Episode 9: The Strengths Within Refugee Communities

The Koboko Model: Nothing for Us Without Us

🌍 From displacement to decision-making. In this episode of the Samuel Hall Stories Podcast, we hear from Dr. Wilson Sanya, Mayor of Koboko, Uganda — a city where refugees don’t just live, but lead. We discuss: ✔️ How Koboko redefined refugee inclusion as governance, not just aid ✔️ The pioneering “Koboko Model” of direct donor funding to municipalities ✔️ How refugees and host communities co-created services like the Trauma Healing Centre ✔️ Why cities are the “dealers of hope” in the face of climate change and displacement   With 70% of displaced people living in cities today, this is more than a local story, it’s a roadmap for inclusive urban futures.   🎧 Listen now on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.   Music Credits:  Pre-into music: The Remains of Hope/ Marcus Ringblom - Epidemic Sound Intro and Outro Music: The Light from Within/ Howard Harper - Epidemic Sound

BETWEEN THE LINES: From Aid to Agency: Rethinking the Donor Landscape for Refugees

🎙️ Between the Lines | Ep. 8 From Aid to Agency: Rethinking the Donor Landscape for Refugees Once shaped by emergency relief, refugee support systems are now shifting toward long-term development, sustainability, and localisation. In this episode, host Mwara Namelok is joined by Lilian Obiye, policy expert at the Netherlands Embassy, to explore how global events, funding priorities, and political realities are reshaping the donor landscape and what it means for local and refugee-led organisations. Together, they explore: ✔️ How COVID-19 and climate change changed donor priorities ✔️ Whether localisation has gone beyond policy language ✔️ The role of politics in aid, and the risks of short-termism ✔️ Kenya’s Shirika Plan and how it signals a new direction ✔️ Advice for grassroots organisations navigating this new reality Tune in for a timely and insightful conversation on power, policy, and how we fund the future of refugee response. 🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & all major platforms. Don’t forget to subscribe and share. Music Credits:  Pre-into music: The Remains of Hope /Magnus Ringlblom/ Epidemic Sound Hook Music:  From Stardust - Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen/Epidemic Sound Intro and Outro Music: The Light/Loving Caliber/Ooyy/ Epidemic Sound

Episode 9: The Strengths Within Refugee Communities

This World Refugee Day, we celebrate a superpower often overlooked in humanitarian systems: community. In this episode of Between the Lines, host Mwara Namelok is joined by George Dralagar (Youth Voices Community) and Adior Ibrahim (COHERE), two refugee leaders building tangible, community-led solutions in Kenya. Together, they discuss: * Why capacity strengthening must replace outdated ideas of capacity building * The structures refugee communities have already developed: from youth-run training hubs to mutual aid networks * How legal barriers and restrictive funding block genuine refugee participation * What solidarity truly looks like when it centres trust, not control

BETWEEN THE LINES: Who Gets to Lead? Localising Research Amidst Funding Cuts

In this episode, we head to Kakuma, Kenya, to explore the politics of localised research in the face of shrinking humanitarian funding.  Our Storytelling Officer Devyani Nighoskar speaks with Franco Ohisa, a researcher and community leader, on what it really means to lead  and be heard  from within. We discuss: 🔹 How funding cuts impact trust in research 🔹 The risks of extractive studies and broken feedback loops 🔹 Practical ways to centre refugee voices and leadership Whether you're a humanitarian worker, donor, or field researcher, this conversation asks the tough questions about equity, power, and representation. Don't forget to subscribe and share. Stay tuned for more episodes!   References:  DRC: Localisation of Protection Programming in Garissa & Turkana, Kenya [https://www.samuelhall.org/publications/drc-localisation-of-protection-programming-in-garissa-amp-turkana-kenya] Bridging Worlds: Insights From a Refugee Researcher [https://medium.com/samuel-hall-stories/bridging-worlds-insights-from-a-refugee-researcher-89e050131bae]   Music Credits:  Pre-into music: The Remains of Hope /Magnus Ringlblom/ Epidemic Sound Hook Music:  Elegy Unspoken/Rachel Sandy/Epidemic Sound; Audio clip from the protest in Kakuma Refugee Camp, courtesy of Franco Hisa Intro and Outro Music: The Light/Loving Caliber/Ooyy/ Epidemic Sound

Carrying the Weight – Women’s Changing Roles in a Warming World

In many parts of the world, women are forced to carry the weight of climate adaptation when men migrate in search of better livelihoods. This episode is part of our Lines of Inquiry series – a behind-the-scenes look at how Samuel Hall approaches research on migration and displacement. 🎙️ In this episode, host Mwara Namelok speaks with Wendy Indira, an Area Coordinator at Samuel Hall, about the intersections of climate change, gender, and migration. Drawing on fieldwork from Kenya, Somalia, and Nigeria, they explore: ✔️ The hidden labour women take on in climate-affected communities ✔️ Why adaptation often falls disproportionately on women ✔️ How women’s knowledge and networks are shaping grassroots climate solutions ✔️ What policy shifts are needed to better support women on the frontlines of climate change From pastoralist communities to urban settlements, this episode dives into real-world stories that challenge our assumptions and amplify women's resilience.   References:  UNDP; Leading the Way: Women Navigating Climate Change, Mobility, and Resilience in Africa. [https://www.samuelhall.org/publications/undp-shifting-gender-roles-building-resilience-women-at-the-forefront-of-climate-adaptation-in-africa] HABITABLE; Habitability and Adaptation to a Changing Climate: Impacts of climate change on agriculture and human mobility GHANA [https://www.samuelhall.org/publications/habitable-habitability-and-adaptation-to-a-changing-climate-impacts-of-climate-change-on-agriculture-and-human-mobility-in-the-northern-and-volta-regions-ghana] MALI [https://www.samuelhall.org/publications/habitable-habitability-and-adaptation-to-a-changing-climate-impacts-of-climate-change-on-agriculture-and-human-mobility-in-the-kayes-and-sikasso-regions-mali] KENYA [https://www.samuelhall.org/publications/habitable-habitability-and-adaptation-to-a-changing-climate-impacts-of-climate-change-on-agriculture-and-human-mobility-in-communities-in-makueni-county-kenya] ⁠Coping With Climate Change — At Home & Away in Kenya⁠ [https://medium.com/samuel-hall-stories/coping-with-climate-change-at-home-away-in-kenya-bbaec33c0842] Music Credits:  Pre-into music: The Remains of Hope /Magnus Ringlblom/ Epidemic Sound Hook Music: Torn from Your Embrace/Jon Bjork/Epidemic Sound Intro and Outro Music: The Light/Loving Caliber/Ooyy/ Epidemic Sound