A film to amplify refugee teenage girls education

When we wrote the last report we were at the Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi. We told you that we were meeting with refugees whose lives have been positively influenced by the vocational education program by our grassroots partner There is Hope. After listening to three compelling stories we had to decide on one for our film. It was such a difficult decision that we had a hard time sleeping the night before.

We are very happy to report that we selected the story of Jacques Kabongo. He had a good life. Happily married with two children and a job in an NGO defending democracy and human rights. After a traumatic and violent near-death experience in his home country the Democratic Republic of Congo, Jacques saw no option but to take his family and flee for their safety. In 2013, they arrived in the Dzaleka camp. Jacques had no means of earning money and to survive he began molding bricks to sell at the camp. They lived in a small, shabby, grass thatched home with no electricity. Sending their children to school was a major challenge and they depended on food rations by UNHCR in order to survive. With no hope of ever becoming self-reliant, Jacques heard about vocational training programs and decided to apply. He got accepted into the carpentry training and successfully graduated. While Jacques, his wife Esther, and their 6 children continue to patiently wait in the tough camp conditions for resettlement, their life changed dramatically. Jacques opened a carpentry shop and was able to send his children to school again. He has given his family a better life in a new home he built with his own hands. Jacques is also very passionate about giving back to his community and has three 16-year-old apprentices learning and working in his shop. He has given them hope and a way to a better future.

It is critical to tell Jacques’ story to create awareness and increase resources to the needed educational programs at the Dzaleka camp. Jacques’ story is a proof that education makes refugees’ permanence more bearable and increase their chances to become self-reliant within the camp. Having education will also prepare them to economically contribute to their host country when they resettle. We will tell the story with the upcoming short film Sawdust: Rebuilding an Existence. Please watch the film pitch here.

Our plan is to go back to Malawi with the film production crew in April or May 2020. For this we need to reach our $25,000 funding goal. Thank you for helping making this film possible!! 

Check out our Instagram for more updates and stories about the project.

Links:

• Sawdust (The film pitch video) - 3 min.
• Sawdust Pitch (Behind the scenes video) - 2 min.