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| Explore the work of photographer Steve Kiza, a Kakuma resident whose images document his community not for the Western gaze, but to reveal its humanity, resilience, and vibrancy despite difficult circumstances. Here is the link: Kakuma Photographer Steve Kiza |
Established in 1992, Kakuma has become one of the largest refugee camps in the world. It is home to tens of thousands of people who fled violence and instability in neighboring countries, particularly South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. For many residents, the camp is the only home they have ever known.
The poets I met are part of that generation. Their poems document life in the camp including its hardships, its long waiting, but also its communities of resilience, imagination, and artistic expression.
Other writers joined our gathering as well: the Somali -American writer Zainab Hassan, Ethiopian, London-based poet Alemu Tebeje and, of course, the London-based organizers of this event Ambrose Musiyiwa and Omobola Osamor, who convened us. Musiyiwa and Osamor are the force behind the Forced Migration and The Arts Poetry Project and the poetry anthologies complementing this project, of which my work is included along with other African writers based on the continent and throughout the diaspora. Last week’s gathering, poets shared their work and began discussing ways to continue supporting projects with the Kakuma poets, including helping them translate their work into Swahili so that their voices might reach wider audiences across East Africa.
The featured poets from Kakuma, Mamuch Bey and Mudadi Saidi, have lived most of their lives in the camp. Their work was striking. Their poetry was informed by displacement yet it was filled with clarity and courage.
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| Poet Mudadi Saidi |
This reading was an extraordinary experience. It was one that reminded me how poetry continues to travel across borders, even when people cannot.
This reading was recorded, and I will share the link once it becomes available.
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| Poet Mamuch Bey |
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