Integrating refugees into the national education system and labour market through the right to work and government policies has improved refugee self-reliance and economic opportunities in the Kigeme refugee camp in Nyamagabe District, promoting a knowledge-based society while creating a more inclusive community. ALSO READ: UNHCR, WFP announce decrease in basic services for refugees in Rwanda Sifa Mutoni, 25, fled killings in her village of Bihambwe in Masisi territory of the Democratic Republic of Congo, aged 12. Her life was disrupted; plans were put on hold while they searched for a safe place to call home. She arrived at Kigeme Refugee Camp in 2013. According to her, life in the camp was challenging at first, but she found hope and a sense of purpose when she enrolled in TVET programmes offered to refugees. She said, “Life in the camp was not easy, but the skills I gained through these TVET programmes have allowed me to work and support myself and my family. I acquired skills in the culinary arts, and as job opportunities come my way, I see an improvement in my financial freedom. I am thankful to the government of Rwanda. The different skills we acquired from the camp will help us rebuild our community, and I am excited for what the future holds when the time comes for us to return to Masisi.” ALSO READ: More Congolese refugees flee to Rwanda as fighting renews According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), TVET is regarded as a core pillar of the 15 by 30 roadmap, with the target of a 15 per cent enrolment of young refugees in higher education by 2030. Beyond creating opportunities for relevant skills and training, the career orientation of TVET refugee graduates has contributed to bridging the gap between the labour market and refugee job seekers in host districts in Rwanda. Like Mutoni, 200 other refugees in Kigeme refugee camp in Nyamagabe also underwent six months of training and learning skills in culinary art, carpentry, construction, automobile mechanics, electricity, plumbing, hairdressing, sewing, welding, painting, food, and beverages. A career orientation activity to link job seekers and employers brought about 30 entities in Nyamagabe to participate in a job fair specifically for TVET graduates. According to Nyamagabe District officials, TVET is an important avenue that prepares young people and adults for employment and entrepreneurship opportunities, thereby increasing self-reliance and empowering refugees and the communities that host them to take ownership of their livelihoods. “Refugees are no longer regarded as burdens to host communities, unlike before; nowadays, they go to school to acquire skills, work, and be productive. In Nyamagabe, as a host district, we have partnered with GIZ and the Ministry in charge of Emergence Management and constructed a workplace near the camp where 60 per cent of space is reserved for refugees while 40 per cent is for host communities. Integrating refugees and host communities into the workforce can build a more sustainable and inclusive future for all,” said Aime Joel Ndayambaje, the acting executive secretary in Nyamagabe District. Integrating refugees into Rwanda’s school system and the labour market aligns with Article 17(1) of the 1951 Refugee Convention, to which Rwanda is a signatory, which grants refugees the same rights to wage-earning employment as those accorded to the most favourably treated nationals of a foreign country in the same circumstances, as well as the UN Refugee strategy 30 to promote refugee inclusion in and through education. ALSO READ: Rwanda says has no intention of expelling Congolese refugees Through the MINEMA project Economic Inclusion of Refugees and Host Communities (ECOREF) in partnership with GIZ/Gopa, Jean Bosco Rutayisire, 32, a refugee in Kigeme, graduated as a painter. Rutayisire has secured employment in the local community, contributing to the area’s economic development and social cohesion. He has colleagues from host communities with whom he works during job offers. He said empowering refugees like himself with skills and access to wage-earning employment has benefited him and the community. “I acquired painting skills, and now I proudly call myself a professional because I earn from the skills; besides that, I employ colleagues to help me during job assignments. We have benefited from and strengthened the bonds between refugees and host communities. I am grateful for the opportunities I have been given and hope to continue contributing to the local economy through my work as a painter.” Currently, Rwanda hosts 134,519 refugees; 62.20 per cent of them have fled from neighbouring Congo, 37.24 per cent from Burundi, and 0.56 per cent from other countries, according to data from the Ministry in charge of Emergency Management (MINEMA). Over 14,000 of them live in Kigeme refugee camp.
