Topic: Kenya

Sep 12, 2016

Henry started his business with just five hand-sewn tote bags made from pieces of traditional East African fabric. They were an instant hit, and he has been expanding ever since. Over the past 11 months, he has hired 20 LGBT refugees to do piece-work, cutting the fabric he uses to make his bags. By working from home, they stay safe and are still able to earn a living.

Jun 23, 2016

On June 20, 2016, World Refugee Day celebrations around the world honored the bravery and perseverance of the millions of men, women and children who are refugees today—and also provided an opportunity for refugees themselves to have a bit of fun.

May 12, 2016

Dadaab, the world's largest refugee camp, is home to more than 344,000 refugees. If it were a city, it would be Kenya’s third largest. On Wednesday, the Kenyan Interior Ministry announced plans to close the camp by November. The announcement has raised significant concerns from local and international refugee protection organizations.

Mar 21, 2016

To help their clients restore some normalcy to their lives, HIAS Kenya changed the way it provides food assistance so that refugees can go to the supermarket. Just like their friends and neighbors do. Just like they did, before they fled.

Jan 11, 2016

Ask Lucy Kiama about refugees or victims of sexual violence in Kenya and she instantly offers a wealth of information and useful context. Her accent is lovely, almost musical, but the words are serious and full of determination. “What drew me to HIAS was the focus on helping the most vulnerable,” Kiama says. “Being forcibly displaced from their countries does not mean that their lives have stopped.”

Oct 21, 2015

Winnie Gacheru, director of psychosocial programs at HIAS Kenya, describes working with some of the world's most vulnerable refugees in this short video.

Oct 2, 2015

Winnie is the director of psychosocial programs at HIAS Kenya, where she works to help refugees deal with the psychological and emotional effects of the traumatic experiences they have faced and helps to restore dignity in their lives.

Aug 26, 2015

Burundi, rocked by a spate of assassinations and post-election violence, looks increasingly likely to spiral out of control. Thousands have fled the country, adding to an already worrisome refugee situation in the region.

Mar 26, 2015

Last month, while visiting Nairobi, Kenya to train HIAS local staff on resettling vulnerable refugees, I met “Sylvia”, a refugee living in a HIAS safehouse on the outskirts of the city. For refugees like Sylvia, who have exceptionally serious protection concerns, safehouses provide critical short-term security while they await resettlement—often their only option for long-term safety and freedom from persecution.

Jan 26, 2015

What Does Restoring Dignity Look Like? By Sarah Baradaran, Refugee Policy Intern, HIAS-DC Jan 26, 2015 Visiting with African refugees in Nairobi, Kenya. (HIAS) Kenya is home to more refugees than any other country in Africa. Hundreds of thousands of refugees reside there in camps and urban slums, and originate from various African conflicts of […]