Fusion between culture and modernity as children dance in Kenyan refugee camp

Fusion between culture and modernity as children dance in Kenyan refugee camp
Refugee children from the Acholi Dancers group rehearse their traditional dance at a Child-Friendly Space within the Kalobeyei Refugee Settlement in Turkana, Kenya. (AP)
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Updated 27 June 2025

Fusion between culture and modernity as children dance in Kenyan refugee camp

Fusion between culture and modernity as children dance in Kenyan refugee camp
  • The Acholi people, mostly from Uganda and South Sudan, are among refugees who live in Kakuma camp, which was established in 1992 as a safe haven for people fleeing conflict from dozens of east African countries

KALOBEYEI: Beads of sweat drip from the faces of young girls and boys as they dance to the rhythm of traditional drums and open calabashes, while their peers watch them in awe.
These are refugee children, some who were born in one of Africa’s largest camps — Kakuma, located in northern Kenya, where more than 300,000 refugees’ livelihoods have been affected by funding cuts that have halved monthly food rations.
The children use the Acholi traditional dance as a distraction from hunger and have perfected a survival skill to skip lunches as they stretch their monthly food rations that are currently at 30 percent of the UN nutritional recommendation per person.
The Acholi people, mostly from Uganda and South Sudan, are among refugees who live in Kakuma camp, which was established in 1992 as a safe haven for people fleeing conflict from dozens of east African countries.
For a moment, the melodious sound of one of the refugee mothers stops the playground buzz of activity as dozens of children sit down to enjoy the traditional dance performance.
The colorful swings doting the community center at Kakuma’s Kalobeyei Refugee Settlement were donated by a Swiss organization, Terre des hommes, which still manages the playground aptly named “Furaha” — Swahili for Happiness.
But the happiness of these children isn’t guaranteed now as funding cuts have affected operations here. Fewer resources and staff are available to engage the children and ensure their safety.
One of the dancers, Gladis Amwony, has lived in Kakuma for 8 years now. In recent years, she has started taking part in the Acholi traditional dances to keep her Ugandan roots alive.
The now 20-year-old doesn’t imagine ever going back to Uganda and has no recollection of life in her home village.
“I’m happiest when I dance, I feel connected to my ancestors,” the soft-spoken Amwony says after her dance session.
While Amwony and her friends are looking for a cultural connection, just about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from their village in neighboring Kalobeyei Village 3, some boys are in touch with modernity.
The five boys have been practicing a one-of-a-kind dance where they mimic robots, complete with face masks that hide their human faces.
They make their sharp synchronized moves that they have been perfecting for months.
The boys will be part of performances that will be showcased during this year’s World Refugee Day, as an example of the talent and resilience that exists among the refugee community.
This younger generation of dancers make precision moves in a small hall with play and learning items stored in a cabinet that is branded with an American flag, an indication that it was donated by the USgovernment.
Such donations are now scarce, with the United States having cut down on funding in March.
These cuts have affected operations here, with the future stardom hopes for these children dimming by the day.
The center, which previously featured daily programs such as taekwondo and ballet, may not be operational in a few months if the funding landscape remains as is.
“We are now reducing some of the activities because we are few. The staff are few and even per day we only have one staff remaining in the center and it is really hard for him/her to conduct 500 children,” said John Papa, a community officer for Terre des hommes in Kalobeyei Village 3.
These programs do more than entertain the children — they keep them away from issues such as child labor, abuse and crime which as a major concern for humanitarian organizations in Kakuma.
And as the children dance and play beneath the sweltering sun, the only hope is that these child friendly spaces remain operational for years.


Taliban has agreed in principle to repatriate Afghans from Germany, Berlin says

Taliban has agreed in principle to repatriate Afghans from Germany, Berlin says
Updated 4 sec ago

Taliban has agreed in principle to repatriate Afghans from Germany, Berlin says

Taliban has agreed in principle to repatriate Afghans from Germany, Berlin says
BERLIN: Afghanistan’s Taliban government has agreed in principle to the repatriation of its nationals from Germany, a German interior ministry spokesperson said on Monday.
“The Afghan de facto government has agreed in principle to repatriation by air if the people we are repatriating are identified as Afghan nationals,” the spokesperson said.
She added that Berlin was only in technical contact with representatives of the Taliban government in Afghanistan, nothing more.

