Global News Podcast - The Happy Pod: Refugees share their stories of hope

Episode Date: December 16, 2023

Our weekly collection of the happiest stories in the world. This week, the Somalian man who has brought the power of books to children living in refugee camps. Also: how a fascination with electricity inspired a Congolese woman to create a robotic medical tool. And the cyclist who took to the Olympic track after fleeing Afghanistan.

Hello, this is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service, with reports and analysis from across the world. The latest news seven days a week. BBC World Service podcasts are supported by advertising. If you're hearing this, you're probably already listening to BBC's award-winning news podcasts. But did you know that you can listen to them without ads? Get current affairs podcasts like Thank you. Amazon Music with a Prime membership. Spend less time on ads and more time with BBC Podcasts. Search for The Global Story wherever you get your BBC podcasts to find out more. This week, you're joining us at the United Nations Global Refugee Forum in Geneva for a special edition of The Happy Pod. We're putting aside the politics of migration

and choosing instead to hear from the people at the heart of these journeys. Extraordinary men and women who fled their homes in search of what everyone wants. A place where they'll be safe from war, violence and persecution and have a chance to build a positive future. Hello, I'm Harry Bly. In this edition, the Somalian man who returned to his Kenyan refugee camp to enable children to read and learn. Books open doors. Books educate you. Books gives you opportunity. Books are passport-like. A fascination with electricity which inspired a young Congolese girl to study engineering

and go on to create a robotic arm to help doctors and nurses take blood from patients. When we got to South Africa, I noticed there was like, whoa, there's lights. And I was always curious on how can that happen? Can I also do that? And meet the woman who became an Olympic cyclist after fleeing Afghanistan. Now she's her team's chief at the Paris Games in 2024. The day when I had my race, I see that all the dreams are realised. Just we have to trust on it, to believe on it and to work for it. All that and more to come on The Happy Pod from the BBC World Service.

Let's start by introducing you to Somalian-born Abdullahi Mire. When he was just three, his family fled the war, seeking sanctuary at the Dadab refugee camp in Kenya. Later, Abdullahi was welcomed to set up home in Norway, where he studied to become a journalist. And then he returned to Kenya, where he set up the Refugee Youth Education Hub. This project provides books to children in the Dadaab refugee camp, where he grew up. And since 2017, it has distributed more than 100,000 books and opened three libraries. Now, at 36 years old, Abdullahi is this year's winner of the UNHCR's Nansen Refugee Award. I want to give this award to every child from my country, Somalia, from Afghanistan to Venezuela,

from Myanmar to Middle East, from Congo to Central America, who has been scooped up in someone's arm as they run because anywhere was safer than here. Because you deserve an education and the opportunity. Be the author of your own future. I spoke to Abdullahi Mire to find out what inspired him. In my country, the mayhem, the war going on is just because of illiteracy. Books open doors, books educate you,

books gives you opportunity, books are passport-like. To me, to give education is the only thing that can change generations in the refugee camp. And you're not a multi-millionaire philanthropist. So how did you set up this charity, this project? I am not, but I have a heart. And once you have a heart, you believe strongly what you do. You can do it. I am a journalist. Social media platform is amazing, as you know. I use social media to

talk to people. I just amplify the need and the response come. You've supplied over 100,000 books to refugees in Dadaab and opened three libraries. Can you tell me about some of the children that you've helped? I'm inspired by many children. Every day I go to my libraries, I go to the libraries of the community, I go to schools, I'm inspired, the thousands. But there was one that was calling, appealing. One day before I started book drive, and this lady approached me with courage. She wanted a book.

When I met her, she wanted a biology book. I bought her a few biology books. Today, she is on her way to be a doctor. She's a nurse, helping the same community that she belongs to. A single book, a single student need, and now at this stage, that's how the journey started. It's been announced that you are the winner of the UN High Commission for Refugees Nansen Award. Can you describe for me the moment that you found out you won? Oh, it was really huge. I was humbled, happy, not for myself, for my mother, for everybody. This is a communal work for all the community, for all the people who trusted me with the books. This to me brings ability, more books. Hopefully next year we'll talk about

millions of books, not only Kenya, but for the region Africa and for the globe. This is a small world and a book can open doors for many, many refugees. Anytime, a book, whether it's 10,000 or 15,000, it's just a book. To me, one page is big. A whole book is huge. So the moment I put a book in the hand of a child, that's my happiest moment. That's my highest moment. Abdullahi Mirre, this year's UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award Global Laureate. Our next story comes from 25-year-old Bernice Kula-Kula. She was forced to flee the Democratic Republic of Congo with her mother and brother when she was a child. Despite language barriers and financial hardships,

