Northern Kenya, Kakuma and Loki

I have told you about both of these places before. However, it is just so amazing that I can sit, now in Oregon, and look at satalite photos of two of the most remote places on earth.



Kakuma, is a huge refugee camp. When I was there it streched for almost 12 miles along the river you see in the photo. The outlined area is roughly the Kakuma 1 camp. There were a total of three when I left in 2000. The total population of the camps was hovering around 100,000 or more.

The UN placed the offical numbers at less than 20,000. But just a short visit to the camp, and you realize that a lot more people live there.



Loki was just up the road a few hours drive from Kakuma. It was the site of the UN's World Food Program project in South Sudan. At one time this little airstrip, now paved, was the second busiest airport in all of Africa! With a flight taking off or landing on average of once ever 2.5 minutes.

For me it is really touching to remember all of the things that happened to me here. To look at this photo and remember the end of the runway, while we were turning around. Or "Kate Camp" near the river to the north.