Innovations

In 2016, besides providing life-saving assistance and basic services, including through innovation, increased attention will be paid to solution-oriented sectors such as education in conjunction with self-reliance and livelihoods, to promote empowerment of refugees and reduce their dependence on humanitarian aid. In addition, integrating camp economies with those of host communities has been prioritized to ensure lasting benefits of the refugee presence to host counties, while at the same time enhancing the refugees’ capacity for future return.

In the education sector, through generous support from Vodafone and Safaricom, the Instant Network School Programme, an initiative of the Learn Lab, which was jointly created by UNHCRs Innovation and the Education Units within the Division of International Protection continues to provide refugees with access to internet learning and involves new approaches that will increase access and improve educational quality.

The biometrics project that WFP and UNHCR implemented in 2013 has helped ensure that general food distribution only goes to eligible households residing in the camps. The project has resulted in significant cost-efficiencies, reducing operational requirements by $1.5 million per month. The platform that was put in place at the food distribution centres will be extended to benefit other food and non-food programmes and services including cash-based transfers which integrates the biometrics project with the UNHCR’s proGres data base and uses a mobile platform provided by Kenya’s largest mobile network operator Safaricom.

Read more about our ‘Innovations in the assistance delivery – towards a sustainable response’ in our third Kenya Comprehensive Refugee Programme Document.