Thank you so much, Tamara.
First, it all starts from home. Maybe your parents find out, or the community, that you're gay. You're subjected to persecution. Some people end up losing their lives. From there, people run to neighbouring countries, particularly Kenya, in Kakuma refugee camp, and South Sudan, in Gorom camp. From here we are promised registration. The UNHCR receives us. They register us and then they promise us safety: You are going to be safe. Of course, the UNHCR is an internationally recognized refugee organization. When we reach these camps, they say that everything will be okay.
But it's a different story. As I told you earlier, as soon as I arrived in the camp I was attacked, even more than I was attacked back in my home country. I faced extreme homophobia. My leg got broken. I feel traumatized even sharing my story right now. I saw people getting petrol-bombed and losing their lives in the camp. We couldn't access basic medication in the camp. There was discrimination by the health officials, who are meant to provide services equally to all refugees. There is a lot of persecution, even by the people mandated to protect us. I was assaulted by the police several times on camera: “You are gay. Kenya doesn't allow homosexuality. Please go back to your country.”
A lot of stuff is happening in the camps. An increase in homophobia cases was brought back from Uganda because of this law that was passed. How is life in the camps? It's horrible. It's so horrible. People have sleepless nights thinking they would be attacked by someone, thinking, “I'm going to be attacked. I can't sleep.” We sleep in shifts from seven o'clock to two o'clock, and then from two o'clock to seven o'clock. It's not easy in the camps. The UNHCR tells us that no country is ready to receive us simply because they are not open. Yet we see non-LGBTQI+ refugees—Somalians, Congolese and other non-LGBTQI+ refugees—being resettled. We see flights every day. They're moving in big numbers. Queer people are being discriminated against. I don't understand.
It's so horrible on the ground, Tamara.