This Refugee-Led Organisation is Championing Digital Skills in Kakuma
Through a comprehensive learning model, Solidarity Initiative For Refugees is empowering refugees and displaced people with the necessary digital skills to help them find more livelihood opportunities
By: Devyani Nighoskar
Bahana Hydrogen was all of 20 when he fled the war in Congo. He made his way toward Tanzania on a boat with a few others before crossing over to Kenya. Some days later, in early 2015, he arrived — on his own — at Kakuma, one of the world’s biggest refugee camps. He carried nothing but a suitcase and backpack with the necessary cash, a ‘decent’ mobile phone, and an email account — one that would support his dreams in the years to come.
Back home in Bukavu in Eastern Congo, hardly any of his family remained. Most had been displaced all over the country — owing to multiple wars and natural disasters. He was admittedly scared — a French speaker in an anglophone country; no money; no friends and family, and no recognition of what he had achieved so far, including a diploma in mathematics and physics. Only a tiny glimmer of hope sustained his journey, hope that rose from others who had told him —
“In Kenya, you find a haven; you get an education.”
Seven years later, Bahana seems to have made this statement a reality for hundreds of refugees like him in Kakuma through his social enterprise, ‘Solidarity Initiative for Refugees’ (SIR). Established in 2016, this local community-based and refugee-led organisation uses technology to equip refugees in the camps with the skills and tools. SIR operates on a mission to empower youth in Kakuma through education access and livelihood training using digital learning methods.
‘When I arrived, I wrote more than 100 application letters for employment and scholarships — but it was all in vain.
Many humanitarian actors primarily focus only on protection and emergency responses. They focus less on the economic development aspects of young refugees, which is why I felt the need to work towards creating more durable solutions,’ Bahana explained.
As a teenager, he had access to his brother’s laptop, through which he read the news, heard the radio, and watched videos. Bahana’s brother also helped him make an email account, which he still uses. ‘I was always interested in knowing more about technology and current affairs,’ Bahana said. The laptop was his portal to the world outside — a world many young refugees find hard to access.
Samuel Hall’s recent research study with the International Labour Organization on young refugees, decent work, and the digital economy in Kenya, Uganda, and Egypt reiterates how “the Government of Kenya has long restricted refugees’ socioeconomic freedoms, limiting their movement outside camps.”
While the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act 2011 and Refugee Act 2006 support refugees’ right to work in terms of contributing to the country’s socioeconomic growth; the high unemployment, low economic growth, and poverty levels in Kenya make work opportunities scarce. The report also notes that “smartphone ownership among refugees is not very widespread, data costs can be high, and network signals are low. In addition, unreliable electricity supply, hardware access, and unsuitable workspaces pose significant barriers to refugees’ digital access in Kenya.”
With limited resources within the camp — the world outside was a challenging space to access once Bahana arrived in Kakuma. But he found a way.
Reigniting The Spark
In 2016, Bahana’s passion for technology led him to volunteer with the UNHCR, which then was developing a mobile app for Instant Network Schools (INS). This enabled him to pick up skills like coding and gave him access to a community library that had a computer.
Every day, Bahana would spend at least 2 hours in the library, gazing intently at the screen — completing online courses in subjects like Project management, Advanced ICT, and Counselling — discussing his learnings with other volunteers from refugee backgrounds. This laid the foundation for SIR which officially launched in May 2016 — founded by Bahana and seven others. Two founders have been resettled abroad but are still on the board of directors.
Today, the SIR team is a refugee-led diverse team of more than 20 people from various nationalities, genders, sexual preferences, abilities, etc. In the middle of the camp, they have four operational classrooms, ninety-nine working devices, and five trainers.
“I strongly believe, from my own experience, that technology can break down barriers to inequality, education, and employment opportunities for young people, like myself, who live in a displacement context,” Bahana exclaimed.
His beliefs resonate with our research showing ‘how the digitalization of work plays a particular role for refugees and migrants. As they often struggle to enter local labour markets, a large share of migrant workers provides labour-power behind digital platforms.’
