Stand Up: Xavier Project and the UNHCR

On March 14th, St Andrews students had the opportunity to attend “‘Where do We Belong?’ The Fate of Urban Refugees in East Africa,” a talk by Mr. George Omondi Oduor, the Director of Community Services for Refugees at UNHCR Nairobi. The event was held by the St Andrews chapter of the Xavier Project, a project committed to providing opportunities for refugees in urban areas of Kenya and Uganda.The Stand got the chance to interview both Mr. Oduor and the very man who started the project, Mr. Ed Page, who is a St Andrews graduate. Check out what they told us about the refugee situation in Kenya, as well as what the Xavier Project plans to do about it.

Can you provide some background information for those who are unfamiliar with the Xavier Project?

Ed Page: We work with urban refugees in East Africa in three main areas: education, livelihood (trying to create an environment of economic stability for refugees), and media (trying to give refugees a voice and the opportunity to speak out about the reality of their situation). The link with St Andrews comes in because it is the ‘birthplace’ of the project — I started it as a fundraising group at St Andrews when I was a student here. Events at St Andrews like the Bongo Ball and now the Xavier Project Society really provide our base.

How do you think Mr. Oduor’s talk will impact the efforts of the Xavier Project at St Andrews?

Mr. Oduor: I’m talking about challenges faced by refugees in the context of the situation in Kenya. UNHCR provides mandates to protect refugees and equality in camps, in addition to directly and indirectly helping refugees that have moved to urban areas. The Xavier Project complements our efforts at the UNHCR — there are so many challenges that have not been addressed. What the Xavier project is doing is acting and building up a dialogue that raises awareness to the problems of these refugees.

What do you see for the future of the Xavier Project?

Ed Page: There are two main things: UNHCR has been working on a general education strategy for urban refugees, and the Xavier Project has been working on a specific strategy for Nairobi. We’d like to continue with that, but also increase our numbers in the sponsorship program and run more extracurricular activities/English courses so the refugees can access local education more easily. That’s just education… we could go on! There are so many plans!

Mr. Oduor: The Kenyan refugee situation is a protracted situation, because we have refugees in these camps that have been coming in for over twenty years. For those twenty years, a main problem has been that the environment – particularly the social environment – has not been conducive to their well-being.  And with intervention of the UNHCR, and our partners, the environment has been improving – but there are still problems. The problem is it cannot work without some definite plans, which is why we now have a strategic plan for different sectors. We have three different types of work associated with refugees which are: resettlement within Kenya, voluntary repatriation and reintegration to their own country, or local integration.  The support of partners, including the Xavier project, is very key.

How can students get involved, and what is the best way to raise awareness for the cause?

Ed Page: It’s not just an academic interest, it’s a real life thing that you can be involved in. If you’ve ever been to Bongo Ball, you can discover what the event is all about. It’s not just fundraising – in fact it doesn’t necessarily have to do with money at all – it can just be getting online and discovering for yourself the realities of these refugee lives, and then talking about it.

The St Andrews Xavier Project Society is in full swing and has abundant opportunities for students to get involved. Check out the Xavier Project website and join in the conversation today!