Abdirizak

Abstract

This chapter tells the story of Abdirizak, a Somali refugee and disabled shopkeeper in Kakuma, whose one-person household sits at the eightieth percentile of the camp’s income distribution. He was shot during clan fighting in Somalia and fled to Nairobi and then to Kakuma when urban refugees were ordered to move to camps. Al-Shabaab killed his wife and children in Somalia after she refused a forced marriage, leaving him alone. Because of his disability, he faced extraordinary challenges until he received support and a wheelchair from a small non-governmental organization. He has managed to set up a small business in the camp, initially selling products from his wheelchair before setting up a small shop. He sells cigarettes, chewing gum, and sweets. Abdirizak enjoys racing in his wheelchair and has won the Kakuma–Kalobeyei Community Run. He is currently teaching himself English, hoping that one day he can move to the United States. His experiences offer insight into the difficulties of living alone with a disability in the camp but also how even a very modest business can lift someone above aid dependence.