Kenya has invested heavily in the digital economy, and the ‘proliferation of mobile money has been a strong catalyst for digital economic activity.’ However, to ensure these developments are inclusive — there is a need to push for digital literacy for everyone.
Through the four programs, SIR runs in Kakuma — Education, Mentorship, Freelance, and Social business — they aim to facilitate the inclusive and comprehensive programming that’s been missing.
“We believe that education and access to livelihood opportunities should be connected. The four programs we run are part of one process. The main idea is to figure out a way to teach these young refugees digital skills so they can create and live a sustainable and dignified life,” said Bahana.
The beginnings were humble for SIR — they held several meetings and interactions with communities and leaders, explaining their vision. They identified young talent and enthusiastic youths and started by teaching them basic digital literacy and ICT skills. Once they develop these fundamental skills, they could join more advanced programs — coding skills and programming or their digital marketing program. All courses are taught free of cost and are open to all in the camp.
Over the years, even though the number of students at SIR has increased, the organisation has continued its community interaction whilst developing a close-knit alum network.
“We also leverage existing digital tools like WhatsApp groups to spread the word in our alumni network because Kakuma has a huge mobile penetration. Sometimes we even put up notices around the camps and community centres,’ Bahana said.
SIR has also been fostering and enhancing collaboration with other organizations like Source Humanitarian Network (SHN), which supports the implementation of advanced ICT class concentration in programming; Cohere, formerly (Xavier project) supports the implementation of SEL Social Emotional Learning for parents and Plant and Play for Children funded by Porticus Education and WUSC (World University Service of Canada) that, supports the implementation of LEAP Project Learning through Education and Access to Employment opportunities in Kakuma.
From Kakuma to the Rest of the World
Forming linkages between local and global organizations and advocating for students to get jobs and internships in various companies — SIR thrives on a school-to-work transition model through digital skills. In an earlier interview for the research study, Bahana said,
“because we believe that in this current era of working from home, there are many opportunities out there in the gig economy, and one of our objectives is to bridge that digital link between the Kakuma refugee camp and the rest of the world”.
Over the last five years, Solidarity Initiative For Refugees has been able to train more than 4000 refugee youth in digital skills. Three percent of the students are working for SIR.
In the past ,SIR facilitated 3D Printing, Molding, and Metal Casting Training at the centre , with use of recycled plastic and aluminium for metal casting. After some of the participants complete their training, they are given ongoing mentorship business support by SIR and are allocated 3D printing and Metal casting time in the workshop to produce their own products. SIR would train 50 participants, maintaining a 50:50 gender ratio, within a 5-month period as stipulated in the output section and work plan. Each cohort consisted of 10
“This gives us the courage to deliver extra services and do more to identify gaps. We are the centre of examples and focus when it comes to our services in the camp, and we are proud of that because the impacts are solid and seen in refugees’ lives,” Bahana said.
One such person who managed to make a better life for themselves with the help of SIR is Mariam Nabulenga. The 33-year-old arrived in Kakuma in 2009 from Uganda, fearing persecution as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. With a computer certificate, they worked several jobs back in their home country but faced many challenges. “My dad said they couldn’t handle a person like me. So I decided to come here,”Mariam said.
Not being able to carry their documents in transit — they found it challenging to find a job. Without any access to computers, Mariam also felt that they had started forgetting everything they had learned. A refresher course awaited them at SIR. With an interest in social media, they then enrolled themselves in SIR’s 3-month digital marketing course.
“SIR understands the constraints of refugees, as they are. I learned a lot there, made friends, and had a lovely time. They know how to teach and how to handle people. Even today, they continue contacting me for new opportunities,” Mariam said.
As a LEAP scholar, they now work remotely from Kakuma as a freelance transcriber.
Freelancing & Digital Gig Work — An Extension of Informality?
Freelancing is one of the most common and viable options for most refugees in Kenya — as it can be done anywhere. However, much like other digital ‘gig work’, freelancing comes without a stable income or security and may add another layer of informality in an unstable environment. Eighty-five percent of employment in Africa is informal already.
According to the Mastercard Foundation, most informal labourers ‘do not perceive the spread of digital labour and e-commerce as a threat but may see it as an opportunity.’
