavily pregnant and can’t fulfill some of the requirements of KNEC (Exam board). These are some factors caused by early marriage and if a proper awareness could be created, such cases could be minimized.

As exams begin, I will keep updating stay with us on www.refugeerespond.org

A headteacher taking exams to students and a police officer guarding the exams.

The Kenya National Examination Education Has officially begun, the 2019 Standard Eight national exams began on Tuesday across the country, according to the daily news it was reported that 1,088,986 candidates writing the tests that mark their transition to secondary schools next year.

The exams go for three days, as Monday was a rehearsal for the student to know the requirement of the national exams, the other three-days student will be doing their exams from 8:00 am -3:00 pm East African time. The exams are done national wide as the cabinet secretaries, principal secretaries, chief administrative officers, regional coordinators, county commissioners, and their deputies— overseeing the release of exam papers to headteachers.

Overall the exams started and the refugee community is part of this national exams as they have students who participate in these exams as a refugee. This is the only time; the refugee community are seriously monitored in the fear of exams leaking to students. And as well as the countrywide, the worrying part of the exams is that, it is a rainy season and some towns will have difficulties in getting those exams on time.

The cabinet minister promised to provide private jets, if the roads become impassible, this is an issue that Kenyan can’t permanent roads despite the heavy taxation.

Welcoming Dhinesh Radhakrishnan, (Research Assistant at Purdue University) who serve as the overall research coordinator across the three sites of this research. the Connected Learning Crisis in Consortium (CLCC),  He will work by coordinating with the three local research coordinators at each location, in Dadaab, Kakuma, and adjuvant. the graduate students in Dadaab are the co-researchers and Dhinesh will provide them a workshop on participatory Evaluation, between the September 23-27th 2019.

We are so privileged to have him and work with on issues of research, this will allow us to expand our research in the future, in totality, we welcome Dhinesh Radhakrishnan.

Welcome!!!!!!!!!1 Dhinesh Radhakrishnan!!!!!!!!!!!!

Below is a link that talks about my story in Dadaab; This is a story which is available in UNHCR Page. i am so happy to inspire many youths in the camps. My future is to help my community and fellow Africa through Education.

The story below is my story i have copied from the  UNHCR page, enjoy reading.

Every day, Abdikadir walks for almost two hours on the sandy, rocky roads of Dadaab to the computer lab, where he connects to the online learning platform that allows him to speak to his classmates and professors.

“Education changes a person. It has transformed me,” says Abdikadir, who is now a teaching assistant for the new cohort of students at the camp. He has recently co-authored an article in the Forced Migration Review, a journal edited by the Refugee Studies Centre at Oxford University, and is busy writing a chapter for a book to explain how Dadaab has benefited from technology.

His professors at York University could not be more proud. Don Dippo, Professor of Education at York, explains: “The refugees that have been trained are now in a position to replace the faculty that taught them years ago.” He adds with a smile: “I long for the day when Abdikadir will be my professor and I will be his teaching assistant.”

Abdikadir knows he is defying the odds. Globally, only 3 percent of refugees can access university. The road that has taken him there has been a harrowing one.

By the age of 10, he was an orphan. His father passed away from illness and his mother was killed by members of a militia in Somalia. Fearing for their safety, Abdikadir’s older brother Adam, who was only 15 at the time, fled with him to Kenya. They found refuge in Dadaab. That was 20 years ago.

As soon as he arrived at the camp, Abdikadir enrolled in primary school. With his brother’s help, he excelled in his studies. But even for those who make it all the way through secondary school – an achievement in itself – accessing higher education from somewhere as remote as Dadaab isn’t easy.

Technology provided a solution. Studying online, Abdikadir obtained a teaching diploma from Kenya’s Kenyatta University, one of 23 universities that are part of the Connected Learning in Crisis Consortium,

co-chaired by UNHCR. Today more than 12,000 students worldwide are on courses supported by the Consortium.

Abdikadir didn’t stop there. Determined to keep going with his education, he applied for a Bachelor of Arts program at York University, another member of the Connected Learning in Crisis Consortium, and was accepted. He is now also doing his master’s there.

