The roaring engines frightened away countless animals as the convoy sped across the plains, kicking up a cloud of dust. The armed military vehicles dispersed throughout the convoy quickly discouraged any would-be attackers. On this land, heavy firepower was far more effective than the UN flag.
Soon, the convoy stopped at the entrance of a large camp made up of tents and makeshift shelters.
Matthew was the first to get out of the car, followed by Emma Watson, who jumped out from the other side. She stood there, staring in awe at the seemingly endless refugee camp.
"What's wrong?" Matthew asked as he walked up beside her, concerned. "Was the ride too rough?"
Emma Watson shook her head and replied, "This is my first time seeing a refugee camp." She could see some raggedly dressed people moving around in the camp. As a nineteen-year-old with a strong sense of compassion, her sympathy was much stronger than Matthew's. "They look so pitiful."
Matthew didn't respond. Unlike Emma, who was visiting Africa for the first time, Matthew had already donated a significant amount of resources to African refugees, women, and children. He was far more familiar with the harsh reality of the situation.
Things were much more complicated than they appeared, but for the moment, Matthew didn't know how to explain it.
At that moment, the media crew traveling with them sprang into action. Not far from Matthew, a female reporter and her cameraman had already begun filming, using the refugee camp as their backdrop.
"In all of Africa, there are around 2.4 million refugees spread across 22 countries, living in over 200 refugee camps. Many refugees, after fleeing their homes and arriving at these camps, lack any means to support themselves and are almost entirely dependent on international aid..."
"So many people?" Emma Watson overheard the reporter and asked Matthew, "Can they really survive on international aid alone? Eventually, even the international organizations won't be able to keep up. Why don't they try to become self-sufficient?"
Matthew shook his head. "I'm not sure about other places, but Dadaab isn't just home to Somali refugees."
"Huh?" Emma Watson was curious. "Isn't this camp specifically for Somali refugees?"
"Well… they say there are a lot of Kenyans here too," Matthew replied, shaking his head slightly.
Emma looked even more confused. "Isn't Kenya one of the most stable and prosperous countries in East Africa?"
Matthew, not wanting his own biases to influence Emma, chose not to explain in detail and instead said, "Let's take a look inside first. You'll understand more after seeing it for yourself."
At that moment, Gutierrez's assistant came over to call for Matthew, while staff from UNICEF came to find Emma.
The UN team had been split into two groups—one consisting of UNHCR and the World Food Program, and the other composed of the World Health Organization and UNICEF.
Matthew, of course, joined the first group, led by Gutierrez, with Matthew and him at the front of the procession, followed by security personnel and a large number of journalists.
As they entered the refugee camp, the group walked along a path between the tents. The camp management had made efforts to prepare for their visit, so at least the dirt road was relatively smooth.
Gutierrez, now the UNHCR's high commissioner, was the highest authority in charge of the refugee camp. With aspirations to one day become the UN Secretary-General, he took this field inspection very seriously.
Similarly, Matthew needed to maintain his image as a philanthropist and social activist. Walking beside Gutierrez, he kept a serious expression.
Putting on a public act was second nature to him by now.
As they passed a grandmother and grandchild weeping after their food was stolen, Matthew made a point of calling over a translator to ask about their situation and promptly helped them resolve the issue.
Naturally, this was all captured by the cameras.
Even if the political journalists weren't eager to film it, Helen Herman had already arranged for a team to blend in with the UN media group.
With help from UNHCR, that was easy enough to arrange.
Matthew prided himself on his high moral standards. Doing good deeds should be publicized—after all, it could inspire more people to do the same, right?
If you're going to put on a show, might as well go all out.
Under the watchful eyes of numerous cameras, Matthew continued by visiting several tents.
He saw children sharing small amounts of food covered in dust and dirt...
He saw refugees standing in line under the scorching sun, waiting for food distribution...
Together with Gutierrez, Matthew made his way through a small section of the refugee camp, focusing on asking about the living conditions of the elderly, children, and women.
In particular, Matthew even pulled out a notebook and jotted down the information the translator relayed to him.
The reporter named Old Wang, always sharp-minded, seized an opportunity. While Matthew was busy questioning a young African child, Old Wang raised his handheld camera and captured a shot of the notebook in Matthew's hand.
"What did you capture?" Xiao Li noticed and leaned in. "Any top-secret content?"