Bernice's determination and passion for education never wavered. Now she lives in Italy, where she's studying for a master's in computer engineering, cyber security and artificial intelligence. Previously she studied engineering and her final research project on a robotic arm was designed to help healthcare professionals withdraw blood. Let's hear her story. I've been a refugee almost all my life but the one thing that I remember is the fact that there was no electricity. And that's what's actually led me to study electrical engineering. Being born in Congo,

you know, as a child, there's no electricity, you know, just playing around with whatever you can, like the stones, the mud, whatever. But when we got to South Africa, I noticed there was like, whoa, there's lights. And I was always curious on how can that happen? Can I also do that? And that's what led me into the interest within electrical engineering. That's why I went and I was like, you know what, I have to know how to do this. She said, if one day I can go back home, if one day I can bring electricity in areas where there is no electricity, I'd want to do that. Your final research project was a robotic arm designed

for blood withdrawal. Tell me about that. Blood withdrawal is very important. And the thing is that people of different colours, different shapes, different sizes. There are babies where it's difficult for doctors or nurses to find veins. And helping people has been always one thing that I've always wanted to do. And I found that if I could create something that would make life easier for doctors and nurses, because they already go through a lot trying to save people's lives. Now imagine you are losing someone and you cannot find the vein. So that was one of the things that led me and my friend to want to build something that will help nurses and doctors find vein through NIR, which is near infrared light. So how it works is that it would show you where the veins are within a screen, and then from there you'll be able to put your needle exactly where the vein is.

And your mum was a nurse. Is she your inspiration? She has always been my inspiration. She's actually my role model, because growing up in South Africa, it was not easy, but she always advocated about education. When we got to South Africa she literally went from school to school pleaded with principals to get us into education and I would say I am here where I am today because of her and if I can stand here at GRF and advocate about education about how important it is for girls or for refugees to be in higher level

education, I would say it's because someone inspired me and that person is my mum. And your robot arm, are you going to still work on that? Or have you got other projects that you're concentrating on now? Well, there's just a lot of things that's just coming to my mind. But that's actually one thing that I'll definitely want to improve. And one of my biggest projects is finding ways for EU refugees to get education. That's why being a panelist yesterday was a way for me to speak. And my voice is not only for me alone, but also for those that cannot speak for themselves, for those talents that refugees have, but hidden because they do not have the finances, but hidden because they're in places or situations where they cannot find education.

And refugees are not only a burden, but they can also contribute. They can also better the world. That's one of my biggest projects. I will carry on doing it. Even when I'm done with school, I will do it until refugees get to the point where I am, because it's a privilege for me to be where I am. And I'm grateful for that. So I have to open ways for others as well. And what is your message to young refugees and to women who aspire to work in tech or in computers or in engineering? As long as you're alive, you can do it. As long

as you breathe, you can do it. Nothing can stop you. Of course, it won't be easy. You'll definitely fail somewhere. You'll definitely fall. But the important thing is get up. Get up and try again until you make it. You will definitely make it. Nothing will stop you. The only thing you have to know is just work hard, put in as much time as you can. And my high school motto was that nothing was too difficult for the brave. I always keep it in my head. So nothing is too difficult for you, refugee young girl, refugee woman. Know that the world is out there and you have a purpose on this life. Because with refugees, struggling with identity is something that can really bring you down.

I've been there. I know how it feels like. But don't let that bring you down. You have a purpose. And for you coming into tech, tech is a beautiful space. You'll be able to create the future that you want. You'll be able to create something that you know will help not only you but others around you. So please do come in. Don't give up. I know it's hard at times, but you'll definitely make it. Bernice Kulakula.

Waheed Aryan's childhood and teenage years were marked by anxiety and nightmares, traumatised by a life of surviving war in Afghanistan. He found a safe haven in the United Kingdom. Now he's an emergency doctor on a mission to heal the war related trauma faced by those who are in or who have fled conflict zones using technology. I came to the UK in 99 as a child refugee after spending nearly a decade in the civil war in Afghanistan. Most of my education happened with a lamp and any books that I could find from the streets in Kabul, signs, mats, whatever they were.

