The past week, I visited the Nairobi informal settlement Mathare where thousands of people had to flee their homes. I am just back from refugee camp Dadaab in North Eastern part of Kenya where at least tens of thousands of Somali refugees were chased from their homes, due to heavy rains and floods. Some of them were new arrivals fleeing from Somalia because they fear insecurity: some of them have to wait six months until they are recognised as a refugee. The only shelter people had was a small blanket, and small construction made out of branches from shrubs. ‘No big news’, international media houses would say, because this is how it works. We need ‘big numbers’ Twice this week, I saw people fight for food: a small box of BP5 biscuits, a small box of UHT Milk. Meanwhile rain was pouring down, adding some drama. In Dadaab, children were swimming in the mud pools, playing ball games, laughing, really enjoying, as if they were on a summer holiday. White 4WD cars of NGO’s and UN passing by. Pictures on Mathare and Dadaab are coming up. 

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Hello, I’m Arjen Westra, Africa traveller by choice, this is my blog from this interesting continent. I would love to hear your thoughts about what’s going right, and wrong, across Africa.Facebook Notifications
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It is really sad that a kenyan can be a refugee in their own country as the case in mathare…It makes one wonder just where we are headed to as a country and the sort of government that we have. Are we not to be looked after by the body that governs us? This leaves alot to be desired for so called democracy.