Visit to the Camp

Written by: Ayaan Taddese

March 31 2023

Greetings!

Today, we had an early start to visit the Dukwi refugee camp at around 11:00. After a quick breakfast at a diner called Whimpy, we set off on a 100km drive to the camp, all eager to finally see it and meet the people there to exchange our unique stories. The camp, managed by Botswana's Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security, is supported by three UNHCR protection staff and hosts about 760 refugees. Unlike the media depiction of camps, the Dukwi camp provides each family with a small house instead of tents, resembling the rural towns of Botswana. It has a high wall fence, and inside, we saw hair salons, shoe repair stores, repair stores for clothing, a police station, a clinic, a primary school, and some small shops.

Our primary objective was to interact and establish relationships with the people at the camp. We had the opportunity to meet and play with the children, which left a lasting impression on us. "The kids were super friendly and outgoing, showcasing their innocence despite their hardships," remarked Carter Petersen. We also connected with the older people there and shared our stories with one another. "They were so kind," said Claudia Suhl, impressed by the warm reception the refugees gave us.

Additionally, Ayaan, Luna, Slavy, and Luka organized a STEM program for the little kids, using books prepared by Dr. Shirley Disseler from High Point University, North Carolina, on how to use Lego bricks to teach math. The books covered addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division using Legos in a more practical and hands-on way. All students, especially those in Ayaan's group, excelled in math.

Furthermore, Bojun, William (Fanbo), and Sander donated seven computers and seven Lego Mindstorm robots to establish a Lego Robotics lab in the Dukwi refugee camp. Tomorrow, they will train teachers on how to use the Mindstorms and introduce computer programming.

Finally, Dylan, Layne, Alex, Liam, and Ayaan launched our entrepreneurship course to the youth in Dukwi. We discussed entrepreneurship and prepared to continue working with them in the future in our RefugArt program.

This experience was heartwarming, and we learned to be grateful for what we have and the opportunities we have. We will never forget the special time we had with the refugees. "The refugees are just like us, except that they went through different experiences," said Liyu Workou.

Tomorrow, our plan is to continue visiting the camps, training teachers on Mindstorms, interacting with the kids, and working with the young entrepreneurs in Dukwi.