The Ensemble Theatre Announces Celebration of Its 40th Anniversary “Dawn of a New Decade” 2016-2017 Season

HOUSTON, May 9, 2016 — The Ensemble Theatre and Artistic Director, Eileen J. Morris, announce the 40^th Anniversary season entitled: Dawn of a New Decade that will include one world premiere, three regional premieres, and an audience choice production selected by patrons in a variety of comedies, drama, and musical productions.

“Dawn of a New Decade expresses the pride of The Ensemble Theatre’s history of achievement and sustainability while bringing forth a rejuvenated zeal for the future,” says Morris. “This season lineup is a prism of perspectives on life; the way we respond to the unanticipated, recover from the unfortunate, and navigate unusual or unfamiliar things that help us grow as people….We are also paying homage to two women who paved the way for how we share our music.”

Sassy Mamas, a regional premiere, romantic comedy by Houstonian Celeste Bedford Walker kicks off the season with a little attitude as three friends, women of substance take the reins on their love life and pursue younger men; next is The First Noel, another regional premiere and musical production that follows three generations of family finding restored Christmas joy through an unexpected visitor; following up is a musical commemorating Black History and Women’s History month, Mahalia, a celebration of the life and music of one of the world’s greatest gospel singers, Mahalia Jackson; following next is the audience choice winner voted by The Ensemble Theatre patrons for a revival in the 40^th anniversary line up, a romantic comedy, The Nacirema Society, where the family of an Alabama debutant tries desperately to avoid media mayhem as the appearance of an old flame and the stirring of a young romance unexpected emerge; world premiere comedy/ drama, Front Porch Society brings a whirlwind of emotions to four little old ladies, ready to celebrate the victory of future President Barak Obama as news of a scandal at the local cemetery brings hope to one grieving the untimely loss of her son; and the season finale musical and regional premiere Simply Simone explores the complexities, activism, and talent of jazz virtuoso Nina Simone at pivotal moments of her life.

The Ensemble Theatre and Artistic Director, Eileen J. Morris….. “This season lineup is a prism of perspectives on life; the way we respond to the unanticipated, recover from the unfortunate, and navigate unusual or unfamiliar things that help us grow as people….We are also paying homage to two women who paved the way for how we share our music.” Photo: Meenu Bhardwaj, Freelance — The Ensemble Theatre and Artistic Director, Eileen J. Morris….. “This season lineup is a prism of perspectives on life; the way we respond to the unanticipated, recover from the unfortunate, and navigate unusual or unfamiliar things that help us grow as people….We are also paying homage to two women who paved the way for how we share our music.”
Photo: Meenu Bhardwaj, Freelance

General Auditions for the 2016-2017 Season will be held Friday, July 1 and Saturday, July 2, 2016 at The Ensemble Theatre 3535 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77002. For additional information and to schedule an audition appointment contact: Kedrick Brown, Artistic Assistant: theensemblecasting@gmail.com.

The Ensemble Theatre will honor celebrity guests, a rising star artist, and corporate and community supporters for their commitment to advancing the arts, during its Annual Black Tie Gala Weekend, Saturday, August 20, 2016, at the Hilton Americas- Houston. The gala is the largest fundraising event dedicated to the annual support of the theatre. The weekend festivities will culminate in a Community Subscriber’s Celebration Sunday, August 21, 2016.

The theatre’s 15^th Annual Golf Tournament is Tuesday, October 17, 2016 at the Northgate Country Club golf course. The tournament raises funds to support the theatre’s youth and educational initiatives including its touring education, artist in residency, and young performers training program.

The Ensemble Theatre’s variety of youth initiatives include: the Touring Education program, a mini season of children’s theatre available to schools and families; and The Young Performers Program, a performing arts education program that includes week-long sessions during winter and spring breaks, and two month-long regular sessions during the summer.

The Ensemble Theatre Act One Young Professionals, an organization formed five years ago to cultivate the theatre’s next generation of supports, will host a series of networking mixers, including two events in collaboration with other Houston Area young professionals: a February Black History Month Mixer, and an April, National Poetry Month showcase entitled: Drama-try[tree]: A Night of Dramatic Poetry.

