Covered in sleeping bags or lying side by side on the floor are survivors of the Rwandan genocide, war refugees from Somalia, youngsters who have escaped with their lives from Congo, and asylum-seekers from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Liberia, the Ivory Coast, and Sierra-Leone.

Dozens of men who have escaped their country, living proof of the continuing tragedy of the Dark Continent, are living in unbearable conditions in two emergency shelters that have recently been established in the center of the country. They are all being taken care of by the African Refugees Development Center (ARDC), an organization that was established four years ago by a group of African refugees and Israeli activists.

“We are the voice of the African refugees and our purpose is to help them survive here for the first few days because the government does not do anything for them,” said Johannes Bayo, 35, the chairman of the organization.

Bayo, who goes by the name Johnny, arrived in Israel in 2002 from Ethiopia after years of persecution by the government. His father and brother escaped the country, and when he began to fear for his own life, he walked across the border into Kenya and from there took a flight to Israel. “The reality here was a bitter disappointment,” Bayo said. “I thought I was coming to a democratic country where they would protect my rights and help me survive, but my struggle had only begun.”

Bayo’s Sisyphean attempts to secure lodging brought him together with people in similar situations. In 2003, after thirty, mostly Ethiopian and Eritrean refugees gathered around him, he began a struggle against Israel’s disregard of the UN's refugee principles which guarantee protection according to the Geneva Convention.

“We went on a hunger strike for 23 days in front of the Refugee Commissioner’s office, and only then did they decide to listen to us,” he said. “Today I have temporary resident’s status and can work and live like a human being. This struggle taught me that we have to band together in order to take care of ourselves. Otherwise, no one will take care of us.”

'We are forced to turn people away- and it breaks our hearts'

Four years after Bayo received recognition of his status, he admits that he never imagined his present reality. In the two emergency shelters that the organization established and which he leads, there are over a hundred African refugees, all men, and the stream consistently grows. The men share two bathrooms and one small shower, and since they do not have windows or suitable ventilation most of them assemble in the small yard at the front of the building.

'We are the voice of the African refugees'

“Due to the fear of the authorities, they can only congregate here, in the three-square meter garden,” said Alice Nagala (28), coordinator of the organization’s activities, and a lawyer by training. Nagala, who arrived in Israel from Liechtenstein to work with humanitarian projects, knows the life-story of every refugee. “We cannot put families in the shelters, or mix men, women, and children, therefore we spread them out in the homes of Israeli families or refugees who have been here longer,” she explained.

Despite the blazing summer sun, Nagala goes back and forth between the two makeshift shelters dozens of times a day. The refugees call her ‘mom,’ and gratefully shake her hand whenever she writes their requests and problems in her notebook, and tries to abate their fears.

The soothing smile on Nagala’s face belies a constant worry. “The situation is difficult and I do not sleep well at nights,” she said. “The two shelters that were set up are emergency shelters, whose purpose is to give the refugees immediate assistance. We never thought there would be so many of them.”

The dilapidated buildings that the organization was able to rent are filled to capacity, she said, and the demand is just growing. “Recently I had to turn down a group of twenty men, and it simply broke my heart, but we have no room or resources.”

'A refugee is a refugee - it does not matter where he is from'

A, 33 years-old, fled the Ivory Coast in 2002 after his entire family was murdered. “I left my country with one purpose - to save my life,” he said. “Along the way I passed through many countries. I was in Mali, Libya, Egypt, and other places. I do not remember the entire journey, it was very long. At times, I thought to give up, but the rumors about Israel gave me new hope.

"I lived an entire year in Cairo, which was very difficult. The Egyptians are very racist and their treatment of refugees is horrible. When I decided to cross the border into Israel, I thought that maybe now I can live, and despite the difficult conditions in the shelter I did not despair. There are good people here; you cannot compare this situation to what is happening in Egypt.”

His neighbor in the shelter is D, a 23 year-old from Somalia, who arrived here two weeks ago after seven years of wandering. “My brother and I were the only survivors of the massacre in our village,” he said. “The two of us were kidnapped and sent to different forced labor camps, I was enslaved for months, and I did not know my brother’s fate. Many people who did not work hard enough were shot, and I was beaten and tortured the entire time.”

'No room or resources'

Finally, D and his brother, who escaped from the labor camps, managed to reunite, and despite their wounds, began their journey. “We arrived in Egypt five years ago and lived there, but life became unbearable. It is impossible to describe the cruelty of the population and government towards the refugees. Therefore, despite the risk, we decided to cross the border to Israel.”

“A refugee is a refugee is a refugee,” said Bayo, “and everyone who runs away from his country in order to save his life is in the same boat.” But now, Bayo said in despair, “we are supported by donations and receive food from Lasova organization, but it is not enough. We need volunteers who can lend a sympathetic ear, and we need translators and lawyers. Basically, anybody who is willing to be recruited.”

• To contact or donate to the African Refugees Development Center

email: info@ardc-israel.org