Five former refugees who beat odds to succeed
Halima Aden, Hijabi supermodel speaks during the TedX talk held at kakuma Refugee Camp on June 09, 2018. PHOTO| FRANCIS NDERITU
What you need to know:
- During the recently concluded first ever TEDx talks to be held in a refugee camp, they shared their stories of determination, and their refugee experience to where they are now.
- Some have gone to become international models, poets, teachers and athletes.
They were either born or walked for days to get to Kakuma refugee camp, but despite being forced from their homes by war, that did not stop them to achieve greatness.
During the first ever TEDx talks to be held in a refugee camp held on June 9 , they shared their stories of determination, and their refugee experience to where they are now. Some have gone to become international models, poets, teachers and athletes.
MERCY AKUOT – ARTIST
She fled South Sudan in 2008 when she was 15. Her family had married her off to an elderly man behind her back, something she was dead set against. She fled to Uganda, but the man pursued and tracked her down in Kampala.
During her talk, she described how she suffered physical violence, rape and unlawful detention under him. “I stayed with him for a while but when I got a chance to escape, I never looked back and after I crossed to Kenya I was admitted as an immigrant at Kakuma Refugee Camp which has been my home ever since.” Last year while working under a project by Wyre and FilmAid called “Making Stars-Kakuma” she released her single “Anavyonifanya”.
HALIMA ADEN – SUPER MODEL
Born and raised at Kakuma, Somali-American Halima Aden is now an international fashion model. She lived at the camp for seven years. Over the past year and a half, the 20-year-old model has appeared in international magazine covers, including British Vogue as the hijab-wearing model. The hijab mostly worn by Muslim women is part of their tradition and she became the first Hijabi model from the camp.
She gave a powerful speech about how her life has changed. She said it has been quite a journey because she cannot still believe that two years ago she could not pick up a magazine and flip the inside pages and see someone dressed like her. She also wanted everyone to remember that although the children at Kakuma are refugees, they are still children.
“They deserve every opportunity to flourish, to hope, to dream, to be successful, my story began here in Kakuma refugee camp, a place of hope.”
MARY NYIRIAK MAKER – TEACHER
She fled from the South Sudan conflict and now teaches at the camp. The 22-year-old said spoke of how her students come from war-torn countries. “They are so different to each other - but they have one thing in common. They fled their homes to stay alive. She spoke about her own struggles escaping from conflict and in trying to get education as a girl.
“Educating a girl creates equal and stable societies. And educating refugees will be the hope of rebuilding their countries, ” she said. She wants to encourage them to move on, to push on, to see that life is not about the camp and that life is something more ahead and “that's what I want them to believe.”
PUR BIEL – OLYMPIC ATHLETE
His story is one of determination and has inspired thousands globally. He fled to Kenya at age 10 and grew up in the camp. He competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics as a member of the first ever Refugee Olympic Team, running in the 800-metre event. He shared his story about how he still remains close to Rebecca Nyagony, his adopted “Kakuma mama” who still lives in the camp and was watching in the audience.
Pur Biel, an Olympic athlete, gives a talk about his life experience as a refugee during the TedX Talk at the kakuma Refugee Camp on June 9, 2018. PHOTO| FRANCIS NDERITU
He left the audience in stitches as he described how he starting running with the others not knowing why he was running. “In life, we all face struggles, you can either run away from it, or towards it. But the important thing is you keep on the road and keep running.”
AMINA RWIMO – FILMMAKER
She came from the Democratic Republic of Congo and after completing FilmAid’s year-long media training course, she launched her own career as a successful filmmaker.
Amina Rwimo, a 24-year-old award winning filmmaker delivers her talk at the TedX talk at Kakuma Camp on June 9, 2018 at the Kakuma Refugee Camp . PHOTO| FRANCIS NDERITU
Her films have won numerous film festival awards including: best picture, best screenplay, best actress, and most recently Aminah herself won an award for Best Emerging Filmmaker at the IOM Global Migration Film Festival in Geneva for her film It Has Killed My Mother.
She is currently a training assistant, teaching over 50 students how to use film to tell their own stories, and advocate for their own needs.
She is currently working on her second short film script and has founded an independent production company in Kakuma called Exile Key Films.
She described Kakuma as her home, her future, her strength, and her inspiration.
