Kakuma, Turkana County – 20–26 June 2025
Unicaf successfully concluded its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Week in Kakuma Refugee Camp and the surrounding host community, in collaboration with BOMA, a trusted partner working closely with local stakeholders. The initiative, which coincided with World Refugee Day, aimed to foster goodwill, assess grassroots educational needs and pave the way for a strategic partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Refugee-Led Organisations (RLOs).
Home to over 200,000 refugees and asylum seekers from more than 20 countries, Kakuma continues to face challenges including food and water insecurity, limited access to education and restricted employment opportunities. In such a context, Unicaf recognises education as a powerful enabler of hope, stability and long-term change.
Highlights from the Week
World Refugee Day – Friday, 20th June
Unicaf marked World Refugee Day by joining BOMA in engaging environmental clubs from local schools. Activities included the launch of an Environmental Awareness Handbook and tree planting at Nationokar and Newlight Primary and Junior Schools. Both institutions lack essential infrastructure such as clean water and basic sanitation. Unicaf identified opportunities to support these schools through future WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) initiatives.
Saturday, 21st June – Refugee Reception Centre Tour and Dialogue
A field visit to the refugee reception centre facilitated open dialogue with refugees and members of the host community, focusing on the challenges faced by new arrivals. Sessions included behavioural change communication (BCC) and education mapping, reaffirming the critical role of education, psychosocial support and structured guidance in supporting refugee integration and development.
Sunday, 22nd June – Empowering Women Through Enterprise
Unicaf visited several women-led business and village savings groups supported by BOMA’s Poverty Graduation Model. These groups are successfully running micro-enterprises, including salons, retail shops and welding workshops. The visit highlighted the effectiveness of combining business training with access to capital to build household resilience and reduce aid dependency.
Monday, 24th June – Strategic Stakeholder Engagements
Unicaf met with representatives from the UNHCR Kakuma Office and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) to explore a potential Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Discussions centred on creating tertiary education pathways, enhancing access to digital learning and addressing gaps in scholarship provision and educational infrastructure.
Tuesday, 25th June – Collaborations with Refugee-Led Organisations
BOMA and Unicaf engaged several RLOs involved in digital education, secondary diploma programmes, scholarship access and youth mentorship. RLOs expressed strong interest in collaborating with Unicaf to expand access to tertiary education, offer career guidance and co-develop research initiatives aligned with real-time needs in refugee settings.
Wednesday, 26th June – RLO Roundtable
The week concluded with a roundtable conference hosted by BOMA, bringing together over 20 RLO representatives. The discussion provided valuable insights into refugee community needs, while Unicaf presented its digital higher education model. The roundtable opened new avenues for collaborative programme design with grassroots leadership.
Looking Ahead
Unicaf Kenya’s CSR Week highlighted the urgent need for inclusive education solutions and community-led programming in refugee contexts. Through its collaboration with BOMA and its engagements with UNHCR, LWF and RLOs, Unicaf reaffirmed its commitment to inclusion, empowerment and education as a catalyst for change. Plans are now underway to formalise partnerships and expand Unicaf’s presence and impact across vulnerable communities in Turkana County.
