We’re introducing you today to our new blog post series, focused on our recent production of SandBox, a unique six-part drama series that explores the lives of refugees in the world’s largest refugee camp, Dadaab, in Northeastern Kenya. As part of FilmAid’s long-standing work in Dadaab, SandBox was made in conjunction with the refugee community members, to address health and social issues, as well as entertain the masses.
As we go through these series of blog posts over the next few months, we’ll introduce you to some of the people who worked on this production and take you behind the scenes to understand the challenges and opportunities that existed while filming in Dadaab. To start off the blog post series, let us tell you a little about the story of SandBox, and how its story addresses a number of issues affecting those who live in the camp, such as early marriage, gender-based violence (GBV), conflict resolution, and much more.
SandBox is a drama series, which examines the daily lives of those people who live in Dadaab. The production weaves the stories of many refugees into a single, cohesive narrative. One of our main characters is Abdi, a young man whose quest for resettlement ends abruptly. His best chance of making a life now is by getting married to his sweetheart, Farhia, and becoming a family man. However, Abdi becomes an outcast in his community after he saves his little sister from early marriage. Meanwhile, Sarai is a new entrant into Dadaab. She has come to work for an NGO addressing child protection. Sarai arrives on a white horse, believing she has what it takes to ‘save’ these people from themselves and their ‘backward beliefs’. But Sarai is about to come face to face with reality. Can she truly adjust and be of use in Dadaab? Or does she discover this isn’t for her, after all?
Stay tuned for more updates on the SandBox series over the next few months and check us out on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to stay in touch for #SandBox updates.
If you’re interested in learning about more refugee stories straight from the camp, check out our Dadaab Stories interactive website, which brings the power of refugees’ voices directly to your computer.
And as always, if you’d like to support FilmAid’s training and empowerment of local filmmakers, producers, writers, and actors, click here to find out how you can help.
Yvon Ngabo