Educating the Future Amidst Displacement: Refugee Teachers in Kakuma Refugee Camp

Abstract

The role of teachers working in protracted crises, which expand across the humanitarian and development spectrum, is critical. Teachers in these settings teach numeracy and literacy skills to children with interrupted education, restore psychosocial well-being caused by conflict, foster peacebuilding and educate children for the future. While most photos of teachers in refugee contexts are limited to the challenging circumstances they face (i.e. under-resourced, overcrowded classrooms), the images in this photo essay reconsider these challenges as opportunities for improvement and perseverance. The images speak to the opportunities for collaboration, community building, and camaraderie that are rarely if ever discussed among teachers in crisis contexts. These images capture teachers’ resilience and their dedication to becoming better teachers despite the barriers they confront every day.

Acknowledgements: We would like to thank the many teachers in Kakuma refugee camp with whom we have worked on the Teachers for Teachers project. Your commitment to education and the futures of the children you teach is both humbling and inspiring. Thank you.