Kala Refugee Camp

After having lived in Kala camp for nearly two months, there is much to tell! I have been unable to update my blog as often as I would have liked due to the very limited internet access that I have in Kawambwa and the surrounding villages. To that end, I would first like to make a small note about communication opportunities:

Internet – I have internet access at the UNHCR office approximately once every 10 days when I travel to the nearest town of Kawambwa, which is about a 45 minute car ride, 2 hour bike ride, and 5 hour walk from the camp. The internet is not always available and it can be very slow. However, with patience, email communication is possible.

Cell phone – I have a Zambian cell phone that gets reception in Kawambwa. (+260 97 896 4754) My American cell phone works here as well. Unfortunately, neither one works well in the camp, so I generally receive my text messages when I travel into town. Feel free to send me a quick message (the American phone is more reliable in this regard) and you will most likely receive a reply within a few days. If you do not hear anything from me for a while, just resend the message as some of the texts get lost en route.


Now, on to life in Kala Camp….

This first photo illustrates the Zambian countryside, or the “bush” as some call it. As you can see below, the roads leading to the camp are unpaved and the soil has a crimson tint to it. The weather is generally warm-hot during the day and cool in the evenings. The rainy season has almost finished, so the evening showers have been coming fewer and farther in between.

This next photo displays the entrance to the camp (note the giant anthill in the background!), which is run by UNHCR or the UN Refugee Agency. In cooperation with the Zambian government, the UNHCR regulates the organizations working in the camp. Working there is a privilege which can be revoked at any time by either of the aforementioned parties. If you look closely at the sign, you will note that there are additional logos near the bottom. These are partner organizations of the UNHCR which implement many of the relief and development programs in the camp. In addition to FORGE, there is also Right to Play, World Vision, HODI, and Aktion Afrika Hilfe (AAH.) These organizations, called IPs (Implementing Partners), provide services to refugees in areas such as health, food distribution, sanitation, water security, education, and recreation.

This photo was taken just outside of FORGE’s office in the camp. One of my colleagues is working with FORGE refugee staff to assemble one of the mountain bikes that we use to travel around Kala and the surrounding villages. In the background, you can see the huts that were built to house the refugees. Though the street behind them is empty, it is normally flooded with children running around with makeshift toys or aiding their parents in their daily chores. Girls as young as 5 years old will often be seen carrying their younger siblings on their back, wrapped in a colorful cloth called chitenge material. Most of the children are not shy about approaching us, often asking us to play with them and take photos.






This is the FORGE office manager named Augustine, a Congolese refugee. He is pictured here with his baby daughter who was recently born in the camp. In the background, you will see my (albeit a bit messy) handwriting. I recently held a camera tutorial for the staff members, teaching them how to operate the camera and compose interesting photos. FORGE has provided the staff with a camera to document special events.






My assistant, Evaristo, who is also a Congolese refugee, took this photo of me in the back office where I work. Behind me, you can see a number of red bicycles, which comprise the office’s IGA (Income Generating Activity.) Augustine rents these bicycles out to refugees in the camp, which not only generates income for FORGE’s projects, but also provides a necessary resource for those traveling within the camp to transport goods.




In the next photo, I am preparing to document a handwriting class (“Mwandiko Bora” in Kiswahili, which is the language spoken by the Congolese.) This particular class is especially reserved for women to be taught by women. Many of the participants are learning with their babies strapped to their backs, illustrating how many women make education a priority in spite of their demanding domestic responsibilities.

In the next photo, even more children! These girls know me by name because they live right across the street from the FORGE compound.

These next few photos illustrate the World Women’s Day celebrations held in the camp, which included parades, singing, dancing, performing, and speeches by key women leaders in the camp and in Kawambwa. The audience was overcrowded by hundreds of curious children, who often had to be contained by adult supervisors.

This photo shows the inside of the FORGE house, which is located next to the police station near the entrance of the camp. Our guard, Charles, has taught himself how to play the guitar from scratch and is proudly demonstrating his new skills in our living room.

Our days usually end with sunsets like these, taken from the perspective of our back yard. As you can see, there is a watershed which provides us fresh and drinkable water. Once evening falls, we sit outside, drink tea, reflect on our day, and enjoy the incredible display of stars which surrounds us.

Over the coming weeks, I will be elaborating on the things I mentioned in this entry in detail, such as FORGE’s projects, our interactions with other organizations, our daily challenges/experiences, and of course the dreams, frustrations, and realities of the refugees themselves.