From time to time, I would listen to BBC World, actually. When my father would tune in to the Pashto version, I would tune in to the English to learn a few words and get some inspiration from what people were doing outside what we were really consumed by, which was war. So this was an imaginary world that I couldn't reach, but I couldn't listen to. And that was my vision, to go somewhere to be able to heal my traumas, but also to do something for the future of other people.

In the UK, when I started my new life as a refugee, aged 15, I came in with a lot of determination. I saw the opportunities that I never had. Simple opportunities like being able to go to school, being able to look into the sky without being attacked, and also being able to smile at people on the streets. So that was, for me, a moment of pure joy. I carried on with my life, continued to work and study. Eventually I got

into Cambridge University to study medicine and it wouldn't be for nearly eight to ten years until I found out that actually I had something wrong with me which was PTSD. So I had to go and find help for myself through a psychologist but all time, what was keeping my head above the water, which I believe was exercise. So I was running, I was doing martial arts as a child. And the two psychological therapy exercise, which I did for myself, have got evidence based to it. And they've become the core foundation of Aryan wellbeing. And Aryan Wellbeing is rolled out not just in the UK but to war-torn countries as well. So Aryan Wellbeing provides psychological therapies and exercise, it's a innovative digital solution and in person, to everyone including

refugees, homeless and other hard-to-reach populations. We provide that service through our psychologists, therapists and personal trainers. Our service has got a charitable arm. The charitable arm works through Teleheal internationally as well as with non-profits. So we have provided mental health support to clinicians in Afghanistan. We have also provided that support to other humanitarians who work with refugees to support their own mental traumas. So ultimately, the big vision for our in-well-being is that for people to be able to click a button

wherever they are in the world, whether it's Gaza, whether it's Syria, or whether it's part of the UK or US, and they can find a psychologist or therapist that can speak their language and they can connect immediately and help them. And could you describe to me how easy it is to use this service? Let's say I'm in a different country and I want to use your service. Take me through how it would work. So at present if you're in another country it's a peer-to-peer support system.

So a clinician can get in touch with one of our psychologists and we can support them, either their mental health, or we can provide them some tips and ideas how to support people in their care with their mental health. So that capacity building arm of our area of well-being is active. It works virtually using simple platforms like Zoom, like Teams, whereas in the UK, besides supporting clinicians, we provide direct one-to-one service to people in need. So in the future, we're hoping to extend that one-to-one service for everyone around the globe, and we're taking those steps towards that vision. This service, from its conception to now, are there any moments that really stand out to you as a doctor?

There are many moments. One was me walking in Chester City with my family, and I saw this other family, Afghan family, who we'd provided support for. They came and we mingled with each other. We had a chat and the children were doing high-fiving with me, saying, hello doc, how are you? And they were telling me what they were up to today and I think that was amazing because usually their minds are so consumed by one challenge after another, whether it's food, whether it's school, whether it's house, that they never think that they are actually out and about, they're doing

something with their lives, which is what this service is about, to give them an opportunity to live freely, to be able to cope with their traumas and then also enjoy moments in life. And coming back to the main point is that we try to reduce stigma. We're culturally appropriate. And these are very important when it comes to mental health. We can't come up with one solution that is designed in one culture and take it to another culture. Yes, we can, but we really have to make sure it's adaptable.

It's not a one-size-fits-all approach. So that's the gap in the mental health crisis, that a lot of the existing private and non-private solutions are based on one method or based in one culture. And it's difficult for them to be extrapolated to other cultures or taken to other regions. And hopefully we can do that around the globe. Dr. Wahid Arian. Coming up in this podcast, meet Santos. He broadcasts on Ref FM,

a radio station run by and for refugees across Africa. This is Santos Madiu. You are listening to The Happy Pot on the BBC World Service. Santos Madiu is originally from South Sudan, but as a child the civil war there separated him from his parents and he arrived at the Kakuma camp in Kenya on his own. Santos found his voice when he began working for Ref FM, a radio station run by and for refugees. Ref FM airs in camps across several African countries. During the week, Santos reads the news and presents a football programme on Saturdays. Santos took us behind the scenes of his new life. This is RefFM Community Radio. Your story, our voice.

Hello, welcome to Ref Rev FM Kikini. My name is Santos Madiu. Members of Parliament... The news that we do there generally are news that concern the people that are living within the camp and also the host community there. But as a person, I love telling stories of resilience, stories that can inspire refugees there around, because these are people that have left their home countries

after facing so many bad things. But if some of them made it to be able to do some other good things, these are the stories that I go for and tell other fellow refugees that even if you are away from home, you can also succeed in life by maybe practicing agriculture and going to school, graduating, becoming a teacher or still follow your career that you want to be than just sitting in one place saying you cannot do anything as a refugee. A refugee can also be like any other person, you can do something else.

