The Light Bearers: Rohingya Youth in Action

It has been seven years since the Rohingya influx in Bangladesh. For seven years, around a million people have been living in the makeshift camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. While their status as forcibly displaced citizens of Myanmar has not changed, their life went on. Families expanded as new members joined, and many children have stepped into their youth. All in the premises of the confined and overcrowded camps. 

While working in the Rohingya Response, I have seen a lot of suffering, but I have seen even more untapped potential, especially among the Rohingya youth. Unlike youths all over the world, refugee youth living in refugee camps often do not get the opportunity to spend their time in school or universities trying to build a better future for themselves. Mostly, these youth see their potential wasting away, and their dreams being shattered in the face of a protracted crisis. Unfortunately, this is what resembles the Rohingya youth in the different camps in Cox’s Bazar, who, despite their wit and intelligence, have to either remain idle or be involved in very small informal economies within the camps, like assisting in tea stalls. 

Abdullah* a young, spirited youth, works part-time as a volunteer in an INGO in Balukhali Camp. While talking to him for a research that I was involved in, I found out that he came to Bangladesh in early 2018 with his parents. He was 15 years old when he fled Myanmar. In Myanmar, he was about to finish middle school and his best subject was Science. After coming to Bangladesh, he did not do much, except for sometimes working as a porter to help elderly people carry aid. Recently, he had found a job as a volunteer and his parents were thinking of getting him married soon.

People like Abdullah hold power within them to be the catalysts of change, which can be invaluable in the camp context in Cox’s Bazar. In the Rohingya camps, refugee youth often act as first responders to sudden disasters like fires and floods. However, their voices are frequently marginalized both within their communities and beyond. A 2022 NRC survey shows that most youths feel excluded from humanitarian decision-making processes concerning the aid and services they receive. The refuge conditions of the Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, pose various difficulties for them, and their problems and vulnerabilities are exacerbated by the climate change and disasters. Young people are especially at risk, as they have scarce opportunities for education, livelihoods, and protection. 

A big challenge Rohingya people face in the camps is the lack of electricity. Considering Bangladesh is already grappling with an electricity crisis, providing this essential resource to over a million Rohingya refugees seems a formidable task. Therefore, it appears unlikely that electric connection will be established for general use in the camps anytime soon. People in the camps will most likely be depended on solar panels, as they currently are. 

Solar panels, though initially costly, can last up to 30 years if properly maintained. Unfortunately, the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar are prone to extreme weather conditions, including heavy monsoon and flooding, which poses a risk to the longevity of solar panel systems. In addition to that, during the spring season in Bangladesh, fire often breaks out in the camps which can damage solar panels directly or indirectly through smoke and ash accumulation. Despite these, however, solar panel systems remain a great source of renewable and sustainable source of energy. And Rohingya youth can play an important role in promoting and prolonging sustainable energy practices in the camps.

Imagine Rohingya youth trained in the installation and maintenance of solar panels, equipped with the knowledge to harness the power of the sun, and bring light to their communities. With the skills to safeguard and reinstall the panels, when necessary, they can be the guardians of this sustainable energy source, even amidst extreme weather events and disasters. These young individuals can also raise awareness about sustainable energy use and train others in the community on how to maintain Solar panels and make them last for a long time. In fact, it can also be possible to train them to build small solar panel systems for personal use, so that they can be self-reliant. The potential impact of such initiatives goes far beyond merely lighting up the camps. At a time, when the world is realizing the importance of sustainable energy and its effect on climate change, it will be inspiring to see Refugee youth a step ahead rather than being left behind. 

Overall, in the wider context of forced migration, the story of Rohingya youth adopting renewable energy projects can reflect a bigger picture. The skills acquired through projects like solar panel installation and maintenance can open doors to alternative livelihoods, education, and personal development. This way young Rohingya individuals can evolve from being victims, who are vastly depended on aid, to agents of social change. Most importantly, however, they can overcome the feeling of hopelessness and continue to dream. 

*Abdullah is a pseudonym

About the author: 

Oyessorzo Rahman Chowdhury Prithibi is a humanitarian analyst pursuing a part-time master's, at SOAS University of London, in Humanitarian Action. She has been working in different humanitarian crises for 6 years. She is mostly interested in analysing issues around conflict, protection, and social and gender norms. She is immensely passionate about Accountability to Affected Population (AAP).

This article is part of the IOM Blog Series: Youth Voices on Migration, Environment and Climate Change