Sikika audio program in Kakuma airs its 100th episode

When Kakuma, today one of the world's largest refugee camps, was established in 1992, those fleeing war and drought across Africa could expect to traverse up to a thousand miles to reach it. According to the United Nations' refugee agency UNHCR, Kakuma hosts nearly 320,000 refugees from South Sudan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Ethiopia and Sudan, and has expanded into several zones that include the Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement. There is never a day when new refugees don’t appear at the camp. 

But it was amid these extreme circumstances – the camp's physical vastness in northwest Kenya, the trauma and fragility caused by war and hunger – that a radio program to serve dual purposes blossomed. Since its founding, Sikika has delivered to Kakuma’s and Kalobeyei's residents news they could use, such as where to get support from aid agencies. Moreover, it has provided a means whereby listeners can regularly report back to community reporters as to what was helpful in their coverage and what is still needed. 

Since 2019, the audio information service Sikika – ‘be heard’ in Kiswahili – has been distributed to listener groups via WhatsApp and other platforms, since most Kakuma and Kalobeyei residents do not own radios and are illiterate. This month, the program aired its 100th episode, a milestone for a truly grassroots media that amplifies both refugees' voices and those of the host community.  

Doing the math 

The episode's title, "100 Episodes, 600 Stories, One Community: Celebrating the Voices, Growth, and Impact of Sikika," reflected not just the rounded benchmark, said Taphine Otieno, Sikika's program manager, but also "consistency, resilience, partnership and impact over the years." 

"It is a moment to celebrate the people behind the microphone," he said, as well as "the partners and teams who have sustained the program, and, most importantly, the listeners and community members whose voices, experiences and feedback have shaped Sikika along the way."  

Included in Saturday's episode were reports on refugee children and how young girls can build their confidence and support one another; how poverty can drive refugees toward early marriage; staying secure in the camps; and, how online access can open doors for young people, enhance skill development and creativity and be a pathway toward independence, innovation and hope. 

Today, Sikika is translated into Turkana, Swahili, Somali and Juba Arabic. The platform has 12 community reporters who gather and prepare topics, and coordinates leaders for 225 listener groups. Community reporters publish TikTok videos and have more than 2,800 followers. 

"Doing the math," said Otieno, "it's a lot." 

So much so, he continued, that he considers Sikika a vital part of providing simple dignity, particularly whenever he hears that there may not be enough funding to continue the project. He recalls the early challenges – training the community reporters, attracting listeners and increasing participation, especially among women. 

"Communication is not usually regarded as a basic service or a priority in terms of humanitarian aid," he said. "But I’ve seen myself how good communication can change lives and bring hope." 

Voicing their problems 

There is never a shortage of topics to cover and, since its inception, Sikika's staff can count some significant issues that led to tangible relief for the refugees. Perhaps the greatest concerns recently have been flooding, water access and, with that, vandalism to pipes serving refugees. 

In December, January and February, monsoon rains ripped through Kakuma and Kalobeyei, flooding roads and homes, making water undrinkable and hampering power services. Donated goods from charities and aid agencies arrived at the time, all well-meaning – such as cooking utensils and food stuff – and plans to rebuild were made. But what the refugees really needed was building materials to get life in the camp up and running again.

Upon relating this to the Sikika team, said Sikika listening group coordinator Carlos Gatliah, assistance came through very quickly. The same was true when listeners demanded that more wells should be dug until vandalized pipes could be repaired. 

"We often hear that there is not enough money in the budget for this or that, so we don’t voice our problems to begin with," he said. "The fact is, though, that it's obviously not okay to not have water. That's very basic."  

Just one woman 

Last year, the Kenyan government launched the Shirika Plan, which steers the country's refugee camps toward socio-economic inclusion within the host community. The idea is less dependence on humanitarian assistance and a greater focus on economic independence and sustainable development. 

Sikika, since it started, has mirrored this policy. On the one hand, it gives refugees a platform to air grievances. On the other hand, it also demonstrates what refugees can do. Seeing themselves or others in the camp become successful gives residents hope and motivates others to strive for a better future. 

These goals in fact occurred to Yiel Awat early on when he started working for Sikika six years ago, first as a listener group leader and later as one of its community reporters.  

Originally from South Sudan, Yiel later grew up in Sudan but then returned to South Sudan with his mother and five siblings in 2012. Two years later, when civil war broke out there, the family fled yet again back to Sudan. He later returned briefly to South Sudan before fleeing again in 2015, this time to Kenya, with his uncle's family, for safety amid the ongoing war. Despite the upheaval, he managed to finish high school shortly after his arrival at the camp, which included learning enough English to work with Sikika.  

As it happened, the first story he was drawn to, when he was just two months on the job, was about a Burundi woman at Kakuma whose family castigated her for dropping out of school. Yet she had discovered that she could start a small salon based on her ability and reputation for finely braiding hair. 

"She had so many responsibilities to care for her family and had been told by others so often that she was incompetent," he recalled. "This drove home to me the fact that she was just one woman, like many here, who don't think that they can do something until they try." 

The audio platform "Sikika" provides reliable local information for about 320,000 people living in and around Kakuma refugee camp and Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement. FilmAid Kenya and DW Akademie established the platform in 2019. It is now a joint production between Kenya's COME Initiative and DW Akademie to improve communication between refugees, the host community and humanitarian organizations that provide basic services like food support, health care and education. It is supported by Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).