Introducing Humans of Development: Kristina Bailey

The real people supporting refugee communities around the world

What is a common misconception about refugee communities?

I am Kristina Bailey. In my opinion, the two most common misconceptions in the US around refugees are that “they come and take our jobs”, and they are “let in” without vetting.

In reality, many of the jobs performed by these communities are ones that Americans don’t want and the vetting procedures are much stricter than for many others allowed to enter the US. Many jobs require difficult physical labor, long hours and working third shifts.

They are jobs accepted by refugees because some are not yet proficient in English, but they still need to provide for their families.

What drew you to refugee work—and what has kept you committed for over 25 years?

I grew up in a multicultural home shaped by compassion and curiosity. Two of my younger siblings—one biracial, one Indigenous Alaskan—were adopted, and our household was often filled with foster children and refugees and immigrants from around the world.

My father directed a refugee resettlement agency in North Carolina, and by high school, I was volunteering alongside him. When my parents later adopted two unaccompanied minors from Cambodia, I became deeply connected with the local Southeast Asian community.

That early exposure to diverse cultures and lived experiences sparked a lifelong commitment. While studying at American University, my parents were working in refugee camps in Thailand and Cambodia—work I would eventually join.

My first professional role was as a VISTA Volunteer at a refugee resettlement agency, followed by years serving immigrant and refugee communities through local NGOs in the US and through UNHCR globally. My masters degree led me to community development work in Costa Rica and a better understanding of how to best serve vulnerable communities.

Driven to understand the roots of displacement, I later left my job in the US and traveled to West Africa with my four-year-old daughter. That journey cemented my path. For over two decades, I’ve lived and worked outside the US, advocating for and supporting refugees. I remain committed to this work because the need is urgent— to build empowerment and resilience, and to help communities not just survive, but thrive.

What is an experience where you saw real, lasting change in a refugee community?

The best way to empower communities is to hear from them directly, and involve them in the decision making process from the very beginning.

I was involved in the development of Community Feedback and Response Mechanisms in multiple countries (including Kenya, Uganda and Bangladesh). While countries are usually quick to design these mechanisms, there is often the missing link in terms of how best to respond.

One communication method I found to be unique and effective was the monthly radio show I implemented in Dadaab, Kenya, on Fraud Prevention and Awareness. There was an existing radio show, run by refugees in the camps, which was a trusted source of communication by the refugee communities.

By speaking to the communities through this channel on a regular basis, I became known as a trusted resource, and as ‘The Fraud Lady’. Each month we asked the community members to suggest topics and would then respond to the community, including speakers from partners who were experts in those topics. The show became well known and effective as a communication strategy.

What are best practices when working with refugees?

If you have a population with limited education that is non-English speaking, communication methods need to be tailored to the audience.

In Rwanda, we designed a video on Resettlement and Fraud Awareness, using refugees as the actors in various scenarios, with voices dubbed in relevant languages. This was later shown in many camp 'waiting’ areas.

The key to communication with various communities is knowing your audience, their education and language levels, and also where they go for information and whom they trust as their information sources.

Looking forward, what are you optimistic about?

I am optimistic that despite all the budget cuts and the global restructuring of the humanitarian landscape, this is also an opportunity.

The “Humanitarian Reset” as it is now being called, has caused many organizations to revisit their entire structure and force a reprioritization exercise and global consolidation which, once the dust settles, will create new donors, new ideas and hopefully stronger support for collaboration between refugee and host community partnerships and allow an avenue for more communities to become self-reliant.

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