Kakuma Youth Research Group is dedicated to sharing information and connecting young people in Kakuma and beyond to one another and to lifelong learning opportunities.  

The Kakuma Youth Research Group is a coalition of refugees and young people living in Kakuma Refugee Camp and urban areas in Kenya. Founding members created the group while attending secondary school in Kakuma, learning and practicing research skills in the context of a school club facilitated by Michelle Bellino at University of Michigan School of Education.

We are Abdurazik, Alamin, Ali, Amolo, Elinga, Peter, Viola, and Zacharia. We are from different nationalities (refugees and Kenyans).

We encourage school-leavers to see themselves as lifelong learners. Our education is ongoing, even after we complete secondary school.

Our efforts seek to support and build capacity of local youth, while disseminating knowledge and skills more equitably.

Our own learning has been supported by our families and communities, and many friends and teachers at Kakuma Refugee Secondary School. We could not have completed this work without them. In particular, we thank Brian Mugendi, Daldum, Elli, Lang Dol, Leila, Omar Salah, Mohammed, and Regina who were members of this group in earlier years.

Our process is collaborative and democratic.

This is a democratic group, where we worked together to gather different ideas to discuss. We made decisions together, and sometimes this took a long time and a lot of discussion!

We met several times per week over three years to investigate challenges young people face while pursuing education in Kakuma, and to explore solutions.

Our research »