The Ensemble Theatre’s 2016-2017 Season Includes:

Sassy Mamas

Regional Premiere

PG-13/ Romantic Comedy/ Some Adult Situations

By Celeste Bedford Walker

Directed by Eileen J. Morris

Previews: September 17, 18, and 21

Opening Night: September 22, 2016

Runs: September 22 – October 16

NAACP Image Award-winning playwright Celeste Bedford Walker brings a delicate touch to her depiction of women of a certain age in her romantic comedy, Sassy Mamas. A story about three women—yes, “cougars”—who confidently pursue younger men. These three friends, women of substance and life achievement, each finding herself in a uniquely single situation and decidedly takes a proactive approach to love. The younger men they’ve set their sights on come with their own unique situations that only add to the humor and antics!

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The First Noel

Regional Premiere

G/ Musical

Book, Music, and Lyrics by Lelund Durond Thompson and Michael Webb

Director and Choreographer Patdro Harris

Musical Direction by Carlton Leake

Previews: November 12, 13, and 16 Opening Night: November 17, 2016 Runs: November 17 – December 30, 2016

Audiences will have to bundle up as they enter this winter wonderland where beloved Christmas carols emerge as dynamic new songs, destined to become holiday favorites for a new generation. The First Noel is a heartwarming musical that follows three generations of a family affected by the tragic loss of a loved one, when an unexpected visit reveals some long-absent Christmas joy. It is a story about how a community is healed, one family at a time, as everyday people do extraordinary things to help one another receive the gift of love at Christmas time.

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Mahalia

Regional Premiere

G/ Musical

By Tom Stolz

Directed by Shirley Marks Whitmore

Previews: January 21, 22, and 25

Opening Night: January 26, 2017

Runs: January 26 – February 26, 2017

A joyous celebration of the life and music of the world’s greatest gospel singer: a humble, deeply religious woman whose expressive, full throated voice carried her from a three room shanty in New Orleans to international fame. The joy and inspiration of her heartfelt songs provide a counterpoint to the urgent messages delivered by her friend, Martin Luther King. Standing at his side, Mahalia Jackson became the musical voice of the civil rights movement. This harmonious tribute includes music by various gospel composers as well as hymns and

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The Nacirema Society

Winner of The Ensemble Theatre Audience Choice Selection PG/ Romantic Comedy/ Revival

By Pearl Cleage

Directed by Eileen J. Morris

Previews: March 18, 19, 21

Opening Night: March 23, 2017

Runs: March 23 – April 16, 2017

Every year since Emancipation, the Nacirema Society of Montgomery, Alabama introduces six elegant African-American debutants to a world of wealth, privilege and social responsibility. This year, at its 100th anniversary, with young love brewing, old flames simmering and national media attention on-hand. . . what would dare to go awry? Pearl Cleage, award winning playwright of Blues for an Alabama Sky and Flyin’ West, and New York Times best-selling author of the Oprah book club selection, What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day, invites you into this glamorous world where folks still dress for dinner. A sparkling romantic comedy!

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Front Porch Society

World Premiere

PG/ Comedy/ Drama

By Melda Beaty

Directed by Eileen J. Morris

Previews: May 6, 7, 10

Opening Night: May 11, 2017

Runs: May 11 – June 4, 2017

It’s November 4, 2008 in Marks, Mississippi, and America is on the eve of electing its first black president. But what does that mean to four elderly women in this rural town, especially Carrie Honey, the town’s “overseer,” as she grieves the anniversary of her son’s tragic death amidst the town’s excitement over Barack Obama. After years of failed attempts to seek justice, Carrie has grown bitter and no longer interested in life’s celebrations, until a scandal at the cemetery rocks this historic day, and a past secret is revealed that somehow restores her faded faith.

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Simply Simone Regional Premiere

PG/ Play with Music

Written by Robert Neblett and David Grapes

Musical Arrangement by Vince diMura

Director & Choreographer Patdro Harris

Musical Direction by Carlton Leake

Previews: June 24, 25, 28

Opening Night: June 29, 2017

Runs: June 29 – July 30, 2017

Nina Simone, from child prodigy; jazz superstar; civil rights activist; to political exile was one of the true divas of the 20th century and a genuine musical powerhouse; she defined a generation and defied classification. Her silky, soulful, and untamed, voice will put a spell on you. She’ll melt your heart; she’ll chill you to the bone. Simply Simone crosses genres from gospel to blues to Broadway to rock and roll, and features such definitive Simone classics as “I Loves You Porgy,” “The Look of Love,” “My Baby Just Cares for Me,” “To Be Young, Gifted, and Black” and “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.”

