UNHCR settlement camp

The Meheba project started in August 2009. The pilot was so successful that the UN have invited us back (thanks to our ’09 pioneer volunteers!) and we will repeat it in 2010.

Working with refugees in Africa is not for everyone: however, if you are willing to square up to life in a refugee camp the opportunity to really make a difference is waiting for you. We partner with half a dozen primary schools that serve young children who live within the camp. Everyone has a story to tell and some of the tales are quite harrowing; but the thirst for knowledge and the desire for literacy are strong.

The Book Bus will be visiting Meheba Refugee settlement.

17th July to 7th August
or
7th August to 28th August.

We need volunteers to join us on board the Book Bus.

Please note: minimum commitment is 3 weeks.

History

Meheba was opened in 1971 for refugees who fled Angola during the Angolan revolution against the Portuguese. In the 1990’s, Meheba started receiving refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, and Burundi. Meheba was projected to close down after thousands of Angolan refugees voluntarily repatriated, but repatriation ended after the Angolan war flared up again in 1998. Although nearly 64,000 Angolan refugees were successfully repatriated, efforts to repatriate Rwandan refugees have proven unsuccessful. At its greatest capacity, Meheba Settlement provided refuge for ~120,000 refugees from Congo, Angola, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, and Sudan.

Where is it?

Meheba Refugee settlement is situated 75 km west of Solwezi, the Provincial Headquarters of the North-Western Province. It is 75 km from Solwezi up to the entrance of the camp. From there it is another 18 km from the entrance to the UNHCR offices. There is a good tarmac road from Solwezi to the entrance of Meheba. The 18 km road from the camp entrance to the offices is laterite piste.

What’s it like?

Meheba Refugee Settlement covers a vast area of 720 sq km. It is divided into 8 blocks from A to H with 125 roads and numerous villages. The average household plot is 25 x 30 meters, the average family size is 6 persons. The average agriculture farming plot per household is 2.5 hectares.

The population of the camp is 15,756 of which 5,128 are children. Some of them attend school while others do not. There are 3 types of schools in Meheba; 1 high school, 5 basic schools (that is, receive some government funding) and 9 community schools (i.e. set up by a village with no government funding at all).

Agriculture is the main source of income, but farmers struggle with degenerating soil fertility and expensive fertilizer. There are very few job opportunities that offer minimal pay. Farming, small business and limited agency jobs are the sole alternatives. Men are generally employed in greater numbers than women and have usually received more schooling than women. Most women are married with children by their late teens. Most refugees in Meheba practice Christianity, although some follow Islam.

Education:

• Education levels: there is inconsistent correlation between a child’s age and their level of education. Most refugees living in Meheba have received some primary education, but very few can afford the high cost of secondary school.
• Classes are conducted in English, are generally overcrowded and under-resourced.
• The Zambian Ministry of Education runs five elementary schools and one high school.
• Many smaller communities within Meheba are too far from government-run primary schools for children to attend classes. As a result, many children in Meheba do not attend school at all.
• Some organizations offer vocational and trade classes to teach practical skills.

Health:

• The Zambian Ministry of Health operates five clinics in Meheba, although medical staff and medication are often in short supply.
• Malaria is a primary health concern, especially with young children.
• The rate of Meheba residents living with HIV/AIDS is unknown.

UNHCR

“Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees”

Established on December 14th 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly, its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another state, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country.

In more than five decades, the agency has helped an estimated 50 million people restart their lives. Today a staff of around 6,300 people in more than 110 countries continues to help 32.9 million persons.

Practical Information

How do I get there?
Ndola has an international airport and you will be met here by the Book Bus leader (the flight route is London to Lusaka to Ndola). Together you will travel by bus from Ndola to Solwezi and onward to the settlement. South African Airways fly to Ndola from London Heathrow (via Johannesburg); Kenyan Airways via Nairobi is another option.

What are the conditions like?
As you can imagine conditions are rather basic. Refugees use water from boreholes and wells for drinking, washing and bathing. It is advisable for visitors to carry their own drinking water, preferably bottled water. Camping facilities are basic.

What’s the cost?
The cost of the 3 week placement is £830 plus a local payment of $450.

Dates

We ask for a minimum commitment of 3 weeks (due to the awkward logistics of getting to Meheba). You can either join for 3 weeks or 6 weeks:

17th July to 7th August
or
7th August to 28th August.

The first block of three weeks is during term time when we will be working with individual year groups plus their teachers. The second block of three weeks represents the final week of term, plus the first two weeks of summer holidays. In 2009 attendance during the summer holidays at The Book Bus slightly exceeded attendance during term time!

Maximum volunteer group size = 12

To volunteer to join the crew of the Book Bus Zambia at the Meheba UNHCR Camp, please visit the Book Bus Meheba Zambia page on our travel partners website VentureCo Worldwide. (link opens in new window)

To see our Zambia operating dates & details please click here.

Click here to see our image gallery of pictures taken during our first two years of operation in Zambia.

For further information on Zambia please visit:

World Health Organisation: http://www.who.int/countries/zmb/en/

Go Africa Facts: http://goafrica.about.com/library/bl.mapfacts.zambia.htm

CIA World Factbook: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/za.html