Documentary: Protracted Displacement in an Urban World

This is a 40-minute documentary telling the stories of urban refugees in Kenya. It shows the experiences of a handful of refugee households living in Mathare – an informal settlement – in Nairobi, Kenya.

In interviews in their homes, women and men from Ethiopia, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo speak frankly about the events that caused them to flee, their struggles finding shelter and work in Nairobi, and how COVID-19 is impacting on their lives and livelihoods. Their stories demonstrate how little assistance they receive as refugees, and the challenges they face dealing with the authorities and humanitarian agencies.

The film is an example of how civil society organisations that have traditionally focused on slum-upgrading are reaching out to displaced people to ensure their views, needs and capacities are understood by and communicated to a broad audience.