For information regarding subscriptions, tickets, group sales, and other theatre programing call The Ensemble Theatre Box Office: 713-520-0055 or visit www.EnsembleHouston.com.

The Ensemble Theatre was founded in 1976 by the late George Hawkins to preserve African American artistic expression and to enlighten, entertain, and enrich a diverse community. Thirty-eight years later, the theatre has evolved from a small touring company to one of Houston’s finest historical cultural institutions.

The Ensemble is one of a few professional theatres in the region dedicated to the production of works portraying the African American experience. The oldest and largest professional African American theatre in the Southwest, it holds the distinction of being one of the nation’s largest African American theatres owning and operating its facility and producing in-house. The late Board President Emeritus Audrey Lawson led the capital campaign for The Ensemble’s $4.5 million building renovations that concluded in 1997. The Ensemble Theatre has fulfilled and surpassed the vision of its founder and continues to expand and create innovative programs to bring African American theatre to myriad audiences.

Why Does Thuli Madonsela, South Africa’s Public Prosecutor, Fear for Her Life?

Few women command the same public respect in South Africa as Thuli Madonsela.

Madonsela, 53, holds the post of public protector in South Africa , an independent watchdog tasked with investigating government corruption and holding the most powerful people to account. South African President Jacob Zuma appointed Madonsela to the role in 2009 for a seven-year term, due to conclude in October.

Zuma may well regret that appointment. Madonsela’s highest-profile case has been the investigation of Zuma’s misuse of state funds in improving his sprawling residence at Nkandla, in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province. She authored a 2014 report titled Secure in Comfort , numbering more than 400 pages, concluding that the president had “benefited unduly” from the upgrades—which included a swimming pool and amphitheater and totaled an estimated 246 million rand (worth $23 million at the time)—and should be made to repay funds spent on non-essential security upgrades.

Prior to the 2014 report’s release—which came less than two months ahead of a general election that Zuma won convincingly—South African police reportedly threatened to arrest Madonsela, arguing that the report would constitute a breach of the president’s security. During the two years following its publication, Madonsela was ignored or insulted by the ruling African National Congress (ANC). Deputy defense minister Kebby Maphatsoe accused her of being an agent of the CIA , while former national police commissioner and ANC national executive committee member Bheki Cele said she must “stop acting like she is God.”

Madonsela was finally vindicated in March, however, when the country’s highest court ruled that Zuma had failed to uphold the constitution by ignoring Madonsela’s report. In its ruling, the Constitutional Court praised Madonsela and her office as “an embodiment of a biblical David” and Madonsela herself welcomed the judgement as having “restored hope in the constitutional dream.”

Madonsela’s public advocacy against corruption has earned her enemies, however, as she claimed to have been notified of a bounty against her life. The public protector told South Africa’s Sunday Times that she received a text message on April 1 from a trusted informant, telling her that a gang leader in the Western Cape region had been contracted to have her assassinated. Madonsela said she is “traumatized” by the plot, which she believes to be authentic, and has stopped jogging in the mornings as a security precaution. The anonymous informant also confirmed that 740,000 rand ($49,000) had changed hands for the hit, which was reportedly planned for May and would be made to look like a car accident.

The opposition Democratic Alliance party, led by Mmusi Maimane, has called on the South African Police Service to fully investigate the allegations, saying that public officials like Madonsela cannot “have threats made on their lives for acting in a manner that is too independent in an effort to root out government corruption.” The ANC is yet to comment publicly and was not immediately available when contacted by Newsweek . There is no evidence of a link between the Nkandla investigation and the alleged death threats against Madonsela, who has said she does not know the identity of those threatening her.

The incident highlights the costs that come with speaking out against corruption in a violent and sometimes unstable society like South Africa. It is likely that whoever replaces Madonsela come October will take on her mantle with more than a hint of trepidation.

Report: Shell evacuates Nigerian facility

Nigerian militants wreaked havoc on the country's oil sector in the 2000s (AFP Photo/Pius Utomi Ekpei) — Nigerian militants wreaked havoc on the country’s oil sector in the 2000s (AFP Photo/Pius Utomi Ekpei)

ABUJA, Nigeria, May 9 (UPI) — Nigerian media reported Monday a group calling itself the Niger Delta Avengers forced the evacuation of facilities in the area operated by Royal Dutch Shell.

