Refugee Stories

Christian Baobab, Raphael Bradenbrink Belgium, Kenya, United Kingdom 2026 56 min.

Media coverage of refugees often focuses on extreme and exceptional stories, leaving the daily lives of the majority underexposed. That majority does not live in the West, but often in large camps such as Kakuma in Kenya. The RefugeeStories project offers a scientifically based, data-driven insight into life in such a camp. Five refugees from five different income levels were selected to create a more representative portrait that goes beyond stereotypes and analyzes the camp as a micro-society with different layers.

Travel to Kakuma Refugee Camp in northwestern Kenya, one the world's biggest refugee camps and home to nearly 300,000 people. In an investigation into the realities of long-term displacement, the film follows five refugees representing different income levels within the camp: from Rose, among the poorest households, to Maker, one of the better-off residents.

Each protagonist shares their story in their own words, offering intimate portraits of work, family life, ambition, and survival. By focusing on representative lives, Refugee Stories challenges dominant media narratives that depict refugees only in extreme situations, revealing the quiet inequalities that shape daily existence and determine what people can eat, learn, hope for, and plan.