We are about courage, confidence, and community, and we show up where we're needed most. Help us empower refugee girls and women, by donating to keep the van rolling.
You can make a change today, because All We want for Christmas is gender justice! 🎁
Help us keep going 🔗LINK IN BIO🔗
#EmpowerVan #SelfDefense #WomensRights #Community #DonateForGood
Today is the International Day of Elimination of Violence against Women. We took the opportunity to kick-off our Christmas Fundraiser. We’re raising CHF 17,000 to keep EmpowerVan Greece on the road in 2026.
🚐 A van that keeps moving.
🥊 Trainers who keep showing up.
💜Women who keep fighting for their safety, their voice, their future.
✨You can help us reach them.
Every donation helps keep the van moving from shelter to camp, bringing free self-defense training to the women who need it most. If you can, then donate. It truly changes for the better.
Help us start strong
🔗 LINK IN BIO!
What you see in this post is just a glimpse.
Behind every EmpowerVan training are long drives, shifting camp conditions, and the quiet, persistent work of building trust, even when no one shows up.
But EmpowerVan isn’t just a van or a class.
It’s a feminist mobile space. A moving message: You matter. You’re strong. You deserve to be safe.
We run self-defense trainings for women, by women at refugee camps where access to female solidarity is nearly nonexistent. We bring gloves, mats, and lesson plans, but what we really bring is presence. Community. Respect.
Sometimes the sessions are loud and full of energy.
Sometimes it’s just one woman who stops to have a conversation.
For us, both are a success.
This work is complex, often invisible, and deeply human.
And we can’t do it alone.
If you believe in what we do, if you want to support women standing up for other women, we’d love your support.
🟣💪 #EmpowerVan #FeministSolidarity #RefugeeSupport #WomenSupportingWomen #MobileSelfDefense #BeyondNumbers #Self-defense
In one month, we’ll be back in Kakuma Refugee Camp to launch the second phase of the violence prevention program. After eight months of planning, we are finally preparing to train 20 displaced women living in the camp as empowerment self-defense instructors, alongside 20 men who will become male agents of change in their communities.
This would not be possible without our refugee-led partner organizations United Safe Environment Creators and Girl Power Action Initiative.
Watch the full episode of the new Fractured podcast, where we discuss the reality of living in the Kenyan Kakuma camp. Link in bio!
#podcast #kenya #humanrights
In a BBC investigation, refugees have been found recruted by the greek authorities to violently push back new refugees coming in for an exchange of money and papers. This messed up turn around puts even more pressure on people in need. Push backs are illegal and any kind of violence must be stopped, not encouraged.
EmpowerVan condemns these actions. Human Rights and Dignity must be upheld for everyone.
Kenya, Kakuma camp. Watch the full episode of the new Fractured podcast featuring Claude Jonkmans, founder of EmpowerVan. Link in bio.
#kenya #refugees #podcast #humanrights #refocusmedialabs
New Fractured podcast episode is out! This time, we are discussing the Kenyan Kakuma - a place you will never hear of in the news. Link in bio! @empowervan
#refocusmedialabs #refugees #podcast #kenya #humanrights
In a recent Focused Group Discussion with refugee men in Kakuma participating in our Male Agents of Change training, we created space for an honest and nuanced conversation around cultural norms and their influence on gender roles.
One of the recurring sentiments shared was the Swahili saying “Mkosa mila ni mtumwa,” which translates to “One who lacks culture is a slave.” For many participants, this reflects the strong social pressure to conform to long-standing traditions often out of fear of judgment or exclusion by the wider community.
Some of the norms discussed included beliefs that a man should never engage in domestic responsibilities such as cooking and that paying dowry is seen as a form of “compensation,” reinforcing the idea that household roles are fixed and transactional. Others highlighted how certain expectations are not only upheld by men but are also internalized by women, where, in some cases, support from a partner may be perceived as a sign of weakness or even a lack of love.
At the same time, the discussion revealed important shifts in perspective. A younger participant shared that when he asked a woman whether she would welcome support from her spouse, her response was clear: she would appreciate it. This moment underscored a growing openness to rethinking traditional roles, particularly among younger generations.
These conversations are a critical step toward understanding the “why” behind deeply rooted practices, without dismissing the cultural contexts they emerge from. As we move forward, EmpowerVan will build on these insights through a Training of Trainers initiative with men creating opportunities for reflection, dialogue and the co-creation of more equitable norms that uphold dignity for both women and men.
Change begins with listening. And through continued engagement, it becomes possible.
Last weekend, women from our two February training groups in Kakuma Refugee Camp gathered once again, this time to reflect on the learned techniques, share with us barriers to protection and thus help us shape our programmatic activities.
At the compound of our partner organization USEC, almost 20 participants took part in a series of focus group discussions. What emerged from these conversations was both encouraging and deeply meaningful.
After participating in a single 8-hour training led by Claude and Tatjana, many of the women are already applying the techniques in their daily lives.
One participant shared a particularly powerful experience. While walking with another woman, she became aware of two men approaching them with harmful intent. Drawing on the awareness and skills gained during the training, she was able to assess the situation and respond. When the men attempted to rob her, she used a wrist-release technique to break free and successfully protect herself and her belongings.
Her story reflects not only the practical value of the techniques taught, but also the importance of awareness, confidence, and preparedness in situations of risk.
We are grateful for the openness and trust of all participants who contributed their perspectives during these discussions. Their insights are essential in guiding our work.
We look forward to returning to Kakuma in June with an adapted program, one that is directly informed by the experiences and feedback of the women and girls themselves. Our aim is to continue developing a participatory and context-specific approach to preventing gender-based violence in Kakuma Refugee Camp, located in Northwest Kenya, near the South Sudanese border.
