‘That's a narrative to be reversed’
🌐 On powering refugees, in conversation with Innocent Tshilombo of Kakuma Ventures.
🌐 WorldWise View | global perspectives on health, development, planet
Time really changes things.
Innocent Tshilombo’s dreams of studying electrical engineering were dashed when, age 20, he was forced to flee the Democratic Republic of the Congo for Kenya.
More than a decade later, Tshilombo has turned his life around. When we meet on a rainy November day in London, he is about to receive an award by the UK-based charity Ashden for Kakuma Ventures, a social enterprise he founded to provide solar energy and internet access at the Kakuma refugee camp, where he still lives.
The path was far from easy. Tshilombo was able to graduate with a university degree because volunteering with an NGO at the camp gave vital access to the internet and electricity. There was nowhere else to go for connectivity, or to recharge a laptop, or to study late into the night.
Some 90 million people worldwide are displaced, forced into circumstances that stifle their potential. Aid can only go so far—for Tshilombo, the key is access to digital learning; and that means access to electricity.
In this interview—edited for length and clarity as usual—he tells me why investors should take note of refugee-owned businesses like Kakuma Ventures, and why the narrative that casts refugees as mere recipients of aid is all wrong.
Tell me about Kakuma Ventures—what is it?
Kakuma Ventures is a social enterprise that focuses on creating green energy and providing connectivity to the refugees in the Kakuma refugee camp, so they can access digital services and opportunities. Because of the restrictions refugees face—they're not allowed to freely move, they're not allowed to work in the country—what remains for them is anything digital. They can work virtually, or maybe study remotely, or upgrade their knowledge to learn new skills.
How does the service work?
[We] first partner with the local community—the community [needs] to accept the solutions. We then build basic green infrastructure that allows them to call up a Wi-Fi hotspot in their neighbourhood. We also take them through digital literacy [training] so they understand that it's not only about access [to the Internet], but access to an opportunity—that can be in education, business or employment.
What was the seed of the idea?
The idea to focus on energy and connectivity came from my own struggle. I'm a camp resident, and as a camp resident, I never had access to the national grid. People in the camp don’t have access to electricity, either to charge your mobile phone or to power up any device. Without that access to energy, there’s no digital adoption. I've been able to pursue my education while studying remotely from the camp and it came from that inspiration to really say, okay, now it's time for us to bring the solution so that the cycle doesn't repeat over and over.
“We tested the idea, and everything changed in the camp.”
What made you think that doing this is possible?
First, because I have a really good understanding of the context. But the solution, it's come a long way. How do you prove that this works and [that] doesn't work in such a context, where there's little evidence? It's through our experience, the feedback we're getting from the people with whom we are sharing the same environment. And because we [tested] the idea, and everything changed in the camp.
What was it that changed?
Since we started, we have seen refugee-led businesses being listed online. We have a platform where we post local products from local businesses. That was not there [before]. Those businesses never had an income stream.
We are seeing more and more young people graduating from institutions in developed countries.
We are seeing more and more women adopting digital services. The tradition here is that women stay at home, and you know, when they're confined they are less exposed [to opportunities]. But bringing this service to them, it's not about reinforcing their confinement—it's about giving them access without disturbing the norms of the community.
As more and more people are embracing digital services and opportunities in the camp, even the quality of life is changing. For example, someone who's working as a freelancer, they're able to earn extra income to buy anything. That is a change not only to the person who earns. [It] inputs in the camp economy. In the camp as a restricted area, there's little capital flow apart from remittances and maybe cash assistance given by humanitarian organisations. But through digital services, there's capital flow coming in.
What does that change look like with numbers, for example how many people are you reaching?
From 2020, we've been able to connect more than 1700 people to the internet. And we are just covering a small area in the camp—less than 10%. And not all of them use the internet [in] the way I'm describing. Based on our measurement of impact, we have realised that half of the people who connect to the internet use it for a purpose. And that's why we need to increase more digital awareness—because what about the rest the 50% that are using it for other things that don’t have a tangible impact when it comes to changing their lives? For us, we see the internet as an enabling tool for them to achieve something.
What's your vision of where you want this to go?
First, we want to reach the remaining 90% here, in the [Kakuma] refugee camp. And we can replicate [the model] in other refugee camps or rural areas in Sub-Saharan Africa—because the context in the refugee camp and in rural areas, it's similar. That's where this solution really fits very well: to reach the people at the last mile, and to give them opportunities to compete in the global market. We don't want to bring, let's say, a refugee service. We need to put people at the same standard with their peers whether they're refugees or not.
In terms of scaling it up, what are the main obstacles that you're anticipating?
First, we rely on local human resources. There's already a knowledge gap in the camp that [doesn’t] allow us to attain the level we want. At the same time, as a company serving refugees who have really little income, it's very hard to attract great talent. We need to train the local community so that [they] take into their hands the responsibility to carry out this vision. But for that, we need an extra level of funding.
There's also the issue of, let's say, being overshadowed. My status as refugee is also over the company: this is a refugee company. That stereotype is another challenge—not only in terms of [the] social landscape, but even at the policy level. Because the policy that applies to you [as a refugee], all the restrictions, will also apply to the company. We need an enabling environment where all [are] given the same opportunity—because once you are an innovator, then you are like any other innovator around the world. And that's it.
Give me an example of restrictions you're facing due to that status.
