For the past two weeks, I’ve been in Kenya doing research for a feature-length documentary about refugees. As part of the research, the refugee camps of Kakuma and Dadaab were visited. Coincidentally, we were at the camps during World Refugee Day and several celebrations were taking place. There’s much to be said about the lives of refugees in the camps but I rather focus on the positive examples found within Kakuma and Dadaab.
During this period, we came across FilmAid, an organization that uses the power of film and media to transcend language and literacy, bringing life-saving information, psychological relief and much-needed hope to refugees and other communities in need around the globe. FilmAid envisions a world in which all people can lead safe and healthy lives, enjoying full access to information, education and the opportunity for creative expression.
Workshops are among the programs offered by the organization, through which refugees learn the filmmaking techniques and later employ in their own productions, also made with the assistance of FilmAid. Besides the refugee camps of Kenya, FilmAid is also present in Thailand and Haiti. Here’s a video about the organization’s work in Dadaab, the world’s largest refugee camp.
