Mombasa Beach

Hawa Hassan’s Journey From Refugee to Celebrated Chef and Author

"Described as one of the biggest and oldest refugee camps in the world and located in a beach town in Mombasa, Kenya, the camp felt like a communal, bustling place where neighbors gathered over tea and shared meals each night. Families set up small businesses—Hassan’s mother opened a dry-goods stall using money from her husband—and people spent their days and nights having conversations about next steps, schooling, and resettlement options; the environment was characterized as supportive and social, “like one long sleepover,” even as individuals faced the uncertainty of separation and relocation." - Kat Kinsman