Nigerian newspaper Vanguard reported subsidiary Shell Petroleum Development Corp. evacuated around 100 staff from an oil facility that was producing around 90,000 barrels of oil per day. The newspaper reported that a skeleton crew was left behind, though operations at the Shell facility were suspended.

Vanguard reported the militant group calling itself the Niger Delta Avengers forced the Shell evacuation. The group last week took credit for knocking pipelines controlled by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. and Chevron offline. The group said the attacks came after issuing an ultimatum to the Nigerian government about developments in the Niger Delta.

The Nigerian newspaper quoted a source close to the militant group as saying it was determined in its operations against state interests.

“They will cripple oil and gas supply to the country as long as government remains recalcitrant to their demands,” the source said.

There was no official statement from either the Niger Delta Avengers or Shell on the evacuations.

The Niger Delta Avengers in February launched a campaign it called Operation Red Economy. The purpose, it said, was to start a revolution aimed at wrestling the country away from the hands of the “wicked” administration of Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari.

Advocacy group Global Witness in March said Shell and its partners in Nigeria may have exposed shareholders to a high level of risk in a corrupt system. The advocacy group said oil production license 245 was sold in the late 1990s for $20 million to a company “secretly owned” by then Nigerian Oil Minister Dan Etete and later sold to Shell and Italian energy company Eni for $1.1 billion.

In March, Nigerian Petroleum Minister and Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. Emmanuel Kachikwu said the state oil company would be split up into dozens of distinct entities in an effort to address corruption and revenue losses.

What Canelo Alvarez’s knockout win over Amir Khan means for boxing

KEVIN LOLE /LAS VEGAS – Ever the showman, Canelo Alvarez raced to the ropes only seconds after knocking out Amir Khan with a perfectly placed right hand and asked Gennady Golovkin to enter the ring.

It was a positive sign that perhaps the most exciting big-money fight that could be made in boxing may come to fruition.

Alvarez retained the WBC middleweight title with the devastating knockout, which came at 2:37 of the sixth round before 16,540 rabid Alvarez fans at the new $375 million T-Mobile Arena.

Golovkin, who holds the IBF, WBA and interim WBC belts, is an undefeated knockout artist who is drawing huge ratings on HBO and a massive cult following. But he has been frustrated by his inability to coax one of boxing’s big names into the ring.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman allowed the Alvarez-Khan fight to proceed with the stipulation that the winner must fight Golovkin next.

Alvarez seemed to indicate that he’s ready to make the mega-bout. Promoter Oscar De La Hoya called T-Mobile Arena Alvarez’s new home, but invited Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to the fight. He said AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, was in the running to host the bout.

After celebrating his knockout briefly with members of his team, Alvarez ran to the ropes and shouted to Golovkin.

“I invited him into the ring,” Alvarez said. “Like we say in Mexico, ‘We don’t [expletive] around.’ I don’t fear anyone. We don’t come to play in this sport [and] I fear no one in this sport.”

When he got to the post-fight news conference, De La Hoya dramatically began shouting, as if Golovkin were still in the nearly deserted arena.

“Golovkin, make sure you answer your phone tomorrow morning,” De La Hoya said. “We will call you. We will call whoever deals for you.”

But sources told Yahoo Sports that even if De La Hoya makes those calls to Team Golovkin, there is momentum to make a rematch with Miguel Cotto.

Golden Boy promotes Alvarez and Roc Nation Sports promotes Cotto. Alvarez won the WBC belt from Cotto in November with an impressive unanimous decision.

Sources told Yahoo Sports that Golden Boy and Roc Nation came to terms on a grievance they had with each other that arose following the November fight.

Cotto had a 55-45 revenue split edge per contract in the fight, because he came in as the champion. But several days before the fight, Cotto dumped the belt because he was in a dispute with the sanctioning body over the amount he had to pay in fees.

So Alvarez, who paid the fees that night, could win it and Cotto could not. Afterward, when it came to splitting the revenues, Golden Boy wanted to change the 55-45 split in favor of Cotto since he was technically no longer the champion when the fight happened.

After they settled their dispute, Golden Boy and music mogul Jay-Z’s Roc Nation have made progress toward a rematch.

De La Hoya, though, insisted he was only focusing on Alvarez.

“I’m not thinking of anyone else but Triple-G,” De La Hoya said.

