My name is Campos, a Congolese man aged 27.
I am in Kakuma Refugee Camp here in Kenya because of the persecution of lgbt people in my home country, and in many parts of Africa.
My story from 2014, my second year at university.
I was a mechanical technician back in my home country, Goma-Congo. 2014 was my second year at university. I started to develop feelings towards my gender. I was shy and reluctant to date anyone, wondering who I could trust.
Eventually, I got to know Samson, who became a good partner to me for a while.
From June 2018, life got better
In June 2018, Nsimbe Construction Company in Goma offered me a position as a tower crane technician. There, I enjoyed life and earned good money.
In July of the same year, I developed feelings for my worker mate Reagan. He was a storekeeper, a tall, handsome, good-looking guy with beautiful round eyes.
He played hard to get, but finally, I hit the jackpot, and we became close. We enjoyed our relationship until the day unfolding events changed my life beyond what I had ever imagined.
How it all fell apart
On a Sunday, l received a call from my workplace requesting me to attend to an emergency. I duly responded. During weekends at the work site, most workers were off. Reagan wasn’t. He was on a seven-day shift. After dealing with the urgency, I went into the stores to see Reagan
We ended up having some sexual fun.
Unfortunately, the assistant storekeeper, Sarah, walked in on us while we were compromised. She raised the alarm, and the security guards quickly arrived. I took off, but the security guards shot Reagan in the leg – one of the many examples of the persecution of lgbt people.
My life became a hard struggle
I ran to my friend Muzamir’s home. He was a truck driver and allowed me to spend two months hiding at his place. One day he had to leave to drive to Busia. He thought it was best to take me because I was being hunted everywhere.
He dropped me at his friend’s place, where I spent two more weeks. But the friend claimed I would spoil his kids and reputation by being there, so he chased me away.
I became homeless, and life was a hard struggle. Eventually, I asked a taxi driver where to find the Red Cross.
Arriving at Kakuma Camp
Subsequently, I was accepted at Kiatle and taken straight to Kakuma refugee camp.
Early in camp, I became friends with people of the same sexual profile. Life isn’t good here because we go days without enough to eat. Other camp residents and camp authorities hate us being here. We are attacked and beaten. They destroy or damage our shelters, we are denied timely medication and attention, and we suffer continuous discrimination.
Right now I reside in the same shelter as my friend Ratif.
We consistently report situations when others discriminate against us, especially when queuing for food rations and collecting water. Nothing gets done, and the people doing it are allowed to get away with it.
For the past two years, UNHCR has promised tangible solutions to our collective LGBTQ+ situation, but we are still waiting. The persecution of lgbt within our camp continues unabated.
Thank you for taking the time to read about my life. I appreciate your attention.
