Chapter 1 immerses the reader into the Za'atari refugee camp. Situated in Jordan just seven and a half miles south of the Syrian border, the camp – a two-square-mile rectangle divided into twelve districts – is nestled in the very heart of the Middle East. Here, in the desert heat, a community was born in the swell of crisis. The reader is immediately introduced to the book's three featured Syrian women entrepreneurs – Yasmina, Asma, and Malak – in their elements. Yasmina, a salon and wedding dress shop owner, is relaxing in the salon with her family as her client celebrates a beautiful wedding a couple of districts away. Asma, a social entrepreneur and teacher, is reading a story to a group of children – including three of her own – in her trailer, which she has converted into a magical hideout for the children. Malak, an artist, is putting the finishing touches on a series of drawings for an event at a youth center that is meant to encourage the girls in Za'atari to push against the harmful practice of child marriage.

Chapter 12 features the three entrepreneurs discussing their hopes for the future. Despite its progress, Za'atari still faces significant challenges in terms of basic resources and opportunities. So each entrepreneur represents a different hope. Yasmina, as the oldest of the group, discusses the ultimate hope within residents: that there will be lasting peace in Syria and they can return home. Asma considers another hope many have: resettlement to new communities. She talks about her potential resettlement to Canada after recently being interviewed at the embassy in Amman, and what it would mean for her children to have more consistent, higher quality education. Malak discusses the hope that, even if she is to remain in Za'atari for long, it will be better resourced so all children will have the opportunity to realize their God-given gifts. Her most recent painting of a woman, covered in vibrant colors and looking upward, represents this hope – as she accepts her life in Za'atari for now and sees her purpose as living out her gifts boldly as a role model for the children around her. In this spirit, the book ends with a poem by Asma about the hopes and dreams of Za'atari.

Chapter 4 provides an overview of today’s global refugee crisis, driven by perspectives of refugees around the world. The Syrian war has displaced a stunning half of Syria’s prewar population, with nearly 80,000 of those Syrians having fled to nearby Za'atari; the UN calls it “the biggest humanitarian and refugee crisis of our time.” But it is only a part of a broader global crisis: today, more people than at any other time in history have been forcibly displaced from their homes. More than twenty-six million refugees, over half of whom are children, have fled their home countries entirely. This chapter provides a brief exploration of the major crises causing displacement, from instability in Central America and Afghanistan, to the Rohingya genocide in Myanmar, to wars in South Sudan and Yemen. And it considers where most refugees end up: in host cities, in refugee camps, and – unfortunately only on rare occurences – resettled permanently in adoptive cities. It discusses how, due to continuing conflicts and tightening restrictions on acceptance of refugees, refugee camps are increasingly becoming like permanent settlements, despite their intended role as temporary safe havens.

Chapter 9 is about the present impact of the three entrepreneurs’ ventures, alongside many others, on the Za'atari community. A far cry from its makeshift origins, Za'atari is now much like a city. The Shams-Élysées, the Saudi Market, and other areas are buzzing as more than 3,000 businesses generate about $13 million in revenue a month and serve community members. These include bird shops, a cinema, sustainable farming solutions, and, of course, the ventures launched by Yasmina, Asma, and Malak. Yasmina is bringing profound joy into the lives of women across Za'atari. She helps brides feel special, valued, and beautiful, sometimes after a long period of feeling forgotten. Asma is uplifting Za'atari's children to reach for their highest aspirations. Much to her delight, her apprentice Nawara creates her own version of the storytelling initiative that is widely attended. In addition to running her studio with Treza, Malak repeatedly uses her art to empower the children around her, especially on the issue of child marriage. She designs twenty powerful drawings that are presented to girls during a workshop, empowering them to push back against such arrangements.

