How living in an African Refugee Camp at 22 changed my life
Lessons learned from the Nakivale Refugee Camp
During the summer of 2017, I lived in the Nakivale Refugee Camp in Western Uganda. I was there because I founded a non-profit that garnered the support of the United Nations, Empower, which was a response to a social enterprise competition for students named Hult Prize. Each year, the Hult Prize challenges students with themes around social innovation. That year, it was to reawaken human potential by restoring the rights and dignity of refugees. Empower’s mission was to connect all refugees using mobile-friendly software to globally accessible educational and employment resources. A journey that began as a campus presentation led to the most important lessons in my life.
Gratitude
Everyone I met from food stall owners to aspiring students and future doctors in Nakivale seemed to be grateful despite the circumstances. They were upbeat, hopeful, and loved telling me about their big dreams post-resettlement making me wonder why I don’t have that same optimistic view. Then I recall all of the times during school and work where my insecurities led to me feeling inferior, mediocre, and depressed. These include failing a test, rejection from a job, bombing a presentation, and many more. What felt so awful at that moment seemed trivial in retrospect. After all, I’m pursuing a great education, learning skills to further my career and being one of the few in my family to obtain a university degree. My friends and family are healthy, I have a roof over my head and I can aspire to do anything. How can I not be happy? The residents of Nakivale want to go to school, study interesting subjects, obtain a degree, and ultimately get a job - but are bound by circumstances beyond their control. Don’t get me wrong, I complain about life’s stresses regularly, but I am reminded by my experiences from Nakivale and immediately stop to be grateful for everything I have.
Finding Fulfilling Work
The second lesson was from UN Camp Lead, Gabrielle, an experienced worker who’s helped mobilize resources for refugees across the Middle East and Africa for over 10 years. I shared my vision of Empower and learned more about her work in Nakivale for the past two years. Her day-to-day consisted of organizing UN efforts and resources for the continually growing number of refugees. She ensured all educational programs, leisure, and relocation services were available while supporting over 200K refugees daily. Gabrielle spoke about the challenges of work, dangers, and the uncertain environments she was placed under every day. I was moved by her enthusiasm for getting access to more computer units for students, gathering basic resources such as paper and pencils, or increase daily rations for residents. I saw a sense of purpose, the work fulfilled her. This became my benchmark for seeking purpose and meaning in my work, a very high one.
Community
A friendly connection introduced me to a local named Bushman. When I arrived, he showed me around the capital, Kampala, taking me to his favorite places to dine, meeting his close friends, and sharing his extensive involvement in youth empowerment. My interactions with Bushman felt as if I knew him for a long time. Besides being very friendly and outgoing, he kept me safe throughout my whole trip. I felt like a local, despite what they called me, Mzungu - the East African term for foreigner. I trusted him with my life letting him take the lead on where to go, places to see, and people to meet. Bushman brought me into his community. He became my good friend and built trust within a short time period. It brought down my walls fully immersing myself in their culture, hobbies, and life. There are many communities that we choose whether or not to accept on a regular basis. But we are ALL in the SAME community - whether we fight COVID-19 or fight for equal rights for all citizens. Nothing is more powerful than community.
