Jesuit Entity Boosts Initiative of Refugee Youths in Curbing Hunger in Kenya

Nairobi, 17 October, 2025 / 4:32 PM

Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS) of the Society of Jesus (SJ, /Jesuits) has expanded the activities of Vijana Twaweza Project in combating hunger in Kenya's Kakuma Refugee Camp, where food insecurity is a major challenge.

Vijana Twaweza loosely translated to ‘Youths, We Can’ is a Community-Based Organization that deals specifically with agriculture to fight hunger and malnutrition in the vast refugee camp.

The founder and current president of Vijana Twaweza, Luundo Dieu Merci, praised the role played by JRS in helping them expand their activities.

“We were growing and needed a larger piece of land to continue our activities. We decided to go to JRS Kakuma, which has a large area for projects, and we established a partnership that allowed us to continue and expand our fish farming activities,” Luundo said in a Thursday, October 16 report.

“As we grew, we also began to get some funding that enabled us to build our first large pond and start farming fish to feed the community. We now run six semi-intensive fishponds in Kakuma that raise tilapia and catfish,” he added.

Luundo is the current president of Vijana Twaweza Community-Based Organization, where leadership is shared and rotates among members.

Hailing from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), he fled his home country in 2016 due to political instability and sought refuge in Kakuma, where he later founded Vijana Twaweza Initiative.

Luundo recalls that the idea behind Vijana Twaweza began in the most unexpected way.

“It all started with a fish,” he says, and explains, “One day, while I was watering crops with a friend of mine, I happened to catch a fish. That’s when I decided I should really start fish farming.’

“At the beginning, it wasn’t easy,” the native of DRC admits, and explains, “The space where we raised the fish was very small, and the climate conditions in Kakuma weren’t ideal either. Our first pond was built inside our compound and measured just two metres by one. I started this business on my own, but later some friends from the camp joined me.”

The current president of Vijana Twaweza said that the project’s vision not only focuses on food production but also on creating opportunities for refugees to sustain themselves and restore their dignity.

“In the Kakuma refugee camp, even before the cuts to humanitarian aid, the diet was not very varied. People received specific types of food provided by humanitarian organizations, mainly yellow peas and certain beans. During food distributions, refugees also received small amounts of cash to buy other products at the market,” Luundo told JRS.

“So, we thought about how, through our project, we could try to diversify food sources and also fight child malnutrition, as many children under the age of five were really suffering,” he added.

Luundo highlighted some of the activities the people of Kakuma engage in, including fish farming, poultry farming, crop cultivation, and insect farming, particularly crickets, which are used to feed fish and chickens. Some people also eat the crickets.

The President of Vijana Twaweza expressed optimism that, despite the organization’s limited production, their efforts are making a difference in the community.

“I know that eggs and fish are not much, and our production doesn’t really meet the very high demand, but we try to address food scarcity as much as we can,” he said.

“We are truly motivated to work hard and to find ways to support more people. With a sustainable and intensified aquaculture system, we will be able to produce more fish and therefore have the opportunity to help many more people,’ he added.

Beyond food production, Vijana Twaweza has become a powerful force for building communities of solidarity within Kakuma Refugee Camp.

One of the project’s key initiatives is training women in poultry farming, giving them the skills and confidence to start small chicken farms. This not only helps them feed their families but also provides an additional source of income to improve their living conditions.

The group also supports young graduates by involving them in agricultural projects and helping them access scholarship opportunities. Those who qualify for the scholarship travel abroad for studies while continuing to stay in touch with Vijana Twaweza, offering guidance and sharing agricultural knowledge from their studies.

“What is particularly nice is that they want to give back. For example, some of those who have continued their studies in agriculture share best practices and advice from their studies with us,” Luundo said.

Through such activities, Vijana Twaweza is not only addressing hunger but also promoting peace and social cohesion among refugees from different countries and cultures living in Kakuma.

“Even though there are still social conflicts in the camp, these activities allow us to try to address them,” Luundo said.