Chapter 8 describes the extraordinary obstacles facing refugee entrepreneurs and explains why – despite these challenges – refugees excel as entrepreneurs. Refugees face the steepest of uphill climbs, dealing with everything from trauma to a lack of access to credit to discrimination to limited networks. Still, they are much more likely to be entrepreneurs than native-born citizens. Refugees’ sparks are not accidental; they have unique qualities based on their experiences that make them more likely to come up with, and successfully see through, startup ideas. First, many refugees innovate because it is their only way to survive, and are thus immensely committed. For Yasmina, innovating was a requirement to feed her children. Second, refugees benefit from exposure to other cultures' ideas and markets. One appeal of Malak's work is her ability to infuse Syrian flair. Third, refugees, far from home, are often intensely motivated to meet the needs of their new neighbors and find innovations to do just that – as Asma did for Za'atari. Fourth, they are often pushed to entrepreneurship by employment discrimination. Fifth, they have an unmatched level of resilience.

Chapter 2 goes back in time to the three entrepreneurs’ lives in a peaceful prewar Syria, and their flights to safety in Za'atari. All three lead comfortable lives before the sudden, life-altering events of the Arab Spring: protests in Dara'a, the Syrian government’s violent response, and families fleeing homes amid subsequent fighting. Yasmina is living out her childhood passion, running a salon and wedding shop in Dara'a. Her family flees when she is seven months pregnant; on the way to Za'atari, they shelter in others' homes and abandoned schoolhouses, and her son is born premature. Asma grew up adoring school, but her lack of confidence and the busyness of raising a family kept her from her dream of teaching. Still, living in a large house with an olive tree in Dara'a, Asma enjoys her days reading to her children, Tamara, Ashraf, and newborn Maya. Just twenty days after Maya’s birth, Asma's family flees. Only a teenager and the youngest of thirteen siblings, Malak leads a joyful life filled with art, family, and friends in Damascus. She cries with her sisters just before leaving, unwilling to accept that the next morning she would wake up in a tent within a refugee camp.

Chapter 11 discusses the economic, social, spiritual, and personal impact of refugee entrepreneurship around the world. Za'atari is but one example: camps across the globe – from Kutupalong in Bangladesh, to Skaramagas in Greece, to Dadaab in Kenya – have emerged as hubs of entrepreneurship, to the surprise of those who imagine refugees in camps as passively reliant on aid. And refugees have ignited significant positive change in refugee-welcoming cities around the world as well – from Bosnian, Burmese, and Somali refugees revitalizing the once-declining Rust Belt city of Utica, New York, to long-persecuted Hazara refugees creating new ventures to revive the community of Port Adelaide, Australia. While there is an up-front economic cost to welcoming refugees into cities from camps like Za'atari, that investment is clearly a positive one thanks to refugees' contributions in the form of business growth, social innovation, and cultural enrichment. This is not to mention the quiet moments of love, comfort, and togetherness created by refugees’ very presence as neighbors, colleagues, and friends in communities around the world.

Chapter 5 describes the moments that the three Za'atari entrepreneurs push beyond their darkness to find their ideas – each tapping into their childhood passions through different catalyzing events. Yasmina helps prepare her cousin for her wedding in Za'atari, receives rave reviews, and sees her passion rekindled. Determining that she needed to help support her children, she makes the monumental decision to sell her rings, necklace, and bracelet for startup capital. She plans for the launch of a salon and wedding dress store from her home trailer. After her son’s death, Asma resolves to treat the children in Za'atari as if they are her own. Much to her joy, she attends a teacher training program sponsored by an NGO and comes home with educational books that she can use in preparing her storytelling initiative. Art continues to be Malak’s light during her transition to Za'atari, especially as she begins to share her art outside of her trailer. With the encouragement of a Za'atari art teacher, her sister Hoda, her father, and her best friend Treza, she decides to launch an art studio from her home trailer. Treza would manage it, and they would seek to share Malak's art widely.

