Two Johnnies to tell of life in Kenyan refugee camp

It’s one thing to hear a story; it’s something completely different to hear people who actually lived the story.

That is the case with “The Somali Refugee Experience: Life in a Refugee Camp.” The event features Saint John’s University graduate Abdirizak Jama (’18) and current SJU senior Ibrahim Abdullahi discussing their lives and their struggles to survive in the Dadaab refugee complex in Kenya.

The event, which also includes a screening of the documentary film “Warehoused: The Forgotten Refugees of Dadaab,” is at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 25, at room 204AB, Gorecki Center, College of Saint Benedict. It is free and open to the public.

The discussion will be moderated by CSB senior Fatou Sane, who is president of the CSB/SJU African Students’ Association.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Office, the Dadaab refugee complex had a population of 235,268 registered refugees and asylum seekers at the end of January 2018. The complex consists of four camps, with the first established in 1991 as refugees fled the civil war in neighboring Somalia.

A second large influx occurred in 2011, when the last two camps were established. According to the UNHCR, some 130,000 refugees arrived at the complex, fleeing drought and famine in southern Somalia.

The feature-length documentary “Warehoused” explores the plight of long-term refugees through a glimpse into the lives of those living in Dadaab, one of the world’s largest refugee camps, according to a website on the documentary. The term ‘warehoused’ refers to asylum seekers, trapped in border camps for five years or more, without the right to work, generate income, move freely or choose their place of residence.

The film shows the camp's inner workings through the refugees’ personal stories, most notably Liban and his perseverance to provide for and reunite with his family. Featuring commentary by the UN Refugee Agency workers who courageously provide desperately needed aid during the protracted crisis, “Warehoused” reveals the increasingly vital roles which relief agency organizations, host countries and permanent asylum nations have in the lives of millions of people struggling to find a place they can call home.

Film directors Asher Emmanuel and Vincent Vittorio seek to address this problem through the documentary, dedicated to raising awareness of the plight of refugees and their need for basic human rights like education, safety, shelter and clean water, according to movie reviewer Stephen Aspeling.

The event is sponsored by the Peace Studies Department and the Peace Studies Club at CSB/SJU. It is co-sponsored by the African Students’ Association at CSB/SJU; the Central Minnesota Community Empowerment Organization/Cultural Bridges; Extending the Link at CSB/SJU; Intercultural and International Student Services at CSB/SJU; the CSB/SJU Sociology Department; CSB Campus Ministry Spirituality and Social Justice Team; and the CSB/SJU Education Club.