A KIWI FLIES THE COOP
‘From horror to hope’
Kelsey-Rae’s humanitarian heart
When I first drove into the Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh, it was like a town sprung out of the hills, with a labyrinth of makeshift tents practically lined on top of each other.
In the tarpaulin and bamboo shelters were families of multiple generations – mothers, grandparents, children and aunts − who were all pushed out of their homes in Myanmar by war and persecution.
Before the violence the Rohingya people, an ethnic minority mostly from Rakhine on Myanmar’s western coast, had normal lives, proper houses and jobs. They were happy, self-sufficient people until a campaign of widespread and systematic murder, rape and burning overtook their homeland. The Rohingya have long been discriminated against in Myanmar, denied citizenship and basic rights such as being able to travel, work, see a doctor and own land.
To get to the world’s biggest refugee camp, Kutupalong, they’d escaped and walked for days and nights, through rivers and over steep hills, with scarce supplies and traumatic personal stories. They’ve been through things most New Zealanders would never even come close to experiencing.
In complete contrast, I grew up in Whangaparaoa, North Auckland, in a really lovely beach town with two parents and three siblings. I had a pretty lucky childhood. I remember watching the news as a kid and feeling quite far away from it all. The injustices I saw sparked a desire to help in some way.
After completing a Bachelor of Communication Studies, I started working for Oxfam three years ago. Now, at 28, it’s my job to tell the stories of people affected by international crises.
In March this year I flew to Bangladesh with a videographer to speak to refugee families and individuals, and stayed in the main centre of Dhaka, a couple of hours’ drive from the camp.
I wanted to capture the stories of refugee women and how hard it can be for them in the camp, as many have taken on the role of sole parent after their husbands were killed.
Many women have been beaten or raped and witnessed truly horrific things such as children being killed in front of them.
They’re afraid to use the toilet or water facilities at night since the camp has a lack of lighting, and it’s common for them to limit their food and water intake so they don’t have to use the toilet as frequently. Oxfam has helped by installing water pumps and private toilets for these women, which is the knowledge I fall back on when I know we cannot help every single person we meet.
The hardest part for me was seeing mothers break down in tears because they couldn’t get their children enough to eat, who were getting sick as the basic food they have doesn’t agree with them, or it’s not nutritious enough.
Even though agencies are helping with meals of rice, lentils and a bit of oil, the portions are limited. One woman, who arrived pregnant and gave birth in the camp, told me how her 20-day-old baby was hungry and sick because she was not producing milk properly. It was really devastating.
When I sat with some of the refugees in their tents, I wondered how their shelters will withstand the rainy season. A lot of families are worried about how they’ll keep their children safe and warm, or cook food without their only method of heating − fire.
Despite what’s happening, it was interesting to hear that everyone I spoke with said they are happy to be there because it’s far better than where they came from. Many told me, “We do not have to live in fear here. We can live in peace and that is all that matters. My children are safe.” Even though they acknowledge there are lots of challenges at the refugee camp, the fact they’d rather be there than their old homes makes you really think about what they endured before now.
There was a real sense of community. I saw kids playing with colouring books and a few crayons, and as they scribbled their mothers watched with joy on their faces − the simplest of things almost brought back some kind of normality.
My humanitarian work has reaffirmed to me that we’re all just human beings wanting the same things, and you can’t ignore people who have it worse in life simply because they were dealt a different hand.”