Chapter 10 demonstrates how the three featured entrepreneurs’ ventures represent dignity for them, for the people they influence, and for the Za'atari community. Coming full circle, Yasmina prepares her apprentice Mona for her own wedding in what is a special, motherly moment. She speaks on the value of being able to train and encourage Mona over the years – of gaining an adoptive daughter through a mutual entrepreneurial passion. Asma is invited to speak at an International Women’s Day event in Za'atari. She is slated to speak last, after three celebrities and global human rights leaders. The doubts of her youth creep in slightly, but a now-confident Asma presents beautifully – to thunderous applause and a standing ovation. Conquering her own fears of publicity, Malak does an interview on a Jordanian radio show where she speaks boldly for herself and her community, helping dispel attitudes that Za'atari is a place where everyone should be pitied. For someone who once dreaded going to Za'atari more than anything she could have ever imagined, this moment of standing up as an advocate and leader within Za'atari means the world to her.

Chapter 6, "Khatwa, Khatwa" – Arabic for "Step by Step" – shares the three entrepreneurs’ stories of beginning to transform their ideas into reality and pushing through early obstacles. Yasmina hires a young and dynamic assistant, Mona, who becomes like a daughter to her. Together, the duo builds an initial client base and a collection of hilarious stories at the newly founded "Salon of Lights." Asma, with her educational books in tow, launches a community library and chases kids around her neighborhood, begging them to come listen to a story. After nervously practicing her storytelling techniques with Tamara and Maya, she officially launches the initiative – "Stories of the Sun" – from her newly decorated home trailer. After her first activity with the children, she learns just how much the experience of war has impacted their thoughts. Malak and her best friend Treza win their dream scholarship to study medical analysis at a university in Amman. Despite the importance of art in her life, Malak resolves to focus on her professional studies and to put art on the backburner. Still, she brings her art supplies with her in case she might have a bit of time to continue her first passion.

Chapter 3 narrates the three entrepreneurs’ early challenges adjusting to Za'atari. The camp is barren and devoid of activity in its first months of existence. White tents house residents, early mornings see long lines for meager bread rations, and residents protest about the severe shortage of resources. All three entrepreneurs struggle mightily. Yasmina is thankful that her newborn son Ashraf is healthy despite his premature birth, but she worries the environment surrounding him will stifle his growth. So she continues to hold out on working, praying she will return home to a peaceful Syria any day now. Falling into depression due to the lack of activity and resources, Asma runs away with her family to try to settle in nearby towns. A dearth of opportunity forces her to return to Za'atari, where she faces the tragic death of her son Ashraf. She fears the worst for Tamara and Maya, believing all hope for their education has died. Without any schooling options and separated from her friends, Malak sits alone in a small corner within her family’s tent and paints, releasing her emotions through her art from morning until night.

Chapter 7 describes the continued development of the three entrepreneurs' ventures and the impact they make on the Za'atari community. Za'atari increasingly shows signs of life: shops pop up along the main road nicknamed the “Shams-Élysées," color and art can be seen on trailers and the camp's walls, social events become more common, and social initiatives occupy children’s time. Yasmina moves her business from her home to the bustling Saudi Market, beautifully decorates her new trailer, and expands her client base as her and Mona's reputation grows. Asma’s storytelling initiative, with the support of her apprentice Nawara, increases in popularity and regularly fills her trailer with children. She begins to see the fruits of her work, as the activities she does with the children reveal more aspirational thinking. Though she had planned to ignore art during school to focus on studies, Malak again turns to art as an outlet during the intensity of university. After winning prizes in competitions and with Treza’s inspiration, Malak finally launches her studio: "Malak Art." Malak and Treza create Instagram and Facebook pages to share Malak's work and accept orders, which come in regularly.

By the end of 2019, about 75.9 million people – 26 million refugees, 4.2 million asylum seekers and 45.7 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) – had been forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, armed conflict, other situations of violence or human rights violations (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 2020). In addition, millions of migrants are forcibly displaced as a result of extreme poverty, discrimination, climate change, forced evictions and other situations.

