Preserving Culture: UNHCR Sub-Office Head Paul Kenya Visits CDC Exhibition in Rhino Camp

"It's a story of hope, self-awareness, and preserving cultures." In this video, Paul Kenya, Head of the UNHCR Sub-Office in Arua, reflects on his inspiring visit to the Community Development Centre (CDC) exhibition in Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement, Uganda. A passionate lover of art and storytelling, Paul Kenya shares how deeply he was moved to witness young refugee girls, many of whom were born in the refugee settlements learning traditional songs, their meanings, histories, and cultural values directly from elderly community members. He explains how this intergenerational transfer of knowledge is preparing young people for the future, preserving their identity, and ensuring they remain connected to their heritage when they eventually return home. The exhibition, he says, reminded him of his own childhood, his love for poetry, storytelling, and the comforting lullabies sung by his mother, highlighting the universal power of culture to heal, unite, and inspire. This exhibition is part of the project "Storytelling as Safeguarding: Protecting South Sudanese Women's Cultural Heritage in Refugee Settings in Uganda and Kenya." The project is implemented by the Community Development Centre (CDC) in Uganda and She Leads Kakuma in Kenya, in partnership with Likikiri Collective (Juba, South Sudan), with funding from the British Council's Cultural Protection Fund, in partnership with the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).