LIFE OF A TYPICAL URBAN REFUGEE

No one wishes to flee their Country of Origin and be forced to live in camps or in unbearable circumstances in the fled to country. But unfortunately, this is what many refugees are having to face in different parts of the world.

#fiction #Notactualperson

Design with Ease

Rashid, now a 20 year old boy looked around at the familiar surroundings in Eastleigh where he now called home. The street was busy with people conducting various businesses with the hope that the money they receive would assist in feeding them and their families.

He pondered back on the day when his life took a turn for the worst. Being born in Kismayo Somalia, he grew up with his parents and 5 siblings. His was a normal happy childhood before an armed militant group took over his village and brought ruin to the families residing there. Rashid recounted that fateful day when the group, Al Shabaab attacked his home and demanded his father to hand him over so that he could become a member of Al Shabaab. When his father refused, he was shot on the spot. Rashid watched from his hiding place and saw how the rest of his family members were assembled and asked to give his whereabouts. It was at this time that he decided to flee from his country Somalia since he knew that he could not join Al Shabaab as his religion Islam did not advocate killing of innocent lives as the group was fond of doing. Unfortunately, that was the last time he saw any of his family members.

He was only 17 years old when he fled his country and came into Kenya. He was registered as a refugee in Kakuma Refugee camp but decided to leave together with his friend hoping that life would be better off in Nairobi. Now, three years later, he looked around and wished that life would be just a little bit better for him and other urban refugees residing in Nairobi.

As a Somali refugee, it was easy to move to the city and settle relatively easily among the Somalis. Fortunately, there was not much language barrier since he could easily communicate with the other Somali refugees. It was difficult for him to engage with other people who did not speak his native language but there wasn’t much of a culture shock since most Somalis residing there followed their religion and cultural customs. This however, is not the case for other refugees residing in Nairobi. Urban refugees suffer harassment, discrimination, exploitation and poverty.

“Urban Refugees suffer harassment, discrimination, exploitation and poverty”

They encounter many challenges which have led to deprived livelihoods, limited access to basic social services like education and health and most urban refugees are financially vulnerable as they are not able to gain work permits. Most of the refugee communities residing in Nairobi have over time struggled to find different methods of survival, including receiving financial settlements from their home regions, sharing rent and food among themselves, moving from house to house because they are unable to make the monthly rent payments, prostitution and involvement in petty trade.

In addition, the host population has often viewed urban refugees as a security threat further worsening their situation as such sentiments are used as excuses for further police harassments and violence towards refugees. Unsafe housing or lack of it entirely has also increased fears, attacks, robberies and rapes which make life unbearable for most urban refugees in Nairobi.

For most refugees who come to Nairobi with the hope of starting over a new life, the first week in Nairobi are often the most risky for them as they look for shelter and try to situate themselves. During these times, some have been targets of violence and rape while sleeping outside. Others who have found themselves in this situation have also become sick from the night cold but lack of identification documents have commonly prevented them from accessing national medical services.

Many refugee women are also subjected to sexual or gender based violence by other refugees and law enforcers. Police and local thugs who assault female refugees often go unpunished because many refugees lack the means, support and knowledge of services to address these human rights violations. Others get involved in commercial sex work for survival due to lack of other viable livelihood or end up becoming housemaids in order to survive.

“All refugees have the right to life with dignity!”

With the obvious evidence of the tough life that urban Refugees face in Nairobi, one would be tempted to ask why the refugees still prefer the city other than residing in the camps. Most Refugees who have taken up this decision do so in order to keep in touch with relatives and friends in diasporas, to follow up for resettlement with embassies, or escape the monotonous or sometimes dangerous life of the camps where there is little to do other than just depend on humanitarian assistance.

It is evident that refugees living in Nairobi suffer greatly. Lack of sufficient opportunities for higher education and the inability to procure a work permit from the government have violated refugee rights to self-reliance, livelihood, health care and education and by extension, the right to life with dignity. I believe that no one can tell how life will be tomorrow and as such, it is important to respect these refugees and help them in any way we can since as human beings, refugees like Rashid have a right to be loved, accepted and to be allowed to access at least the most basic of human rights like food, shelter, security and education.