Our report notes that some ‘40,000 Kenyans registered on Upwork in 2014. However, while this rise in online freelancing has created some opportunities, digital gig workers also face intense competition leading to heightened job insecurity. In many ways, online gig work is even an extension of everyday work. What is new is that e-commerce and digital labour platforms have added a transnational and sometimes global dimension to this informality. This indicates a susceptibility to decent work deficits that makes it all the more critical and urgent to transform digital labour into formal, well-protected, and decent work.’
The World (Not) On Your Fingertips — Barriers To Access
Stereotypes about refugees and barriers to access in the camps — freelancing while a viable option — present several challenges. “Experience is key so that clients can trust you,” said Bahana, adding that another challenge is that clients and employers are often “afraid to hire refugees”. A client from the United States or Nigeria may therefore think that someone from the Kakuma refugee camp will not be able to deliver, as they may ask “where will he get internet access? Where will he get a laptop?”
For instance, Mariam still does not have a laptop or regular access to a PC. Living considerably far from the SIR campus, most days, the use their smartphone for transcription.
“The internet in the camp is also not that great — there have been times I have had to borrow money to recharge my phone with sufficient internet packs to work,” said Mariam.
Another significant barrier has been accessing financial institutions, bank accounts, and payment mechanisms, despite the growth of mobile money. Jackie Nanyonga, also a LEAP scholar who came to Kakuma from Uganda only nine months ago works as a freelance transcriber and states that SiR has given her the confidence to do something. Jackie, too faced problems with access which is a reality for most women in the camp.
While tech literacy opens a gate of opportunities, access to it has been difficult in the camps — especially for women. The ownership of smartphones is also often gendered. Often viewed as a ‘man’s tool’, women have limited financial resources and smartphone access.
“I know many women who have become disinterested in studying technology as they know they may not be able to find the means,” said Mariam.
Moreover, as digital freelance opportunities provide the opportunity to work from home — many girls and women, burdened with domestic responsibilities, find it challenging to prioritize learning. There have also been issues concerning connectivity and unstable electricity supply. In addition, some digital labour platforms also require uploading documents for KYC, which many refugees do not have. The limitations also have to do with digital labour platforms’ identity verification requirements and the absence of government regulation that would make refugee IDs universally acceptable and verifiable to meet KYC standards.
Charting A Way Forward
The Solidarity Initiative for Refugees is aware of the issues that persist and are trying to tackle these through a range of interventions. For instance, through donors and partners, they have been able to obtain laptops, tablets, and desktops to promote learning and digital programming at the centre.
“SIR also offers a daycare facility on the premises. Women and girls who have children bring their youngsters to the facility till their lessons are finished. Then, a dedicated babysitter works at the daycare centre, taking care of the children, feeding them, and ensuring that they are in a child-friendly atmosphere,” said Bahana.
They are also making refugees in the camp aware of initiatives such as the Refugees Affair Secretariat (RAS) and Kenya Revenue Authority(KRA), through which they can be given proper documentation that will enable refugees to work or carry out business.
However, there is a scope to go beyond. For example, our report recommends the need to ‘remove all legal impediments and administrative barriers for refugees seeking to access digital platforms or digital skills training programs, such as national ID documents being a prerequisite for access.’
Moreover, while training youth in digital skills is essential and needs to be ramped up — there is a parallel need for ‘making more digital jobs available that match the skill levels of the supply.’ Both the private sector and the government must continue investing in these sectors and create more such job opportunities and encourage entrepreneurship opportunities.
Similarly, there is a need to expand and accelerate current investments into improving ICT infrastructures, including in rural areas and refugee settlements and camps, and importantly impose and monitor measures for safe and decent working conditions with multiple payment options for unbanked populations.
Several organisations, such as Techfugees Kenya and Reskilling Refugees, are already working on this alongside SIR to create an inclusive and efficient tech ecosystem. While there is still a long way to go, SIR has taken several steps ahead to help refugees in Kakuma truly feel empowered and ready to take on both — the virtual and the real world with their digital skills.