With the retirement of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, Alvarez has become boxing’s biggest star. Fans have pleaded for a fight with Golovkin for more than a year, but De La Hoya opted first to go with Khan.

Khan, who was fighting for the first time above welterweight, gave Alvarez a battle for most of the six rounds.

Alvarez was up on two of the three scores, leading 49-46 on Glenn Trowbridge’s card and 48-47 on Glenn Feldman’s at the time of the stoppage. Adalaide Byrd had Khan up 48-47, the same score as Yahoo Sports.

But Khan boxed beautifully for much of the night, using angles and controlling the distance to frustrate Alvarez. Alvarez was swinging and missing quite a bit in the early going, though it was clear his size and power were going to be major factors.

“If he didn’t adjust and change his game plan, [Khan] would have frustrated him the whole 12 rounds,” De La Hoya said.

Khan cracked Alvarez with a straight right that landed squarely on the chin and it had no impact on Alvarez. He just kept moving forward.

The reason the announcement of the fight with Khan wasn’t met with joy was obvious when Alvarez landed his first square right hand. The punch landed and Khan was looking at the lights in an ending eerily similar to the 2009 bout between Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton did.

Alvarez has gotten to the point in his career where he is bigger than the belt, so he’ll be able to dictate terms to Golovkin in things such as the purse split, the weight limit and the venue.

Loeffler’s strategy is to collect as many belts as he can while awaiting one of the sport’s big names, like Alvarez, to agree to face Golovkin. So if an Alvarez-Golovkin deal doesn’t get done, Loeffler will push the WBC to live up to his promise and strip Alvarez of the belt and give it to Golovkin.

“If we get all the belts, eventually if they want to fight for a title, they’re going to have to come to us sooner or later,” Loeffler said earlier Saturday.

Golovkin has been surprisingly patient as he’s sought one of the sport’s big names. He said he wasn’t worried so much about winning as getting into a battle of heart with Alvarez.

“I don’t care about the scorecards,” he told Yahoo Sports with a dismissive wave of his hands. “Let’s fight. Let’s go and see who forces who to back up. I want it to be a battle of wills and see what happens.”

Based on the way Alvarez looked much of the night against Khan, who was fighting for the first time at 155 pounds, it would be a long night against Golovkin.

It’s long past time for the fight to happen, though. Golovkin wants it. Alvarez wants it. And clearly, the fans want it.

It’s time for De La Hoya to do the right thing and make the biggest bout that can be made in the sport.

The People’s Club in Houston honors moms with surprise night ball – Spectacular photos

The joy of motherhood spreads all over North America as citizens celebrate the Mother’s Day Sunday today, May 5 2016. In Houston, The People’s Club of Nigeria International, an affluent Nigerian-based social club known for sophistication, charity, community support, and outreach treated their women to a night of love, honor, and happiness to mark the celebration. In attendance were; PCNI’s Patron and wife, Nze Dr. and Lolo Vincent Nwabeke; the Chairman and wife, Chief-Sir and Chief-Mrs. Nnanyelugo Obinna Mbachu; officials, and members of the club. These spectacular photos were recorded.

Houston: The People’s Club of Nigeria’s Mother’s Day Reception

Texas children tied outside had hundreds of scars, injuries

DALLAS (AP) — Two young children found chained and leashed outside a San Antonio home had suffered hundreds of scars and injuries from months, perhaps years, of abuse, a sheriff’s official said Friday.

Doctors who treated the children after they were found April 29 determined they had old injuries indicating a long period of abuse. One of them also was suffering from hypothermia and had a broken arm resulting from the way she was tied to a garage door using a dog leash, Bexar County sheriff’s spokesman James Keith said.

Authorities initially said the children were 2 and 3 years old, but Keith says they may be a year older.

“Unfortunately, child abuse is a major problem here, and in this case we’re just glad we were able to find these children before any further harm could occur to them,” Keith said, explaining that deputies went to the home after a neighbor called about a child who could be heard crying for hours.

The girl’s brother was found tethered to the ground by a dog chain that was clamped to his ankle. Several piles of human feces were found nearby, and the boy was wet, indicating he was left in the rain.

“There was obvious evidence that a switch had been used on the children,” Keith said, referring to a slim tree branch.

Keith said the two children, along with six others found alone inside the home, are in state custody. The six other children showed no apparent signs of physical abuse, but investigators are determining whether they may have suffered mental anguish, Keith said. Those children range from 10 months to 10 years old.