Old Wang replayed the footage, showing a notebook filled with detailed records of various supplies and needs. He sighed and whispered to Xiao Li, "Even knowing it's all for show, you can't help but admire the effort."
He handed the camera to Xiao Li. "Take a look for yourself."
Xiao Li glanced at it and said, "It's not just for show; he's actually doing something." After a brief pause, he added, "Old Wang, whether or not he's doing it for fame, his actions…"
He pointed at the gray tents of the refugee camp. "They're genuinely helping these people."
Suddenly, the group came to a halt. Ahead of them, hundreds of black refugees blocked the path. The security personnel accompanying them grew tense, and the translator quickly stepped forward to communicate.
"What's going on?" Old Wang stopped in his tracks. "Are the locals causing trouble?"
Having worked in Africa for many years, Old Wang knew that many so-called refugees weren't truly refugees.
Xiao Li was also puzzled. He stood on tiptoe to see what was happening and spotted Matthew Horner walking up to the crowd. After the translator spoke a few words, the refugees seemed to grow quite emotional.
Many journalists rushed forward to capture the moment on camera. Old Wang and Xiao Li hurried after them and soon understood the situation.
It turned out that these Somali refugees had received a large amount of aid from Matthew Horner's charity foundation over the past few years. Some of their children might not have survived if not for the timely intervention of Matthew's Women and Children's Foundation.
These refugees had come specifically to express their gratitude to Matthew Horner.
Watching Matthew embrace the refugees one by one, even picking up a small child and conversing with several elders without hesitation, Xiao Li instinctively raised his camera and captured it all.
"This is real charity," he muttered as he clicked away. "Even if it's for show, when so many people are genuinely grateful, he's a true philanthropist."
Old Wang, also filming with his handheld camera, nodded in agreement. "This foreigner certainly makes you see him in a new light."
Xiao Li added, "And then look at our domestic stars—the difference is huge."
"Careful, that line of thinking isn't good," Old Wang admonished, still filming. "You don't want to seem too foreign-obsessed."
Xiao Li turned to Old Wang and said, "I'm just being honest. Is there any celebrity in our country who does what Matthew Horner does? Has any of them come all the way to Africa to do charity work?"
Old Wang shook his head. "Why should we do charity in Africa? Our priority should be helping our own people. Let these foreigners worry about the Africans."
Hearing this, Xiao Li was momentarily taken aback, then grinned and gave Old Wang a thumbs up. "Good point!"
He then sighed, "But some of these Africans…"
As someone passed by, Xiao Li thought better of continuing and fell silent.
Standing among the hundreds of refugees grateful for his help, Matthew allowed the reporters to take as many pictures as they wanted. This wasn't something prearranged—it was the result of years of his two foundations providing significant relief to these people. Compared to the UN's charity organizations, Matthew's charity and the Women and Children's Foundation operated on the principle of providing emergency relief, rather than long-term dependency. They had saved many lives, especially children on the brink of death.
These people were genuinely thankful.
True, Matthew's philanthropic efforts were highly calculated and far from purely altruistic. He was certainly the kind of person that purists would scorn, but no one could deny that the significant funds from his foundations had helped countless people.
Since he had made such an effort, Matthew naturally sought some return.
So, as he posed for photos in the midst of those he had helped, creating newsworthy moments and enhancing his public image, Matthew felt no guilt.
After all, this recognition was the result of his hard work.
Once the photos were done, Matthew and Gutierrez bid farewell to the refugees and continued deeper into the camp. Compared to his previous visit, the Dadaab refugee camp had grown significantly.
Moreover, Matthew noticed some unusual situations in the camp and overheard various discussions, but he chose not to comment.
Even with the UN maintaining order, the camp was far from a peaceful place.
Words like "identity verification," "partner organization," and "credible fear" were terms Matthew frequently overheard.
The Dadaab refugee camp is the largest in the world. Established by UNHCR in 1991 to accommodate Somalis fleeing civil war, it had since grown into a sprawling settlement.
Over the
years, the camp's bureaucratic institutions had become as suffocating as the oppressive heat.
Now, besides the Somalis who couldn't return home, the camp was also filled with many Kenyans. Somehow, many legally registered Kenyans had ended up being counted as Somali refugees.
But this was not a problem Matthew could solve. He wasn't naive enough to believe that asking a few questions would magically fix things.
If even UNHCR couldn't solve these issues, there was no way he could.
After a tour of the refugee camp, the group drove to a nearby town close to the Somali border, where they visited children displaced by the war.
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