NO REFUGE IN A REFUGEE CAMP

It’s kind of hard to believe that you belong,
when you don’t have a home,
when your country of origin rejects you
because of fear or persecution,
or the city that you grew up in is completely destroyed.
In May 2023 during the urban refugees relocation to Dzaleka I met with a certain girl child who asked me “Why do they hate us?” “Who hates you?” “Everyone, everyone hates us because we are refugees”
People don’t care about refugees’ poverty and humanity, when you find yourself choosing between home and survival the question “where are you from” becomes very loaded.
The word refugee is considered something to be dirty, something to be ashamed of. We live in a refugee camp because we have to, not because we wanted to. There is no choice. If you are lucky, you will never remember home through your host communities violence or your foster parents abuse.
If you are lucky and you were none of this would have ever happened to you
We have seen advances in every aspect of our lives in Dzaleka except our ration and humanity.
There are more than 54000 of refugees in Dzaleka while it was designed for 10000 to 14000 of people.
Let me tell you something
“WHEN YOU VISIT A REFUGEE CAMP DON’T FEEL SORRY FOR REFUGEES BUT BELIEVE IN THEM”
Proud to be MUTU! @Namad

Namad is a renowned community leader and founder of the MUTU organisation. He has written and narrated poetry for most of his life. Here, he recites his poem “No Refuge in a Refugee Camp.” Namad has been at the heart of all our collaborations, translating across multiple languages and steadfastly advocating for refugee needs and rights.

What line from this poem resonates with you?

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