The mother of the two children found outside, 30-year-old Cheryl Reed, is charged with two counts of injury to a child with bodily injury and was being held Friday at the Bexar County jail. She was arrested Thursday at a San Antonio motel.

Keith said investigators are still trying to learn the relationship between Reed and two others who have been charged in the matter: Deandre Dorch, 36, accused of injury to a child by omission, and Porucha Phillips, 34, facing counts that include injury to a child by omission.

Phillips is the mother of the six children found in the home and Dorch is the father to some. Phillips, who is pregnant, is being held at the Bexar County jail, and authorities were searching Friday for Dorch.

Reed at some point left to travel to California where she needed to address a child-protective matter in that state, Keith said, and had promised to pay Phillips and Dorch, either for rent or to look after her two children. The couple became angry when Reed failed to pay, and Dorch may have threatened her, according to Keith.

It appears the trio moved with their children to San Antonio from California in November, he said.

Investigators do not know who tied up the two children found in the back yard, but Keith said they had been under the couple’s care since February.

It wasn’t clear if Reed had an attorney who could address the allegations against her, but an attorney for Phillips told the San Antonio Express-News that he had spoken only briefly with her.

“She’s just trying to figure out what happened, just like I am and the police,” Alan Futrell told the paper. “It’s too early to say anything.”

Kenya Says It Will Shut Down The World’s Largest Refugee Camp

A refugee stands with her son just outside a fenced perimeter at the sprawling Dadaab refugee camp in May 2015.

Kenya says it plans to shut down two refugee camps, including the world’s largest, due to security concerns. The announcement was swiftly condemned by human rights groups that say the move puts some of the world’s most vulnerable people at risk.

In a statement, the Kenyan government says it is working to expedite the closure of the Dadaab and Kakuma camps. They’re home to hundreds of thousands of refugees, the vast majority fleeing violence in neighboring Somalia.

The government has made such threats previously. Last year, it announced it was closing the camps but later “backed down in the face of international pressure,” CNN reports.

As NPR’s Gregory Warner reported last year, “With every new terrorist attack in Kenya, there’s another call to close Dadaab,” the world’s largest camp. Gregory says “the 23-year-old refugee camp is more like a small city than a tented village. More than 300,000 Somali refugees call it home.”

The statement from the Kenyan government on Friday said: “The Government of Kenya has been forced by circumstances to reconsider the whole issue of hosting refugees and the process of repatriation.” Here’s more:

“Under the circumstances, the Government of the Republic of Kenya, having taken into consideration its national security interests, has decided that hosting of refugees has come to an end.

“The Government of Kenya acknowledges that the decision will have adverse effects on the lives of refugees and therefore the international community must collectively take responsibility on humanitarian needs that will arise out of this action.”

It adds that the government has disbanded the Department of Refugee Affairs, which “works with humanitarian organizations looking after the welfare of refugees,” according to The Associated Press. It also is in charge of processing refugee registration, Human Rights Watch says.

The statement provided no details about a timeline or where the hundreds of thousands of refugees would go should the camps be closed.

It cited security concerns about the Al-Shabab militant group, which has carried out attacks in the country including the assault on Garissa University last year in the country’s northeast that killed 147 students.

However, according to Human Rights Watch, “officials have not provided credible evidence linking Somali refugees to any terrorist attacks in Kenya.”

The Two-Way spoke with 23-year-old blogger Nadifa Abdullahi in Dadaab, who hails from Somalia and was born in the camp.

“People call this place a refugee camp but me, I call it home, because this is where I grew up and where I learned everything,” she says.

She describes the scene at Dadaab after the news:

“You see when you’re walking the streets yesterday and today, it’s like people are so sad. And saying to each other, ‘Where are we going? When the government of Kenya told us to go, we don’t know where to go. What are we going to do?'”

Abdullahi adds that people in the camp are hoping Kenya will continue hosting them: “Please, don’t close us down. Don’t send us back…We are in their hands.”

Rights groups have swiftly condemned Kenya’s decision. “This reckless decision by the Kenyan government is an abdication of its duty to protect the vulnerable and will put thousands of lives at risk,” Muthoni Wanyeki, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes, says in a statement.

Wanyeki adds: “It could lead to the involuntary return of thousands of refugees to Somalia and other countries of origin, where their lives may still be in danger. This would be in violation of Kenya’s obligations under international law.”

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