And I can tell that you're really passionate about radio and about broadcasting. What is it that makes you happy about having that platform? Having that chance of speaking to my community, the refugee community, I really feel at home. I feel like I really have a sense of belonging and it's something that I'm proud of each day. And as well as news, as well as storytelling, you also present a football

programme as well. Tell me about that. It's exciting when I'm doing football stories because sport is one of the platforms that is being used at the refugee camp to promote unity and to fight other crime like violence. So people use sport, and me coming there to cover stories there, it gives me a way of communicating and reaching more people because it also promotes their talent. We have some of the refugees that have moved out of the camp because of football. Football to me means unity. It also means peace, and football is life.

Why is it important for you to have this platform? What do you hope to achieve with it? Our main goal is to give refugees a sense of belonging and feel like they're also part of the community. We have lived in many years back where refugees don't even work. They are isolated. In one place, they cannot move one place to another. But now having that radio station that involves us refugees at equal table with the host community,

we feel like it's just home. Santos Medeu. Now it's my pleasure to introduce you to the 27-year-old Massama Ali Zada from Afghanistan. Like many of us, she learned how to ride a bike as a child. Unlike many of us, she dreamed of cycling all the way to the Olympics. But the odds were against her. Born in a conservative community that frowned on girls riding bicycles, she became the target of threats.

So she made the difficult decision to leave her home and ask for asylum in France. That decision paid off, and her dream has become a reality as a member of the Refugee Olympic Team. She competed in Tokyo in 2021, and if that wasn't enough, she's just been named the Chef de Michon, the person in charge of her team, at next year's Games in Paris. I spoke to Massima about her cycling journey, starting with that first race in Tokyo. During my race, I thought about all the challenges that I had, and I had a dream to participate in the Olympic Games, but I wasn't sure if it will be possible to realise my dream. But the day when I had my race I see that all the dreams are realised. Just we have to trust on it,

to believe on it and to work for it. To you as a refugee how important was sport? My life, my story and my experience in the Olympic Games all shows how sport impact in the life of refugees and as a woman that I was in Afghanistan in a country that bio-circulation was prohibited but now I'm in France, I study, I am chef de mission for a team by the name of Refugee Olympic Team that represents hope and peace. So all of this happens through sport. It changed my life and I think most of the refugees like me that sport changed their life in a different way. And the first refugee Olympic team participated in the Olympic Games in 2016 in Rio. And every Olympic Games, they try to support more refugee athletes

and to give them a new life. You've been made the chef de mission for the team, for the refugee Olympic team. What was that moment like when you found out that news? I was surprised. So much honour and happy. And I have a lot of hope that I could be useful for the athletes to help them and to be an inspiration for them. And I hope that all the refugees have access to sport. Being a female athlete from Afghanistan what's your hopes for the future for your friends back home in Afghanistan? It's a dream for all

refugees that one day their country be free be in peace and they could return to their country to work for their country to represent their country and it's the same hope for me but for now I have a hope for the women who again who are still in Afghanistan that they could give their rights back. And what's next for you after this but what's your ambitions? I really like to work for the sport, for the refugees, because I'm a student and a master to urban engineering. So I really like to find a relation between urban engineering, refugees and sport. Cyclist and chef de mission for the Paris 2024 Refugee Olympic Team, Massama Alizada. Let's end this edition with some music that was

performed at the Nansen Refugee Awards that we heard about at the beginning of this episode. I made up my mind today When the sun goes down it's time to break This is the Japanese singer, songwriter and guitarist Miyavi with his song Long Nights. It was inspired by his visits with refugees in camps across the world. When watching this performance live, Miyavi is wearing a multicoloured cloak made up of different coloured fabric patches sewn delicately together. We're now going through a dark time. We might not see the light of hope in front of us

but as long as we can believe that tomorrow will come we can get through long nights. The editor is Karen Martin. From Geneva, I'm Harry Bly. Until next time, goodbye. Sound of the sun I made up my mind today When the sun goes down it's time to play When no one knows I'm right away I spin my wings and fly away I made up my mind today When the sun goes down it's time to play When no one knows I'm far away,

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