for Lasting Change
through research, education, innovation and policy advocacy.
Advocacy Local Ownership.
experience-empowering communities to co-create solutions that last.
is a community-led research and development organization based in Dadaab, Kenya. Founded in 2020 by refugee and host community graduates, DRA empowers local communities through research, education, policy advocacy, and capacity building. We produce evidence-based solutions that strengthen humanitarian action and promote sustainable development through local leadership and collaboration.
Evidence-Based
Research & Data
Policy
Advocacy
Community-Led
Participation
Capacity
Building
Partnering with DRA has fundamentally shifted how we understand the complexities of protracted displacement. Their researchers across Ifo, Dagahaley, and Hagadera deliver highly granular, actionable data that external studies simply cannot replicate. They are not just field data enumerators; they are true co-investigators co-authoring rigorous research that meets international academic standards.
Before DRA was established, I constantly watched external institutions arrive with pre-formed frameworks, extracting knowledge from our community without ever sharing the findings back with us. After becoming one of the 87 community members trained in data literacy and research ethics, everything changed. Today, we shape the questions, analyze the data, and write the policy briefs that influence decisions about our own lives.
Navigating the immense barriers between a refugee camp and post-secondary education felt nearly impossible, especially for marginalized youth and learners with disabilities. The structured scholarship mapping and mentorship provided by DRA, in coordination with AHEEN's RDP Pathways program, directly drove our community's 18% increase in university enrollment. They don't just study the educational gap—they build the bridge.
45
Total Documented Studies
87
Community Researchers Trained
500+
Active Community Members Engaged