The biggest restriction, as [an] individual, [is] freedom of movement. You don't have the freedom to leave the camp. If you're running a business, it's all about operating in an ecosystem. But whenever you get an opportunity, it may take you longer to seize [it] because you should go through a very long process to be cleared to move freely. Apart from that, the issue of financial inclusion. Right now, someone who has a refugee ID in Kenya is not allowed to register with M-PESA, a mobile money [service] that is the most used way of transacting. That same restriction affected the company: [it] cannot have an M-PESA account. Those are just highlight examples. There are others that you can't see until you are there.
“This is the time to not only focus on basic needs, but also to focus on needs that will help refugees to unlock their potential for the future.”
Any last words for our readers?
Yeah, to other people who maybe are in such a situation. If they have vision, then they should really stick [to] their vision and keep pushing the boundaries—but being patient. Because sometimes time really changes things. When I started this struggle, back in 2017, we never knew about COVID. But when COVID came, everyone understood that the virtual world really is possible. And that opened new opportunities for people who are in a refugee camp. That's why I said, time really changes things. The most important thing is to stay with your objective, your vision.
Secondly, I want to address this to investors or people who are supporting businesses. Even in the refugee camp, there are people who have the ability to transform society. Refugees can really bring a real impact—not only to the refugee community, but to the local community. It's really important to not overshadow refugee initiatives with stereotypes. People [say] the refugee camp is something temporary. But people have been living in this camp for decades. I myself have spent there 13 years now. People keep saying this is temporary, this is temporary—temporary for 13 years? No way! This is the time to not only focus on basic needs, but also to focus on needs that will help refugees to unlock their potential for the future.
How receptive are you finding people to this message?
It's really very hard to tell. But change takes time. I know there's someone somewhere who can listen, [and] take action. It may take time, but at the end of the day, there will be a result. It's all about educating not only policymakers, but the general population. There are people who think that once you are refugees, then there's nothing they can expect from you, apart from you waiting to be given assistance. But that's a narrative to be reversed. Rather than refugees being recipients of aid, now they should be agents of transformation. They should be given that chance.
💡 Learn more about Kakuma Ventures and the Ashden Climate Awards
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Global Health Film
This year’s Global Health Film Festival is coming up from 21 November to December! It takes place mostly online, with daily live-streamed screenings, discussions and masterclasses. There are also two in-person screenings in London. This year's programme features films from all around the world. Among them are inspirational and thought-provoking stories on autism, mental health, cancer, end-of-life care, homelessness, substance addiction, conflict and health, gender violence and planetary health. Passes and ticket bundles are available here.
Media Opportunities
For those of you looking to support journalism or audiovisual projects, here’s a selection of opportunities with fast-approaching deadlines:
Latin American journalists interested in responding to the current challenges in journalism and improving their newsroom work can apply for the 2023 Intensive Editors Training Program and its associated scholarships. By CONNECTAS—closing November 13. [Spanish]
Journalists based anywhere in the world who are keen to lead, innovate and develop their skills can apply for the Journalism Innovation and Leadership Programme, and its associated scholarships. By University of Central Lancashire—closing November 15.
Journalists based in South Africa, with 3 years of professional experience, and with an interest in human rights, financial journalism, or business social performance, can apply for the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s 'S' in ESG, Reporting on Corporate Social Impact online programme. By Skoll Foundation Programme and Thomson Reuters Foundation—closing November 15
Journalists and others who have been fighting disinformation and misinformation across the Americas are invited to participate in a masterclass series aimed at investigating the money behind dis/misinformation campaigns. By Knight Center and International Center for Journalists—closing November 15.
College juniors, seniors and graduate students around the world who aspire to be editors and show aptitude in news writing and critical thinking can apply for the Bill Walsh Scholarships, or one of five ACES Education Fund Scholarships. By American Copy Editors Society—closing November 15.
Journalists across the world interested in environmental journalism can apply for internships with Mongabay that run from January to June 2023. Interns will work on conservation and environment stories for publication online. By Mongabay—closing November 18.
Videographers and photographers can apply for a creative grant to document the theme of ‘Chosen Family’, to explore events and actions across a broad range of people and groups who are part of ‘chosen families’ outside of stereotypical Pride celebration imagery. By Getty Images—closing November 18.
Photographers worldwide interested in creating work that encourages greater public understanding of aftermath of issues like the landing of Columbus or the legacy of slavery can apply for grants from The Aftermath Project. By The Aftermath Project—closing November 18.
Multimedia creators can apply for a job with China Dialogue which seeks a visual/multimedia content manager to join its Latin America editorial team. Work entails developing ideas for high-quality visual and multimedia content that focuses on graphics and photos. By China Dialogue—closing November 20.
Journalists and media professionals worldwide who are interested in topics such as species diversity and environmental crimes are encouraged to apply for EJN’s 2022 Biodiversity Story Grants. By Earth Journalism Network—closing November 20.
Journalists based everywhere can enter their transmedia work for the 2022 New Media Writing Prize. By the Bournemouth University Higher Education Corporation—closing November 25.
Students, bloggers, artists and writers from all over the world can submit their innovative and interactive stories for a prize. By New Media Writing Prize—closing November 25.
Professional, amateur and young photographers everywhere can submit their work to the annual Sony World Photography Awards. By the World Photography Organisation—closing November 30.
Filmmakers from the MENA region working on women’s issues can submit their work to compete in a film festival in Aswan, Egypt. By the Aswan Women Film Festival—closing November 30.
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