Samuel Hall Stories

The Koboko Model: Nothing for Us Without Us

🌍 From displacement to decision-making.
In this episode of the Samuel Hall Stories Podcast, we hear from Dr. Wilson Sanya, Mayor of Koboko, Uganda — a city where refugees don’t just live, but lead.
We discuss: ✔️ How Koboko redefined refugee inclusion as governance, not just aid ✔️ The pioneering “Koboko Model” of direct donor funding to municipalities ✔️ How refugees and host communities co-created services like the Trauma Healing Centre ✔️ Why cities are the “dealers of hope” in the face of climate change and displacement
 
With 70% of displaced people living in cities today, this is more than a local story, it’s a roadmap for inclusive urban futures.
 
🎧 Listen now on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.
 
Music Credits: 
Pre-into music: The Remains of Hope/ Marcus Ringblom - Epidemic Sound
Intro and Outro Music: The Light from Within/ Howard Harper - Epidemic Sound
 

BETWEEN THE LINES: From Aid to Agency: Rethinking the Donor Landscape for Refugees

🎙️ Between the Lines | Ep. 8 From Aid to Agency: Rethinking the Donor Landscape for Refugees
Once shaped by emergency relief, refugee support systems are now shifting toward long-term development, sustainability, and localisation.
In this episode, host Mwara Namelok is joined by Lilian Obiye, policy expert at the Netherlands Embassy, to explore how global events, funding priorities, and political realities are reshaping the donor landscape and what it means for local and refugee-led organisations.
Together, they explore: ✔️ How COVID-19 and climate change changed donor priorities ✔️ Whether localisation has gone beyond policy language ✔️ The role of politics in aid, and the risks of short-termism ✔️ Kenya’s Shirika Plan and how it signals a new direction ✔️ Advice for grassroots organisations navigating this new reality
Tune in for a timely and insightful conversation on power, policy, and how we fund the future of refugee response.
🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & all major platforms. Don’t forget to subscribe and share.
Music Credits: 
Pre-into music: The Remains of Hope /Magnus Ringlblom/ Epidemic Sound
Hook Music:  From Stardust - Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen/Epidemic Sound
Intro and Outro Music: The Light/Loving Caliber/Ooyy/ Epidemic Sound

Episode 9: The Strengths Within Refugee Communities

This World Refugee Day, we celebrate a superpower often overlooked in humanitarian systems: community.
In this episode of Between the Lines, host Mwara Namelok is joined by George Dralagar (Youth Voices Community) and Adior Ibrahim (COHERE), two refugee leaders building tangible, community-led solutions in Kenya.
Together, they discuss:
Why capacity strengthening must replace outdated ideas of capacity building
The structures refugee communities have already developed: from youth-run training hubs to mutual aid networks
How legal barriers and restrictive funding block genuine refugee participation
What solidarity truly looks like when it centres trust, not control

BETWEEN THE LINES: Who Gets to Lead? Localising Research Amidst Funding Cuts

In this episode, we head to Kakuma, Kenya, to explore the politics of localised research in the face of shrinking humanitarian funding. 
Our Storytelling Officer Devyani Nighoskar speaks with Franco Ohisa, a researcher and community leader, on what it really means to lead  and be heard  from within.
We discuss: 🔹 How funding cuts impact trust in research 🔹 The risks of extractive studies and broken feedback loops 🔹 Practical ways to centre refugee voices and leadership
Whether you're a humanitarian worker, donor, or field researcher, this conversation asks the tough questions about equity, power, and representation.
Don't forget to subscribe and share. Stay tuned for more episodes!
 