Do gender roles and relations change upon displacement and during refugees’ encampment, and if so how? By drawing on Hearn’s theory of the hegemony of men as its analytical matrix, this chapter addresses gender systems pre-flight and in Uganda’s Kyaka II, and explores the perceptions of women, men, teenager girls and boys, as well as of aid workers. Systems pre-flight were widely noted to be patriarchal—with men as the hegemonic actor to whom women and youth should submit—while practiced differently across ethnic groups. Such tendencies were also widely shared as ‘normal’ in the camp, but shifts therein did occur. In addition to some men accepting and others contesting the use of force as a legitimate social practice to maintain their dominance, many women in Kyaka II depicted their various roles; teenage girls and boys tended to find their peers to be rather equal meanwhile, but expressed patriarchal perceptions regarding adults. Gender relations were (re)negotiated, and different patterns hereof arose in Kyaka II. Through the nature of the humanitarian support provided, aid workers were influential too. It is argued that they assigned roles, but at the same time hindered men and women from fulfilling them; with their power, aid workers figuratively also became part of the gender systems on-site.

Why and in what forms does gender-based violence occur against refugees in Kyaka II? Are only women affected, or do they also perpetrate violence? What about men suffering such violence? And, how is violence in the camp connected to the respective risks faced during conflict and flight? These are some of the key questions guiding the analysis in this chapter, with a particular focus on Uganda’s refugee camp Kyaka II. After outlining the gendered understanding of the Galtungian concept of violence used, the chapter explores the gender-based violence experienced first during conflict and flight then particularly during encampment. The chapter reveals complex issues arising from the level and intensity of violence witnessed in all three phases of conflict, flight, and encampment. Focusing on the situation in Kyaka II, the research reveals that women constitute the main group of victims; they on occasion also perpetrate violence too, however. Moreover, men and boys are exposed to particular forms of gender-based violence as well. By eventually linking the three phases of conflict, flight, and encampment, the chapter exposes a continuum of gender-based violence against both women and men of different age groups.

The chapter introduces the core subject areas, case study, and research approach, as well as the overall framework of the book. Focusing on refugees’ lives in encampment in Uganda, the chapter first identifies and explains the inherently interrelated subject areas of gender-based violence, humanitarian aid, gender roles and relations, and coping strategies—each then explored in its own subsequent chapter. While of main interest is the perspectives, experiences, and practices of women, the research is not limited to them—those of women and men, of all different age groups, are consistently examined due to their mutual influences on one another. The chapter then sheds light on Uganda’s response to refugees and the case of Kyaka II, which is at the heart of the book. Although refugee protection in Uganda is often described as ‘progressive,’ the chapter summarizes the problems faced on-site and nationally, paving the way for further analysis in due course. The third part introduces the research approach taken along with reflections on ethical considerations and the writing of the book. The chapter closes by outlining the structure of the book and summarizing the main arguments of each of the subsequent chapters.

How do aid agencies deliver protection and assistance in Uganda’s Kyaka II, and specifically seek to prevent and overcome gender-based violence? In what ways do they affect the women and men living there? Focusing on these questions, the chapter explores the overall camp structures and scope of aid via the humanitarian apparatus, power practices, and decision-making—as well as their effects on the refugees living in Kyaka II. Divided into four parts, the first addresses developments and aid in the camp alongside hierarchies, and argues that refugees are made ‘protection objects.’ The second part centers on projects tackling gender-based violence, and their links with global refugee policies. It reveals how preventive and protective projects against gender-based violence as well as those to support empowerment essentially draw on ‘vulnerability’ categorizations, which portray women primarily as ‘vulnerable protection objects.’ The third part addresses correlations between aid, the camp architecture, and the prevalence of gender-based violence, revealing the three issues of aid workers at times perpetrating violence, the structural effects of aid, and the risks resulting from the camp landscape. Before concluding, the fourth part considers whether the broad critique of aid provision and of the camp is reasonable in light of the challenges that aid agencies themselves face.