Dadaab Life: Auto-photography from 2015

Last year, the Center on Conflict and Development at Texas A&M University helped support my work using autophotography. Most of the photos were taken by women involved in training programs in Dadaab who I asked to take photos of people, places, or moments in their lives when they felt powerful or empowered. Women were instructed to get permission from the subjects of their photos (most frequently their family members) and I shared the photographs that the women agreed to share publicly with TAMU. Below is the collection of photographs they curated to share. On June 24, 2016 in Kigali, Rwanda, I will attend a showing of these photos and photos from other projects funded by the Center on Conflict and Development. I’ll share details about the venue and times closer to the date.

On Adult Education: The Classroom Experience 1

Common themes in adult education classrooms include: Collaboratively developing ground rules A staple of adult education classrooms, the Sexual and Gender Based Violence training which I have been recording, observing, and at times assisting with in the past two days in Dadaab is no different. The training began with “Group Norms” shared by learners and […]

Participatory research and pedagogy in Dadaab

Part of my work in Dadaab includes collecting data about youth led non- formal education. I approach my research from two sometimes contradictory perspectives, ethnographic and participatory action research (PAR). As a PhD student, I am interested in understanding how NGO workers and training intends to empower from an ethnographic perspective. As a visiting evaluator, […]

Why training for adults? Refugee’s systems and support for empowerment

Reposted from the Center on Conflict and Development As I began to discuss in my introduction post, I am using visual methodologies to understand empowerment in diverse adult education classrooms in Dadaab. The content of the training has thus far in the pre-dissertation process, been diverse. Last year, I spent two months in Dadaab and […]

INEE Discussion Post: CSE and Youth, Week 4: CSE for out-of-school and over-age youth in Dadaab

For the original posting and the rest of the Discussion series, click here. Conflict Sensitive Education for out-of-school and over-age youth in Dadaab, Kenya: Attempts to stabilise, rebuild or build the education system Even before the publication of the INEE Conflict Sensitive Education (CSE) manual in 2013, practitioners internationally were testing and proving different conflict […]

In the news: Education and Dadaab

So, I’ve got this Google Alert on all things Dadaab. Today’s news about MOOCs in Dadaab and a classic reminder that the camps are still here raise some interesting, and expected, dilemmas I’m struggling with here. First, the LA Times piece “He did not come here by choice. Nobody does.” Everyone who came to Dadaab had a […]

Research Progress and Roadblocks

I came to Dadaab with a research plan, to identify NGO sponsored trainings outside of formal education or accredited programming aimed at empowering learners with particular emphasis on women. I realize now that all NGO training aims to empower learners. Focusing on women has, unfortunately, proved problematic. Most training aims for a gender balance, and […]

A very complicated story

In about a week, I’m packing up my belongings, leaving Henna-the-cat with Paul-the-other, and traveling to Kenya to do work and research in the Dadaab refugee camps. I’m new to Kenya, Dadaab and refugee ‘warehousing’, so it’s another trial-by-fire. Thanks, Dad, for teaching me to jump in the deep end first, and my siblings for pushing […]

Theory Rant

I have been doing a lot of thinking about my research interests and my theoretical understandings of the world. I came to Penn State with this view of the world that I had developed over time through studying anthropology and conflict, working in educational contexts (mostly university settings, all formal, all admittedly in the western […]

Toward Inclusion of Conflict-Affected Youth in the Post-2015 Education Agenda

Reposted from the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies blog. Adolescents and youth in conflict-affected environments may never have traveled to school without fear, never known a functioning civil society or political or family stability. These youth are frequently displaced, either within their country or as refugees. They may find themselves stranded before they have […]

Ally Krupar

Educator – Researcher – Techie – Advocate

Education