References: 
DRC: Localisation of Protection Programming in Garissa & Turkana, Kenya
Bridging Worlds: Insights From a Refugee Researcher
 
Music Credits: 
Pre-into music: The Remains of Hope /Magnus Ringlblom/ Epidemic Sound
Hook Music:  Elegy Unspoken/Rachel Sandy/Epidemic Sound; Audio clip from the protest in Kakuma Refugee Camp, courtesy of Franco Hisa
Intro and Outro Music: The Light/Loving Caliber/Ooyy/ Epidemic Sound

Carrying the Weight – Women’s Changing Roles in a Warming World

 In many parts of the world, women are forced to carry the weight of climate adaptation when men migrate in search of better livelihoods.
This episode is part of our Lines of Inquiry series – a behind-the-scenes look at how Samuel Hall approaches research on migration and displacement.
🎙️ In this episode, host Mwara Namelok speaks with Wendy Indira, an Area Coordinator at Samuel Hall, about the intersections of climate change, gender, and migration. Drawing on fieldwork from Kenya, Somalia, and Nigeria, they explore:
✔️ The hidden labour women take on in climate-affected communities ✔️ Why adaptation often falls disproportionately on women ✔️ How women’s knowledge and networks are shaping grassroots climate solutions ✔️ What policy shifts are needed to better support women on the frontlines of climate change
From pastoralist communities to urban settlements, this episode dives into real-world stories that challenge our assumptions and amplify women's resilience.
 
References: 
UNDP; Leading the Way: Women Navigating Climate Change, Mobility, and Resilience in Africa.
HABITABLE; Habitability and Adaptation to a Changing Climate: Impacts of climate change on agriculture and human mobility
GHANA
MALI
KENYA
⁠Coping With Climate Change — At Home & Away in Kenya⁠
Music Credits: 
Pre-into music: The Remains of Hope /Magnus Ringlblom/ Epidemic Sound
Hook Music: Torn from Your Embrace/Jon Bjork/Epidemic Sound
Intro and Outro Music: The Light/Loving Caliber/Ooyy/ Epidemic Sound

Behind the Metrics - What We Measure and Why

📊 What we measure shapes what we manage.  But do our metrics truly reflect the realities we aim to change?
 In this episode of the Samuel Hall Stories Podcast, host, Devyani Nighoskar goes Behind the Metrics with Marta Trigo Da Roza, senior Researcher at Samuel Hall to unpack how the metrics we choose shape the policies, programmes, and lived experiences of people in contexts of migration and displacement.
Together, they explore: ✔️ Why defining what we measure is crucial for effective policy ✔️ The hidden biases behind common metrics ✔️ How to ensure human stories aren’t lost in the numbers
With real-world examples from our research at Samuel Hall, this episode is for anyone curious about how data influences the way we understand the world—and how we can use it to drive real change.
 
Pre-into music: The Remains of Hope /Magnus Ringlblom/ Epidemic Sound
Intro and Outro Music: The Light/Loving Caliber/Ooyy/ Epidemic Sound
Break Music: No More Reason/Farrell Wooten/Epidemic Sound
 
Don't forget to subscribe and share. Stay tuned for more episodes!
 
Show notes:
Planning for Inclusive Urban Solutions in Afghanistan - From the Protracted Displacement in an Urban World Consortium
REF: South Sudan’s Decades of Displacement: Understanding Return and Questioning Reintegration
IOM: Unpacking the Realities of Displacement Affected Communities in Afghanistan Since August 2021
IOM - Development of a Monitoring Toolkit and Review of Good Practices for the Sustainable Reintegration of Child Returnees

From the Ground Up: Redefining Localisation with Refugees

In this special episode, we’re joined by Nhial Deng, a South Sudanese refugee and advocate, as he redefines localisation in the humanitarian sector. 
Nhial’s journey—from Kakuma refugee camp to winning the Global Student Prize—offers valuable insights on empowerment, local leadership, and meaningful refugee inclusion. Through Nhial’s story, we explore how humanitarian practices can evolve to genuinely work with the communities they aim to support.
Listen in to discover the steps needed for true localization, beyond consultations and into community-led action.
 
Show Notes: -⁠ Voices of Resilience Podcast: Na'amal⁠
⁠- Storytelling in Research with Refugees⁠
Pre-into music: The Remains of Hope /Magnus Ringlblom/ Epidemic Sound
Intro and Outro Music: The Light/Loving Caliber/Ooyy/ Epidemic Sound
Break Music: No More Reason/Farrell Wooten/Epidemic Sound
 
Don't forget to subscribe and share. Stay tuned for more episodes!

The Promises & Pitfalls of Digital Livelihoods for Refugees in Kenya

In Kenya, where over half a million refugees seek safety and opportunity, digital skills are emerging as a crucial pathway to self-sufficiency. But are these tech-driven solutions addressing deeper structural challenges—or just a quick fix?
 
