OVER the past few years, reports about refugees and the “refugee crisis” have permeated the media. As viewers, we are compounded with “facts” and statistics that make many of us, including me, feel overwhelmed. What these reports generally lack though are the personal stories of people who are actually living in situations of displacement. Statistics are important, but personal stories are much more telling and are easier to connect with. The mainstream media also tends to focus on the small percentage of refugees who are seeking safety in developed countries, while the vast majority of refugees who are being hosted in the developing world are overlooked.
Therefore, this blog is dedicated to giving voice to the refugee single fathers that I met in Kyaka II Refugee Settlement in Uganda while completing research for my master’s thesis in early 2016. Anyone interested in refugee issues, gender issues, and/or the humanitarian system will hopefully find this blog useful and enlightening.
AS for me, I grew up in the Midwestern United States. After finishing a Bachelor in International Relations and Diplomacy at The Ohio State University I decided to leave my small town behind and pursue my dream of a career in international development abroad. I lived in Paris, France for a year and then spent the next two years in Geneva, Switzerland pursuing a Master in Development Studies at the Graduate Institute. Having recently graduated, I am an aspiring humanitarian and researcher interested particularly in Central and Eastern Africa. In just a few days I am leaving on my first humanitarian mission to the Central African Republic, where I will be based for the next 3 months.
Over the past year I’ve spent several months in Uganda working on various projects: I carried out surveys in rural communities for an eco-tourism company; I worked with a small African non-governmental organization aimed at preventing and mitigating sexual and gender-based violence; and I carried out my own qualitative research for my master’s thesis. [Click here for my LinkedIn profile]. It was while working on my thesis that I had the opportunity to meet 27 refugee single fathers, to whom this blog is dedicated.
MY posts will feature anecdotes, recollections, and quotes from the single fathers that I gathered during semi-structured interviews. I include some of my own observations and notes that I made throughout the research process as well. Each post will also feature photographs. Some of the photographs were taken by me, but many were taken by the single fathers themselves when I was not around. Participative photography formed a part of my data set, and the photographs that the men took are extremely telling. They give a glimpse into life in a refugee settlement that you will never see on the mainstream media. To read more about Kyaka II refugee settlement and my research click on the links.
This blog has two purposes: (1) to share the stories of refugee single fathers in order to raise awareness of their situation and (2) to collect donations that I will send to them. Throughout the blog there are links to a GoFundMe account that I have set up with a goal to raise $540, that is $20 for each of the 27 single fathers that I interviewed. In Kyaka II, a few dollars can have a huge impact. Thank you.
I will publish their stories individually over the next few months, so please check back regularly.
Single Fathers 