00:00The people in this refugee camp in Northern Angola fled war at home in the Democratic Republic of Congo eight years ago.
00:09They have left behind the violence there, but the situation here is getting difficult.
00:14They get maize flour, a packet of salt and beans. This is all they have for two months.
00:21There's not enough to eat. It's simply not enough to fill us up.
00:24Organizers record what supplies they are able to give to the 6,000 refugees here.
00:34But it's getting tight for especially the most vulnerable.
00:41I have no husband. We have to talk about the food. It's simply not enough food.
00:46Joseph is a qualified electrician. He lives with his family and two orphans they took in. They are seven.
00:58I could work, but there isn't any work for me here. There isn't even electricity in the camp.
01:05Rations provided by the United Nations World Food Programme are half of what they used to be.
01:11The oil and soap rations have been cut completely.
01:15Many of the donor countries have dramatically reduced their aid.
01:19The U.S. in particular, but also many European countries.
01:23Humanitarian budgets this year are at an all-time low, despite rising need.
01:30Espinola Caribe is head of the World Food Programme in Angola.
01:34He admits what they are offering is not enough for people to survive on.
01:39Funding is a serious challenge that we are facing.
01:46But we cannot abandon those refugees.
01:49There is a lot of work that has been done when the refugees start coming here.
01:55And abandoning them in the halfway is not the right way to do.
02:01They have secured land for the refugees to grow their own food.
02:06The whole area is for about 300 families to grow on.
02:11Mama Anto, who lives in the camp, is responsible for the project.
02:15At some point, the food aid may stop altogether.
02:23Then what should we do?
02:24We have to farm for ourselves.
02:27Everyone who gets a piece of land here works hard to help their families and the community.
02:32She says each of the families gets a hectare to work on.
02:38The land is far from the refugee camp, but it gives them some self-sufficiency.
02:46We're not just growing rice.
02:48There are bananas and manioc.
02:50And we're also growing maize.
02:52We can't just eat rice.
02:53Growing on their own is the only other alternative to aid.
03:01The refugees are not allowed to get a job.
03:04The land they are farming has been provided by the Angolan government.
03:07You need to get government clearance.
03:13And then you need to engage the community to make sure that there is a community
03:18buy-in and acceptance before the refugees get land and then they start the work.
03:27And you need to make sure that also the community is not excluded from that.
03:34People living near the refugee camp also need help.
03:38It's a poor area with few opportunities.
03:42They benefit from the projects here.
03:44Local children go to the refugee camp school and some of their parents receive job training.
03:52Soba Monquambo is the leader of a small village nearby.
03:56Five of the 80 people in the village work with refugees keeping beehives.
04:03We've had two harvests already.
04:05That's very good for us.
04:06Honey is like medicine.
04:08Honey feeds our children.
04:09Honey improves our lives.
04:10In the early evening, these two new beekeepers make their rounds.
04:21I didn't know how all this worked.
04:24But the World Food Programme taught me.
04:27I love working outside.
04:29I like working a lot.
04:33I learned it even at my age.
04:36I can support my family with the honey.
04:44The aim is to train more people and build more beehives.
04:49More honey for themselves, the community and even to sell.
04:55They feel they are contributing to save their dignity.
05:00Even though the border is not far away, the refugees don't want to go home.
05:12They want to stay here with their new neighbors.
05:15They are all focusing building a new future for themselves.
05:19I know.
05:19I know.
05:20Thanks.
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