In the latest episode of Samuel Hall Stories, host Mwara Namelok and Aol Jared, our Research Operations Manager, dive into years of Samuel Hall’s research on digital livelihoods to explore what’s working, what isn’t, and how barriers to access - including legal and infrastructural barriers continue to hold back progress.
We also tackle tough questions on exploitative work conditions in the digital economy, the promises of the new Refugee Act and the vital role of Refugee-Led Organisations (RLOs) in driving real change.
Tune in to hear practical and durable solutions for a more ethical, inclusive, and sustainable digital future for refugees.
Show Notes:
Digital Livelihoods for Refugees—Examples, Challenges, and Recommendations
WUSC & Mastercard Foundation: Market Assessment of Digital Employment Opportunities for Refugee Youth
This Refugee-Led Organisation is Championing Digital Skills in Kakuma
ILO – Towards decent work for young refugees and host communities in the digital platform economy in Africa
Championing Digital Livelihoods For Refugees In Kenya
Pre-into music: The Remains of Hope /Magnus Ringlblom/ Epidemic Sound
Intro and Outro Music: The Light/Loving Caliber/Ooyy/ Epidemic Sound
Break Music: No More Reason/Farrell Wooten/Epidemic Sound
Don't forget to subscribe and share. Stay tuned for more episodes!

Strengthening Localisation: The Value of Faith Actors in Humanitarian Work

In this third episode, we understand the role of faith actors within the Humanitarian sector.
Drawing from our research across Kenya, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Palestine, and Mozambique, with Islamic Relief Worldwide, this collaborative episode explores a vital question: How can faith actors effectively support local humanitarian and development efforts and strengthen localisation efforts?
Hosted by Devyani Nighoskar, our Storytelling and Communications Officer, the podcast features insights from our co-founder and principal researcher Dr. Nassim Majidi, and our research lead Juliette Samman.
Research Report: https://www.samuelhall.org/publications/islamic-relief-the-added-value-of-faith-actors-in-localisation-opportunities-and-barriers-in-humanitarian-action
Pre-into music: The Remains of Hope /Magnus Ringlblom/ Epidemic Sound
Intro and Outro Music: The Light/Loving Caliber/Ooyy/ Epidemic Sound
Break Music: No More Reason/Farrell Wooten/Epidemic Sound
Aidworker’s quote was read by a Voice Actor
Don't forget to subscribe and share. Stay tuned for more episodes!

Unpacking Resilience

In this second episode, we are unpacking the term ‘resilience’’ 
What is the meaning of resilience and why is it such a popular word within the humanitarian space? Does resilience as an umbrella term absolve organisations of accountability? Does it put the burden of recovery on individuals rather than focus on systemic issues ? Or is it simply a term to celebrate those who have overcome extraordinary challenges.
Tune in and listen as we navigate these questions  in this thought-provoking episode, hosted by Communications Intern Mwara Namelok and Samuel Hall’s co-founder, Herve Nicolle. 
 
Pre-into music: Daylight Soft - Music by Vladimir Sheshnev from PixabayIntro and Outro Music: Eco Technology - Music by Aleksey Chistilin from PixabayNews clip music: https://www.FesliyanStudios.comBreak Music: Chili Abstract - Music by Yurii Semchyshyn from PixabayResearch References:
On the Long Run: The Story of A (Refugee) UltraMarathon Runner: François Msafiri
Echoes of Change: How one Maasai Woman-led CBO is Empowering Women in The Face of Climate Change
Between Tradition & Transition: Gendered Perspectives on Climate Mobility Among the Maasai in Suswa, Kenya
https://www.samuelhall.org/publications/iom-amp-unep-nbspidentifying-climate-adaptive-solutions-to-displacement-in-somalia?rq=climate%20adaptive%20solutions
https://www.samuelhall.org/publications/iom-afghanistan-unpacking-the-realities-in-displacement-affected-communities-since-august-2021?rq=%20Displacement%20affected%20communities%20in%20afghanistan
Don't forget to subscribe and share. Stay tuned for more episodes!