UN rights council launches probe into violations in Afghanistan

UN rights council launches probe into violations in Afghanistan
Updated 43 min 55 sec ago

UN rights council launches probe into violations in Afghanistan

UN rights council launches probe into violations in Afghanistan

GENEVA: The UN Human Rights Council decided Monday to set up an investigation to gather evidence on allegations of human rights violations in Afghanistan.
A draft resolution put forward by the European Union calling for “an independent investigative mechanism for Afghanistan” was adopted without a vote by the 47-country Geneva-based council.


Snowstorm traps hundreds of hikers on Mount Everest during China’s national holiday

Snowstorm traps hundreds of hikers on Mount Everest during China’s national holiday
Updated 06 October 2025

Snowstorm traps hundreds of hikers on Mount Everest during China’s national holiday

Snowstorm traps hundreds of hikers on Mount Everest during China’s national holiday
  • The snowstorm struck during a weeklong national holiday in China, when many travel at home and abroad

BEIJING: Rescuers were helping hundreds of hikers trapped by heavy snow at tourist campsites on a slope of Mount Everest in Tibet, Chinese state media said.
About 350 hikers had reached a meeting point in Tingri country and rescuers were in contact with another 200, state broadcaster CCTV said late Sunday. There was no immediate update on rescue efforts on Monday.
The hikers were trapped at an elevation of more than 4,900 meters (16,000 feet), according to an earlier report from Jimu News, a Chinese online site. Mount Everest is about 8,850 meters (29,000 feet) tall.
A hiker who rushed to descend before snow blocked the way told Jimu News that others still on the mountain told him the snow was 1 meter (3 feet) deep and had crushed tents.
Hundreds of rescuers headed up the mountain Sunday to clear paths so that trapped people could come down, the Jimu report said. A video shot by a villager showed a long line of people with horses and oxen moving up a winding path in the snow.
The snowstorm struck during a weeklong national holiday in China, when many travel at home and abroad.
In another mountainous region in western China, one hiker died of hypothermia and altitude sickness and 137 others were evacuated in the north part of Qinghai province, CCTV said Monday.
The search in an area in Menyuan county with an average altitude of more than 4,000 meters (13,100 feet) was complicated by the terrain, unpredictable weather and continuous snowfall, a CCTV online report said.
Mount Everest, known as Mount Qomolangma in Chinese, straddles the border between China and Nepal, where recent heavy rains have left more than 40 people dead.
Climbers attempt to scale the world’s tallest peak from base camps in both countries. The base camp for climbers is separate from the tourist camp where hikers were trapped by the snowfall.
A strong earthquake killed at least 126 people in the same area in January.
The Chinese side of Everest is in Tibet, a remote western region where the government has cracked down harshly on dissent and poured in funds for economic development including roads and tourism.
The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, fled during a failed uprising in 1959 and lives in India, where some Tibetans have set up a government in exile.


French Prime Minister resigns after only 2 weeks in office

French Prime Minister resigns after only 2 weeks in office
Updated 06 October 2025

French Prime Minister resigns after only 2 weeks in office

French Prime Minister resigns after only 2 weeks in office

PARIS: France’s new prime minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned Monday, just a day after naming his government and after only two weeks in office.
The French presidency said in a statement that President Emmanuel Macron has accepted his resignation.


Drone sighting temporarily disrupts flights at Norway’s Oslo airport, NTB reports

Drone sighting temporarily disrupts flights at Norway’s Oslo airport, NTB reports
Updated 06 October 2025

Drone sighting temporarily disrupts flights at Norway’s Oslo airport, NTB reports

Drone sighting temporarily disrupts flights at Norway’s Oslo airport, NTB reports
  • Several arriving flights were delayed or diverted after police received a report around midnight that a Norwegian Air pilot thought he saw three to five drones

STOCKHOLM: Norway’s Oslo airport temporarily paused landings early on Monday after a report of a drone sighting near the airport, news agency NTB reported.
Several arriving flights were delayed or diverted after police received a report around midnight that a Norwegian Air pilot thought he saw three to five drones during an approach to the airport, the Norwegian news outlet reported, citing police.
NTB reported that the observation remained unverified and that all operations had resumed at the airport.
European aviation has repeatedly been thrown into chaos in recent weeks by drone sightings and air incursions, including at airports in Copenhagen, Oslo and Munich.