Trapped, Stuck, or Home-Buduburam Refugee Camp, Ghana

"So, if the war in Liberia is over, why are there still 10,000 refugees in Ghana?"

Buduburam refugee camp was once home to about 40,000 Liberians that fled during the war years, 1991-2003.  It is now home to about 10,000 Liberian refugees and some Ghanaians and Ivorians. Many of the refugees have no means of getting home, some that have the means to get home cannot leave, and others feel that Buduburam is their home.

Trapped

When the refugees arrived in Ghana, they were issued refugee ID cards by the United Nations (UN). These cards ensured that the refugees would have a paid passage back to Liberia when the war ended. Children under 5 were not given cards because it was assumed that the parents could carry them during the journey; those children are now 25. Others were not given cards because they never registered or they came after the time that the UN was registering asylum seekers.Those without their card and without money to make their way back are now trapped. 

Stuck

Some refugees in the camp have the means to make the journey to Liberia with their family, but they choose to stay. They have the means because they are educated and have a job, maybe as a teacher. They either have the money or they have their ID card. But what would happen if all of the teachers left the schools and returned to Liberia? What would happen if all of the educated community members and skilled laborers left the camp? If those that lead the community returned to Liberia, they would leave behind a shattered community. They are stuck.

Home

Some refugees don't want to leave because they see Buduburam as their home. Many children came here when they were too young to remember Liberia; thousands of others were born on camp. Although their lives here have not been easy, they have still grown to know Ghana as their home. They know the camp and how it works. They know how to ask volunteers for money; they know how to survive. Why would they leave the world as they know it for the uncertainty of Liberia? The cruel realities and harsh living conditions of Buduburam are their home.

Thanks to everyone who has reached out to me to offer me support while I'm here. I've almost fully recovered from malaria and have started running again.