Early morning in Dadaab, a nice breeze announces a day that will most likely not be too hot. Outside of the CARE canteen, people are scattered at tables under trees, taking their breakfast. CARE’s 270 members of staff live and work in so-called compounds, one in each of the three refugee camps of Dadaab, one in the main part of town, attached to the compounds of UN agencies and other aid organizations.

Theresiah Nthiani works in Dadaab in the field education since 1999. (Photo: CARE/Wilke)

Dadaab, Blog 2, August 12^th, 2011

The realities of a refugee camp are hard to explain to the outside world. Many people think of Dadaab as a fenced-in area, overcrowded with tents, and people lining up for assistance. Some of this is true, to a certain extent. But Dadaab has grown for over 20 years now, and developed into an almost urban settlement of huge dimensions.

You can see the relief on the face of the father arrived safely in Dadaab. (Photo: CARE/Wilke)

“It is unfortunate that the rains have decided to not fall for the last two years.” The Kenyan man sitting next to me on the plane to Nairobi has a very poetic choice of language, which makes for a rather stark contrast when you consider what he refers to: His country and the whole region are in the middle of a humanitarian crisis triggered by a severe drought, which is affecting almost 11 million people. And yes, some parts of this region have not seen rainfall in two years. My neighbor continues: “It is all about water. If you don’t have water, you cannot raise animals. And without animals… well, that is their life insurance.”

CARE distributes food and other relief items at the reception centre of Dagahaley camp (Photo: CARE/Wilke)

by Thomas Schwarz

People are praying next to me. It is half past five in the evening. In this Islamic country the muezzin called on the people to do so. Prayer rugs are being spread on the ground. People are standing, kneeing, praying. I guess, they are also praying that there will not be another catastrophe in their country. This morning, around 7.30, the earth was shaking. It wasn’t alarming or disconcerting, only 6.1 on the Richter scale, lasting seven seconds. Still, it was quite frightening. “That would be the straw that would break the camel’s back”, people are saying who still remember the calamitous earthquake in 2005. Above all the entire country still has to cope with the aftermath of the flood last summer.

Six months after the flood the impacts are still fatal. (Photo: CARE/Gressmann)

by Thomas Schwarz

I just wanted to give them a call to say goodbye. I always do that before I travel abroad, even if it is just for a few days. I call my parents, my siblings, and a few friends as well. A good friend of mine always lights a candle for me, so “that you return safe and sound”, as she says. She is always doing this, even when I travel in areas which are quite safe.

Last year, Zahid was really sick. Today he is laughing and playing again. (Photo: CARE/Schwarz)

By Chandara Tith.

“Is this really my last week in Germany?” I almost can’t believe that time is flying so quickly.

I was given a chance to work in Berlin. To see the different view and culture, I absorb good things to get myself improved. (Photo: Chandara Tith)

Working with CARE, I realized now, has helped me to develop my personal life experience while living in a foreign country. Also, I improved my academic performance in an international working place setting.

By Chandara Tith.

Today I am going to Berlin.

Me in Berlin. I spent a whole day on my bike, visiting as many places as possible. (Photo: tourist)

It was an awaited opportunity for me since I knew that I will go there. I went to the train station an hour earlier just to understand how the train system works. Luckily, it was not that complex as I expected. When I sat on the train and it started to move, my heart was beating fast. I was on board in a high-speed train for the first time in life!

By Chandara Tith.

“I am Powerful!”  What does it mean? Is it a political action? No, it is a new brand of CARE, a campaign that put the focus on women`s empowerment.

The CARE campaign "I am powerful" portrais women from different contries. Here a Cambodian woman shows that with her vegetable garden she can feed the family. (Photo:CARE Australia)

It really caught my attention. Since the beginning of my internship, I saw it many times, both on the CARE website and in many information leaflets.

By Thomas Schwarz.

This is my last blog from Pakistan, at least for now. It has never been harder for me to leave, to go back home. This is due to many things.

A man is standing in front of his destroyed house in Charsadda (photo: CARE/Schwarz)

But mostly to the fact that I feel like I have not finished this job yet. However, there is work waiting for me in Germany.

By Chandara Tith

I have never imagined how advanced the media in Germany is.

I was trying to experience in the WDR TV studio to see how I look if I appear on TV. (Photo: Sina Stach)

I was trained to be a professional journalist by German teachers. In my university in Phnom Penh I used media equipment made in Germany, but I have never imagined how enchanting the real technical system and the media studios in Germany are.