Clowns Without Borders USA conducts most of its missions at the Kakuma Refugee Camp of Turkana County, the north west region of Kenya. We partner with the UNHCR Kenya because the camp is maintained by this organization and its dedicated staff. UNHCR stands for The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, also known as the UN Refugee Agency. The artists who have worked here come home with incredible stories about the people, the place, and the culture. We highly recommend you review them to see the experience through the eyes of our talented and compassionate volunteer artists.
The camp has been active since 1992, and it is home to 179,000 people who have fled violence and war in neighboring countries. It is the oldest and largest refugee camp in the world. Its number of inhabitants continues to grow due to insecurity in South Sudan. UNHCR has provided us with this real-time data site, which demonstrates the growing number of refugees in the region. More than half of the new arrivals are children. In 2014, 7,298 children arrived at Kakuma unaccompanied or separated from their parents (learn more). While the majority of refugees are from South Sudan, Sudan and Somalia, people from Ethiopia, D.R. Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, Eritrea and Uganda also live in Kakuma.
- Kenya is located in East Africa, on the equator.
- The two official languages in Kenya are English and Swahili, although there are dozens of other languages spoken in various parts of the country.
- Kenya shares Lake Victoria, the world’s second largest fresh water lake, with Tanzania and Uganda.
- Agriculture is important to Kenya’s economy, especially tea, coffee and flowers.
- Large animals such as lions, buffalo, leopards, elephants, and rhinoceros are present in Kenya.
- Kenya gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1963.
- Hydroelectricity is the largest contributor to Kenya’s electricity supply.
- Kenya is a developing country and half of the population live in poverty.
Our Work Here
Here Since 2011
11,437 People Served
3 Projects Completed
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