In Africa’s largest refugee camp, where according to TO.org about 88% of the residents are said to be unemployed, a spectacular-looking new building with an elliptical-shaped roof that also collects rainwater is causing much interest and excitement.
The Bidi Bidi Performing Arts Centre, to be unveiled next year, is unusual for such a settlement as it isn’t a health center or a school. It was also not built by an NGO but by a platform operating in philanthropy and venture capital.
The project, believed to be the first state-of-the-art performance center in a refugee camp, is a collaboration between TO.org, and SINA Loketa, a Uganda-based charity co-founded by Mawa Erezenio — a South Sudanese refugee who fled his country and now lives in Bidi Bidi. Global design firm Hassell, as part of their corporate social responsibility, and Kampala-based LocalWorks, a design organization specializing in green energy, also collaborated on it.
About the author
Amy Fallon@amyfallon
Amy Fallon is an Australian freelance journalist currently based in Uganda. She has also reported from Australia, the U.K. and Asia, writing for a wide range of outlets on a variety of issues including breaking news, and international development, and human rights topics. Amy has also worked for News Deeply, NPR, The Guardian, AFP news agency, IPS, Citiscope, and others.