UNESCO and Buni Media have officially launched the project, “Animation Training for Refugee Youth in Kakuma,” an ambitious 15-month initiative that will train over 50 refugee youth – with a focus on young women and persons with disabilities – in animation, scriptwriting, voice acting, digital storytelling, editing and creative entrepreneurship. Through practical, industry-oriented training, participants will gain the technical and business skills needed to build careers in the cultural and creative industries while creating original digital content that reflects their experiences, aspirations and cultural identities.
At Buni Media, we believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to learn, create, and tell their own story. Through this project, we are investing in the next generation of storytellers and creators, ensuring that more voices are seen, heard, and celebrated.
Godfrey “Gado” Mwampembwa, internationally acclaimed Kenyan cartoonist, illustrator and animator, Buni Media
Located in northwestern Kenya, Kakuma is one of the world’s largest refugee settlements and home to people from more than a dozen nationalities. While rich in cultural diversity and creative potential, refugee communities continue to face significant barriers to education, employment, professional networks and participation in the creative economy. The project responds directly to these challenges by investing in young people’s creativity as a pathway to inclusion, resilience and economic opportunity.
Throughout the programme, participants will produce a series of animated stories inspired by issues affecting young people and refugee communities, including employment, governance, identity and social inclusion. By combining local storytelling traditions with contemporary animation and digital media, the project will amplify refugee voices while demonstrating how culture can foster dialogue, strengthen social cohesion and contribute to sustainable development.
The initiative also goes beyond technical training. Participants will receive mentoring, portfolio development, business and entrepreneurship training. A peer-to-peer learning model will enable graduates to train others within their communities, helping to create a sustainable ecosystem of creative talent in Kakuma even after the project concludes.
The project is funded through UNESCO’s International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD), the principal funding mechanism of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. The IFCD supports innovative projects that strengthen cultural and creative industries in developing countries by promoting skills development, entrepreneurship, inclusive participation and enabling environments for cultural expression. Since its establishment, the Fund has supported transformative initiatives worldwide that demonstrate the contribution of culture to sustainable development.
Selected through a rigorous international evaluation process, Buni Media’s project stands among a limited number of initiatives worldwide to receive IFCD support. The project exemplifies the transformative role that culture and creativity can play in expanding opportunities, fostering inclusion and strengthening sustainable livelihoods for refugee youth.
Implemented by Buni Media in partnership with the Solidarity Initiative for Refugees (SIR) and the Association of Animation Artistes Kenya (A3K), the project brings together industry expertise, community leadership and professional networks to ensure participants have access to training, mentorship and creative production facilities.
As Kenya continues to strengthen its creative economy, the initiative demonstrates how the cultural and creative industries can provide meaningful opportunities for some of the country’s most marginalized young people. The project will nurture the next generation of animators and digital storytellers as well as enable young people to shape their own narratives, celebrate their diverse cultural identities and contribute to more inclusive and sustainable development.
READ MORE: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-buni-media-team-train-youth-kakuma-refugee-camp-animation-storytelling?hub=701
