Reflections on My Short Stay in a Refugee Camp

by Tim Edwards

A refugee girl carries her food in a bucket.

I left early in the morning from my warm and cosy home in Pretoria, South Africa, on a journey that would challenge my preconceptions of humanity and religious organizations and, indeed, of donors worldwide.

It all began with a mere mention of a refugee camp in Zambia. This camp held Angolan refugees who had traveled great distances from a 20-year civil war in Angola, a war partly begun by the South African government, pre-1994. The purpose was to ensure instability in Angola. Angola was a communist country, and instability would reduce the threat to the South African regime. This war continued long after the South African government had changed politics. The reason was the discovery of first diamonds, then oil. The Angolan government held the oil fields, while the rebels held the diamond fields. This added fuel to the fire for twenty years.

One of seven church choirs in Nangweshi Camp.

I have always been fascinated by the history of Angola, and its people. A refugee camp in Zambia was an obvious place for me to visit. I just had to go and see for myself. The journey took me through Botswana, Namibia and finally into Zambia. I found myself at a border post in Zambia waiting for officials to open the facility. This took a while. Four hours later, I had arrived at the refugee camp. The trip, although four hours long, covered an entire distance of just 138 kilometers!

The camp, known as Nangweshi, was built to hold 15,000 people. At present it holds close to 26,000, and this number is growing constantly. The camp is very well organized. It is divided into 'blocks' designated "A" through "0", each with five sections. Each section has approximately 50 to 70 houses. (Tents actually; some shelters are underground, some are more permanent, most are just tarpaulins.) Each section has a self-appointed leader, as do the blocks and the camp as a whole. This makes communication very easy and highly effective. It also contributes to a high level of discipline, unheard of in normal circumstances.

A little boy who liked to play by himself.

There are many organizations operating within the camp. The Jesuits have a section catering to the amputees. The Brethren cater to everyone. They bring food, clothes, hammer mills to grind the maize, and medicines for the hospitals. The Brethren also supply schoolbooks.

Many children have lost their families. All orphans are taken in by others at this camp.

Then there is the UNHCR. This esteemed organization (United Nations High Council For Refugees) is supposed to supply the food.The food equates to 4 kilos of maize per person per month. This is impossible to live on, hence many of the refugees at Nangweshi suffer malnutrition.

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