We Name Ourselves

Dzaleka Refugee Camp, is under-resourced and over-populated. Once Malawi’s high-security prison, it now shelters over 53,000 displaced people from war-torn countries like the DRC, Burundi & Rwanda.

Amidst ruins and neglect, a group of teenagers turn to spoken word poetry as a way to navigate a world with the odds stacked against them. Their hopeful voices echo through the relentless monotony of daily life, expressing universal human emotions and questions.

​But once a year, the Tumaini Festival transforms the camp into a vibrant celebration, drawing over 50,000 attendees. For a brief moment, it shatters the harsh reality of camp life and brings them out of the shadows.