From the Camp, For the Camp: Spotlighting UN Volunteers with UNICEF Youth on the Move
UN Volunteer Faisal Mahamoud (centre)
Dadaab is a place defined by constant motion; people moving, waiting, arriving. Established in 1991 for those fleeing civil war in Somalia, the refugee complex has become home to hundreds of thousands of displaced people. For many families, it is the only place they can now call home.
As of 31 January 2025, Dadaab hosted 419,155 people across 80,081 households. Refugees made up 67 percent of the population, while asylum seekers made up 33 percent.
For many, Dadaab is where life begins again. For Faisal Mahamoud, it is also where a lifelong sense of purpose began to take shape.
Born and brought up in the camp, he remembers humanitarian workers visiting his primary school. Watching them interact with students and support the community sparked a quiet ambition. One day, he hoped, he would have the opportunity to serve his community in the same way.
Now that ambition is no longer a dream—it’s a reality.
UN Volunteer Faisal Mahamoud with UNICEF Youth on the Move
From ambition to opportunity
The children Faisal supports today could easily have been him a decade ago. Working across education, youth development and child protection programmes in Dadaab, he helps young people turn ambition into opportunity, just as others once did for him. His volunteer assignment includes working with local partners to support early childhood education, psychosocial and mental health, child protection, flexible learning opportunities for out-of-school children and youth, and developing skills of young people.
Among the experiences that have marked his journey, one stands out. Through TAKE 5, Faisal supported the training of coaches, a global initiative that helps communities respond to mental health needs in humanitarian settings. Built on an initiative led by communities, the training has reached teachers, health care providers and child protection volunteers, who carry those skills back into the schools, health facilities and community spaces where they already work.
The camp’s greatest resource
“When we follow up, the results are beyond what we expected,” Faisal says. “The people we trained are now helping others in their own communities.”
Every time a young person from Dadaab steps forward to support others, Faisal sees proof that the camp’s greatest resource is its people.
For Faisal, volunteerism is not only about contributing his time and skills. It is about giving back while continuing to grow alongside the people he serves.
“Volunteerism means giving back to the community. It is a way of serving people while learning skills that help you grow personally and professionally.”
Growing up in Dadaab taught Faisal a lesson he now passes on to every young person he meets: circumstances are not destiny.
Having overcome the same obstacles many face today, he stands as proof that talent, determination and opportunity can take you further than anyone expects.
“If I made it, then everyone else can make it.”
He encourages young people to make the most of every opportunity available to them, particularly education, and to recognise that refugee status is one part of their story, not the limit of their future.
Youth Day 2026
As we mark International Youth Day 2026 under the theme Different Contexts, Common Aspirations, Faisal’s story is a reminder that young people may grow up in very different circumstances. Still, they share the same dreams: opportunity, dignity and the chance to write their own future.
The world too often sees refugee camps only through the lens of need. Faisal’s story tells us something different: they are also places of talent, ambition and leadership. From a child in Dadaab to a role model serving his community, he shows what becomes possible when determination is met with opportunity—in his words to young people: “If I can make it, you can too.”
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