Refugees are people just like you and me, who can contribute to economic development of their host country.
Gilbert Ngongo (pictured) is a Congolese Refugee in Rwanda and CEO of Seafood Ltd, a Rwandan company that delivers seafood to high-end hotels in Kigali and has created lots of jobs for Rwandans
In UNHCR’s Global Strategy for Livelihoods 2014-2018, enabling refugees’ self-reliance is considered essential through all phases of displacement. Our mission is to facilitate enabling environments where refugees can fulfill their potential to contribute to economic development of their host community.
In Rwanda, UNHCR works with the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugees Affairs (MIDIMAR) towards implementing a joint Strategy for Economic Inclusion of Refugees to further economic development in host communities through refugee self-reliance. Such economic inclusion of refugees will be beneficial to local rural development, but requires strong engagement of donors, the private sector, financial institutions as well as refugees and host communities to build the economy to create additional jobs and greater opportunities for all. UNHCR works with MIDIMAR to leverage support for long-term, development-oriented initiatives that are in line with the commitments made by Rwandan Government at the Leader’s Summit on Refugees in New York, notably in relation to the expansion of refugees access to formal employment and self-employment.
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