by Pascal Zigashane, LERRN Research Associate, Executive Director at Action pour le Progres (CBO)
This blog builds on findings from the LERRN study “The Politics and Process of Refugee Leadership: A Comparative Analysis of Factors Conditioning Refugee Leadership in the Global South”, funded by the Gerda Henkel Foundation. As part of this research, I conducted fieldwork in the Kakuma and Kalobeyei refugee settlements in Kenya to explore the factors that enable or constrain refugee leadership. Using qualitative methods, I gathered data through one focus group discussion with twelve participants, four key informant interviews with representatives from three humanitarian organizations and one government agency involved in refugee protection, and four individual interviews with leaders of Refugee-Led Organizations (RLOs).
Photo Credit: Pascal Zigashane
Most of the refugee leaders I interviewed in Kakuma refugee camp were not leaders in their countries of origin. While in their home countries, the refugee leaders I spoke to throughout the research project were not involved in any leadership roles. One expressed that while in Uganda, “I was involved as a leader in a church function of a group of young people.” Refugees are inspired to take on leadership roles because of the circumstances and gaps in humanitarian services. Refugee leadership is very important to them as they mobilize their communities to collectively respond to their needs.
What motivates refugees to take up leadership roles in Kakuma refugee camp?
Gaps in humanitarian services drive refugees to take on leadership roles. Humanitarian organizations provide assistance to refugees in various sectors such as education, livelihoods, and health care, but they don’t always meet every need. In the implementation of humanitarian services, refugee leaders see gaps and feel motivated to take action to address them. They start initiatives and mobilize communities to fill these gaps. In the education sector, refugee leaders start initiatives to provide afternoon classes to help students perform and get good grades in school. Some of these leaders have established formal schools to address quality education issues. The teacher-student ratio in NGO-run schools reveals a huge gap in the quality of education, with one teacher serving a class of more than 180 students. This leaves some students unattended. Refugee leaders would go the extra mile to mentor those who have completed secondary school and guide them through the process of applying for tertiary scholarships to increase enrollment in tertiary education.
Refugee leaders take initiatives to equally address the needs of those who don’t have secondary education and those who can’t enter tertiary education due to poor performance in the national exam. Refugee leaders take the initiative to develop vocational training to equip their fellow refugees with various skills that will enable them to participate in the informal economy. Throughout the implementation of these initiatives, refugee leaders demonstrate solidarity with their communities. Refugees will mobilize resources to provide their peers with tools to engage in entrepreneurial activities to achieve self-sufficiency. They build infrastructure where their community members can access services and support.
Most of the female refugee leaders who participated in the research are motivated to take on leadership roles in order to change cultural norms. During the interview, the Executive Director of the She Can Initiative expressed her drive to establish the initiative to support young girls who have long been denied equal status with men in society by their culture. In some cultures, young girls are married off before the age of 18 and have no say in family decisions. They drop out of school to start a family at an early age. Some refugee women who have taken on leadership roles have initiatives that empower women, drive change and influence cultural norms that affect women. They address cultural issues and advocate for women’s rights. As part of their support for young girls, they provide training on sexual and reproductive health and rights. Refugee-led, women-owned organizations empower young girls to make their own sexual choices.
Roles and Responsibilities of refugee leaders
Refugee leadership is crucial for their role in speaking out about refugee issues. Refugee leaders are advocates for refugee issues. Through advocacy, refugee leaders become the voices of voiceless refugees and raise awareness of systemic issues. Leaders advocate for changes to gaps in services provided by humanitarian organizations. They advocate for refugee education, economic inclusion, health care, livelihoods, safety, employment, and identification documents. Through advocacy, refugee leaders speak out about the harassment and arbitrary arrests their communities experience at the hands of authorities and security officials. They use structurally available platforms and social media to make the voices of their community heard.
Despite limited access to resources, refugee leaders play a very important role in mobilizing their community members to collectively respond to the issues that affect them. Refugee leaders mobilize their communities to protest humanitarian interventions that affect them. In the recent protests in the Kakuma and Kalobeyei settlements, refugees protested the lack of access to clean water, cuts in World Food Program food rations, and insecurity. When refugee voices are not heard, leaders mobilize their community members to protest at the UNHCR sub office in Kakuma to make their voices heard. Refugee leaders also play the role of peacemakers. Kakuma refugee camp has experienced recurrent ethnic conflict, which has caused loss of life in the affected communities and sometimes escalated to their countries of origin, such as South Sudan. Formal leaders, those elected to represent and lead their communities, and ethnic leaders work together to bring peace and de-escalate conflict.
Challenges that refugee leaders face in demonstrating leadership
There are platforms for policy discussions, but refugee leaders face limited participation in these spaces. A few refugee leaders are invited to local and national meetings, but their voices are often ignored in decision-making processes. Refugee leaders who are invited to these platforms are often invited based on the interest of the organizer. Meaningful refugee participation is hindered by tokenism. According to the research findings, tokenism makes the participation of refugee leaders in decision-making very superficial, where their voices matter because they serve the interests of those who brought them. The other challenge that refugee leaders face that prevents them from exercising leadership is the delay in obtaining identification documents. This prevents them from attending important meetings outside their localities. Without proper documentation, they face restrictions on movement and limited access to services.
Conclusion
Most of the refugee leaders in Kakuma camp had no leadership experience in their countries of origin, but while in the camp, they took on leadership roles to address gaps in humanitarian services. They also demonstrate leadership in advocating for communities to influence change in the areas of education, health, economic inclusion, livelihoods, and security. Their efforts address not only humanitarian gaps but also harmful cultural norms in their communities including those that deny women’s right to sexual autonomy and reproductive health. Refugee leaders mobilize their communities to respond to these issues and protest policies that do not effectively address their needs. Despite the important role refugee leaders play, they face significant challenges in having their voices heard in decision-making. They also experience limited participation in forums due to delays in accessing identification documents. Often, their involvement is reduced to tokenism, keeping their participation in decision-making superficial.