Abdikadir stresses that studying online does not leave him disconnected from the university campus experience. He follows most of his courses face-to-face with his professors and constantly interacts with his fellow York students. “We learn from each other and exchange ideas on the learning platforms. The Ph.D. students also kindly help proofread my assignments,” he explains.

He has even been elected as one of the representatives of York’s Graduate Students Association. “I am an information technology coordinator. From Dadaab, I help improve the social media protocols of York University.”

Abdikadir has high hopes for his future and that of his three daughters, aged three and a half, four and five. “As soon as they reach four years old, I will take them to school.

He wants to use his education to make a difference. “One day, I will be a change-maker and go back to my homeland, Somalia. I want to apply new ideas and help bring education to communities outside cities,” he says.

“Without education, a person’s eyes are always closed.”

For more continue reading it on this link below

https://www.unhcr.org/steppingup/

EVERY YEAR REFUGEES IN THE WORLD CELEBRATE WORLD REFUGEE DAY, INTERNATIONAL.

June 20 each year, this celebration is dedicated to raising awareness of the situation of refugees throughout the world. The other reason for the celebration is that we show to the world where violence forces thousands of families to flee for their lives each day, the time is now to show that the global public stands with a refugee. The 2019 theme: #StepWithRefugees — Take a Step on World Refugee Day.

Around the world, communities, schools, businesses, faith groups and people from all walks of life are taking big and small steps in solidarity with refugees. This World Refugee Day, we challenge everyone to join together and take a step with refugees.

Why Do We Mark International Days?

International days are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems and to celebrate and reinforce the achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool.

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE WORLD REFUGEE DAY

On 4 December 2000, the United Nations General Assembly in Resolution 55/76 decided that, from 2000, 20 June would be celebrated as World Refugee Day. In this resolution, the General Assembly noted that 2001 marked the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees.

African Refugee Day had been formally celebrated in several countries prior to 2000. The UN noted that the Organization of African Unity (OAU) had agreed to have International Refugee Day coincide with Africa Refugee Day on 20 June.

In the Roman Catholic Church, the World Day of Migrants and Refugees is celebrated in January each year, having been instituted in 1914 by Pope Pius X.

In my camp (IFO) the community celebrates this day. And it was a day to remember and exchange the ideas related to the camps. It is also a day to get the latest and updated information from the camp leaders. It is also an entertaining day where we exchange ideas, thoughts and meet one another.

It is my pleasure to mention that the University is happy to work with the refugee for more teacher training program. so far cohort 1 ( B.A geography) cohort 2 (B.An in Education); they are planning to provide an elementary certificate to the primary education and some host communities from around Dadaab.

Adverts are been posted to different places for teachers and host communities to apply;  the number of applicants interested in joining York University for the certificate program is more as compared to the previous cohorts.  the female applicant is also interested in joining York University this time, so the first two cohorts really were enough to explain how good the York University was to the teaching and helping Dadaab youths.

I was among the first cohort and doing my final graduate courses and moving for my Major Research Paper. I am now an ambassador for York University and ready to back to the University. ready to help the upcoming Cohorts.

it was a wonderful day to witness the graduations of York University students BHER Program from Dadaab, a day to interest with many COHORT 2 students who have finished there bachelor of education from faculty of education and the Dean from York University of Education was also present to begin the many good speeches of the Dean. Today was the second time York University was doing graduation with their Dadaab students.

I am impressed the kindly of the happiness students were showing off and the ambitions, I met few individuals and they were having high ambitions like one one I met and interviewed told me that ; he will utilized the knowledge gotten from York to reuse it in Somali so that he can help his communities back at home.

I also met Oman Tata of the previous geography students and told me that he has been thinking on where to apply the knowledge he acquired from York University and possible this year he is planning to go to Ethiopia to look for jobs and make changes for his communities.

Personally this was an interesting day for me as it was an eye opener and hoping next year I will also graduate my gradual program.

Congratulations ?? ??? well done

COHORT 2

Today was one moment in my life and it was a day of sharing different ideas with students from different continents, @york university Toronto students with students from Dadaab Kenya. The Dean in faculty of Education was right their opening the day in session. Six graduate students from BHER Project presented their MRPs proposals to the YGSE with the Toronto graduate and Phd students.

We were so happy to share with our idea and answered some of the questions of Toronto students.

Wonderful day to remember.