Announcing the prize, United Nations refugee chief Filippo Grandi described Mire in a statement as “living proof that transformative ideas can spring from within displaced communities”.
Mire was born in Somalia, but amid unrest there his family fled to Kenya when he was a young child.
He spent 23 years in Dadaab — a sprawling complex of three camps that were initially built in the 1990s to host some 90,000 refugees, but which today are home to around 370,000, according to UN figures.
Monumental odds’ –
Against what the UNHCR described as “monumental odds”, Mire not only completed his primary and secondary education in the camp, but managed to go on to complete a degree in journalism and public relations.
“My case is rare, and that inspires me to give back,” he said.
Mire, who on occasion has worked for AFP, was resettled to Norway around a decade ago, but while he liked living there, he soon decided to return to Kenya.
“Europe is nice and safe, but it depends what you want in life,” he said over the phone from Nairobi.
“There was something telling me that I could have an impact here, more than in Oslo.”
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