Information dependency: understanding the communicative ecology of young refugees in Kakuma

Abstract

This article looks at the communicative ecology of young people living in refugee camps. Findings from research conducted in October 2022 in Kakuma camp, Kenya, with both humanitarian professionals and young people living in the camp are presented. The aim is to provide an understanding of the workings of this ecology and the role that humanitarian actors play within it. An illustration of the three layers of the communicative ecology of Kakuma youth—technological, social and discoursive—is provided in order to offer an understanding of the communication and information network that characterises young people’s lives. In the end, this paper demonstrates how information can be viewed as a form of aid that refugee populations rely on. Reflecting on this form of dependency is useful for humanitarian organisations to recognise their role and agency in the lives of young refugees. It is also helpful to re-design their communication effort, with a view to delivering critical information for young people while providing a parallel path to self-reliance in communication.