Large corporations such as MasterCard, Safaricom, Deloitte and Unilever are increasingly seeing refugee camps as opportunities for business. I wrote about this growing trend for francophone weekly Jeune Afrique.
During the World Social Forum, held on August 9-14 in Montreal, we had the chance to organize a exhibition of Hubert Hayaud’s work – pictures taken during our trip in Kenya last May – in collaboration with Amnistie Internationale Canada Section Francophone. The exhibition took place at Place to B, a pop-up coworking space and participative media room set up for the WSF. We printed four large format photos, created a slide show with additional portraits, and printed sets of five postcards.
Last month I took part in a Google Hangout organized by UNHCR Innovation and +SocialGood to discuss “How to invest in refugees”. I was joined by Robert Hakiza, from the Ugandan organisation YARID, and Naohiko Omata, from the Oxford Humanitarian Innovation Project (OXHIP). We discussed the role that innovation can play in enhancing the economic integration of refugees and debunked the myths of refugees as dependent on humanitarian aid.
Uganda has some of the world’s most progressive policies in terms of refugee integration – at least on paper. For Le Monde Afrique, we look at the disparities between these policies and the reality on the ground.
In 10 years, 41-year-old Mesfin Getahun went from sweeping floors and washing dishes in one of Kakuma’s numerous restaurants to running a business empire in the camp, importing products from Kenya and abroad. The story of Mesfin the wholesaler was published in Le Monde Afrique.
Photography by Hubert Hayaud.
The first publication of #RefugeeEconomics looks at Nairobi’s Eastleigh neighbourhood and the many refugees who live there. We showcase the role that refugees play in sustaining the city’s economy, and look at the policies and programs that exist to help cities cope with large refugee populations (spoiler alert: there aren’t many).
Read “More than half the world’s refugees live in urban areas. Here’s what that means for cities“ in Citiscope.
Photography by Hubert Hayaud.
