BUDUMBURAM REFUGEE SETTLEMENT

So here comes a little background information on the Budumburam Refugee Settlement where I am currently working as an intern at SHIFSD, so that you can get an idea on how it looks like and what it is like to live and work here;

The Budumburam Refugee Settlement was established in 1990 in response to the arrival in Ghana of Liberians fleeing civil unrest and persecution. The camp was identified and settled by 7,000 refugees by September 1990 with help from the UNHCR. From 1997 to 1999 UNHCR shifted its focus from humanitarian support to voluntary repatriation. Some 3,500 refugees were assisted to repatriate, but the vast majority decided to stay at Buduruam. Due to the re-intensifying of the conflict in Liberia in the early 2000 and the civil unrest in Côte d’Ivorie, the numbers of refugees at Buduburam increased. Ghana is today home to the second largest settlement of Liberian Refugees, most of them based at the Buduruam Refugee Settlement, which has over 40, 000 residents at the moment. Of these, 65% are women and children. Currently there are about18, 000 children at the settlement.
UNHCR was providing humanitarian assistance until June 2000 when it identified the camp as “self-sufficient” and as a result drastically decreased the funding.

Spatially, the camp is divided into twelve zones, ten of which are in the main camp area and two on the other side of the main road from Accra. Beyond the entrance to the camp is the main square which is surrounded by small stalls. In the middle are the UNHCR notice boards, which are checked regularly in hope of resettlement placement in the U.S.
Around the main square are the principal public amenities such as the camp clinic. The two main streets leading from the square are lined with small shops, stalls, bars, video clubs and Internet cafes. In addition to the official camp zones, there are also four “Gaps”: areas outside of the officially recognized organization of the camp. Mostly young people who came without parents or other relatives inhabit the Gaps. Together they form a sub-culture based heavily on black American youth culture and Rastafariah identity. The Gaps tend to be shunned by most people in the mainstream camp.

Between midnight and 5am there is a self-imposed curfew at camp and there are neighbourhood watch teams who patrol the camp at night. Even if I were allowed to walk around camp at night I for sure would not as there are no electricity which means you can’t see shit and the camp it self is a enormous labyrinth of small streets and allies so the possibility to get lost is as big as it gets.

The water and sanitation facilities at the camp are poor, and together with waste disposal need urgent attention. Due to the poor and expensive sanitation facilities on camp, many residents are resorting to “The Gulf”, a patch of bushy land at the outer perimeter of the camp. This is a problem because the Gulf is where accounts of molestation, rape and murder are taken place.
For my part I am happy to inform you I have my own sanitary facilities in my room at Holiday Feelings, so no need to worry about me taking a dump in the Gulf… ?

Anyways, I am having a good time so far. Today I finished my plan of action for my time here which includes facilitating workshops in Peer Mediation (avlastande samtal/debreiefing), facilitating Girls Empowerment Counselling Groups and workshops, assessing needs and interest for and facilitating relevant workshops in Gender and Economic Empowerment, serve as teacher assistant in the Accelerated Learning Program (participating and assisting peace education classes) and serve as assistant administrator for NETLOG, a network of 25 different refugee based NGOs here at camp. I will also be identify potential partner organizations for funding and/or skill sharing as well as undertaking any other special tasks that is assigned to me depending on the prevailing situation while I resume my work here at SHIFSD and NETLOG. *Pheeew* I will for sure be busy and have no worries about filling my time with stuff to do lol ? Which is great in the sense that time will pass quickly and before I know it I am on the plane to India lol ?

Love you all! Hugs n kisses

Eason: Thanks for the email; I am glad to hear that you are still going strong in KL! Stay in touch my dear; hope to see you in a near future! Heaps of love!
PS: I am still smiling as always, just like you told me to ?

Damini: Where are you girl??? Hope you’ll be in India by the time I get there la, would be fantastic to reunite! Hugs n kisses

Kamal: I tried to shout down at Agadir while flying over but I am not sure they heard me… still longing to go back someday, that place will always have a special place in my heart ? Hope everything is well with you and your family, I think about you every once in a while – so you are definitely not forgotten, not in a million years! *MOUAH*

Christoph: Crazy? Who? Me? Not this girl no, no, no ? My apologies for the fact that I haven’t written to you in ages, but you know what it’s like… anyways, I am glad that you are with me on my African adventures, don’t be a stranger! All the best and then some, T.

The same goes for you Naguib, Christine and Kerstin! Miss you all very, very much! And all the rest of you KL-people: HEAPS OF LOVE & WARM THOUGHTS!

Peiya: Tänk; nu är det ett år sedan vi började skriva till varandra här på BP ? Har du spikat planerna för vad du ska göra nu efter Kosovo? Njut av din tid hemma i Sverige nu och din sista tid i Kosovo, ser fram emot att läsa mera om dina äventyr också! Puss o kram min vän!

Mr Svedin: Kolla din email nu 😉 Puss på fina du!

Herr Rosin: Jag tar dom med storm, all ihopa ? Hälsa alla på ÖG så mycket från mig! Kan du btw be Fredrik skicka mig sin privata email dress? Vore guld! Hälsa mammsen o dansken! Puss o kram

King John: So when exactly will you arrive in India? And where are you flying to? Xmas in Palolem will rock!

Sabina: Yes, fick din emailadress! Håll mig uppdaterad på hur det blir med Indien! Jag är iaf på flygplatsen i Bombay den 14 december klockan 02:00 på natten, lokal tid. Hoppas, hoppas, HOPPAS du är där du med!!! Du är bäst! Kram kram

Mamma: MJAU MJAU MJAU ?