Kakuma is the Swahili word for “nowhere”, and Kenya’s Kakuma is one of the world’s largest refugee settlements. For the more than 280,000 children and families – refugees and asylum seekers from nineteen different countries – Kakuma is their only home.  

Since 2017, To:Foundation has been reframing the narrative around what it means to be a refugee by building purposeful spaces in disenfranchised communities, empowering displaced people to regenerate, play, think, & create. Our initiative for 2024 is Regenerate – an ambitious project around mental and physical wellbeing in Kenya’s Kakuma refugee settlement.

Over the past year, we have partnered with local creative activists using yoga & fitness as an outlet for healing to help their peers build healthy new lives. Inspired by their dedication to improving quality of life in the community, we are launching a project to build a multifunction wellness space for Kakuma residents. Sumayya Vally, founder of architecture and research firm Counterspace, will lead the design concept.

Join us in making this project a reality on GoFundMe.

Regenerate Kakuma goes beyond the conventional by addressing the holistic wellbeing of the refugee community. It integrates fitness, agriculture, education, and cultural elements in a harmonious and inclusive space, creating zones for calm meditation, reflection, appreciation of the landscape, and lively areas for community expression and interaction.

Acknowledging the unique challenges faced by residents of the settlement, this project takes a multifaceted approach providing resources and spaces that contribute to personal and community development. The Wellness and Fitness Centre is not only a structure, it is a beacon of hope and resilience, a testament to the strength of human spirit in the face of adversity.