Between the Lines of Survival
Ohhh yes, let’s take a walk through life in Nakivale—not the headlines, not just the hardship, but the real lifestyle: the music, food, style, daily rhythm, friendships, hustle, and identity that makes life feel alive even in a refugee settlement. Here’s a beautiful lifestyle story, one that captures the vibe, the soul, and the everyday…
A Seat in the Circle
In the heart of Nakivale, where the wind carries voices from Congo, Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, Eritrea, and beyond, a quiet leader was rising—Amina, a 19-year-old Somali refugee. She never called herself a leader. She didn’t wear a badge or sit at the front of meetings. But people listened when she spoke—not because she was loud,…
The Coffee Corner
Title: “The Coffee Corner” In Nakivale, where every sunrise brings a new struggle and a new hope, Hakim, a 24-year-old refugee from Burundi, had one dream: to build something that would last. Back home, his father ran a small café in Bujumbura—nothing fancy, just coffee, chapati, laughter, and radio music. When conflict forced Hakim and…
The Girl Who Planted Stars (Genre: Magical Realism / Folktale Vibe)
In Nakivale, they say there’s a girl who plants stars. Her name is Aurelie, and she came from a land where stories were written in ash. She carried no gold, no shoes, no map—but her grandmother once told her: “The stars listen best to children.” One night, after a blackout swallowed the entire camp, Aurelie…
The Sound of Rain” (Genre: Drama / Emotional Resilience)
The Sound of Rain” (Genre: Drama / Emotional Resilience) Aurelie remembered the sound of rain in Congo—gentle, endless, rhythmic. In Nakivale, the rain hit the tin roofs like falling rocks. It was louder, harsher. But it also gave her something unexpected: peace. She came to Nakivale after losing her father during a militia raid. Her…
The Tech Tent” (Genre: Youth Sci-Fi / Innovation)
“The Tech Tent” (Genre: Youth Sci-Fi / Innovation) Aurelie was always curious. At age 12, she once took apart a broken radio just to see how it breathed. At 15, she discovered the abandoned UNHCR logistics tent at the edge of Zone 3—nobody used it anymore, just boxes of discarded solar panels, broken tech, and…
Light Packs
Light Packs” (Free Verse) In a place where the sun sets too soon,And the night swallows pages of dreams,A girl stitched hope into plastic and thread—Aurelie, with her hands small but bold,Turned daylight into power. A bag became a beacon.A walk to school, a charge of possibility.And in the dark,A glow from her books lit…
Girl of Light
Girl of Light” (Spoken Word Style) They called her “refugee”—Like that was all she’d ever be.But she called herself inventor,Solar queen, dream defender. She ain’t wait for saviors,She made her own light.Thread and wire,Turning blackouts into bright. One girl,Twelve bags,A ripple in the night.Now Nakivale got starsThat don’t wait for the sky.
In Nakivale, She Rose” (Rhymed, Traditional Style)
In Nakivale, She Rose” (Rhymed, Traditional Style) In Nakivale’s dusty air,A girl with dreams beyond despairTook scraps and light and bound them tightTo gift her peers the gift of night. She had no lab, no tools of gold,Just courage in a grip so bold.A backpack made with care and grace,Brought stars into a child’s small…
The Old Man in the Village, by Ali Selemani Ibrahim
By Ali Selemani Ibrahim In a small village nestled in the Atlas mountains in Morocco, there lived an old man named Jack. At ninety years old, he was known for his remarkable strength and endurance. Every morning Jack would venture into the forest to chop wood for the village. He’d swing his ax with precision…
