Running 250km to Fundraise for an Independent Refugee-Run Press in Kenya

Hello everyone. Joshua here! I plan to run a total of 250km from July 15 to September 15, 2021 to raise funds for an independent refugee-led media outlet based in Kakuma Refugee Camp. The Kakuma News Reflector (KANERE) was founded in 2008 as an initiative to promote a more open form of society in refugee camps and to provide a platform for fair public debates on refugee affairs. The organisation is led and operated by Ethiopian, Congolese, Burundian, Ugandan, Somali, Sudanese, South Sudanese, and Kenyan journalists who pool their skills together to carry out investigative journalism and to report on everyday affairs of the camp. Since 2008, KANERE has reported on an impressive range of issues, such as humanitarian services, human rights violations, outbreaks of insecurity, cultural events and artistic initiatives in the camp. At the moment, all their news articles are published online at www.kanere.org.

I first became aware of KANERE's work this January when the head editors reached out to myself and former graduate classmates from the MSc in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies 2019/2020 cohort to ask for help to proofread and edit news articles. From this experience, I've learned lots about the daily experiences of refugees living in the camp, as well as the humanitarian affairs, policy problems and political issues with which they contend as a matter of course. What I find really compelling about KANERE's work is that the articles they publish showcase an impressive granularity of detail and highlight community perspectives that are otherwise overlooked. I recall reading a set of articles on suicides and suicide attempts in the camp and feeling at once an indelible sense of anguish and a consciousness about the importance of KANERE's journalism work.

As a refugee-led media outlet that seeks to be independent from aid and humanitarian organisations, KANERE has had its fair share of financial challenges to keep up the work that they do. The initial development of KANERE's project was supported through a Fullbright grant, but that grant has since ended. In the second quarter of 2020, KANERE has been broadcasting in different languages reaching the residents of four camps of Kakuma and Kalobeyei settlement to give access to factual information about the COVID-19 Pandemic through the support from GIZ Civil Peace Service Programme (GIZ-CPS) and the Kenya Community Media Network (KCOMNET) – but that funding also came to an end last year. Today, the publication mostly relies on contributions from its own staff and occasional donations of cash and equipment from abroad to continue publishing, but these funds are insufficient. At this moment, many are working as volunteers despite putting in long hours to research their leads, verify facts, and write-stories. It is for that reason that I have taken the initiative to organise a running fundraiser to help them out a little. My aim is to raise at least £1500 for the organisation. In other words, I hope to raise £6 for every kilometre I run. Funds raised will be used specifically for: Journalist fees, transportation costs, administrative costs (internet, phone credit, printing, scanning), and costs of website maintenance and development. In terms of output, these funds will help KANERE deliver four issues over six months.

Running 250km is a challenge for me as I've never run this much in my life before, but I am convinced that every mile is worth it if funds do come in to support KANERE's work. Myself and folks in KANERE will be extremely grateful for any funds provided. If you're in Oxford, do drop me a message and I might even treat you to some yummy homemade cakes (yes, I'll make them!) as a sign of gratitude! If you're elsewhere, know that I'll be thinking of you! I'll also be sending out frequent updates about my fundraising and running milestones.

Withdrawal Plan

As my fundraiser is based in the UK and KANERE is a Kenyan-based NGO, under GoFundMe policy, they won't be able to withdraw the donated funds directly. Hence, after the fundraiser is completed, I will first withdraw funds to my personal UK bank account and then proceed to transfer them to KANERE's account. I will notify folks once this is done. KANERE is a registered NGO in Kenya through the NGOs Coordination Board which is currently under the Ministry of Interior and Co-ordination on National Government.

To learn more about KANERE:

KANERE's website:

• https://kanere.org/

Reporting on the issue of suicides in the camp:

• https://kanere.org/suicides-soar-as-refugees-grapple-with-covid-19/

• https://kanere.org/female-refugees-turn-to-suicide-and-drug-to-escape-agonizing-camp-life/

• https://kanere.org/eritrean-asylum-seeker-committed-suicide-at-camp-3/

On the history of and challenges faced by the organisation:

• https://www.pambazuka.org/human-security/refugee-news-reporting-project-under-threat

Post-Script:

KANERE is also looking for a volunteer to help out with setting up, interpreting, and running Google Analytics on their website. If you or if you know of anyone who is willing to help out, do drop me a message!