Rwanda, the European Union (EU), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the World Food Programme (WFP) have signed a €10 million agreement to support refugees and host communities in the country. ALSO READ: World Vision, EU project to boost self-reliance for refugees, host communities in Rwanda Signed on Wednesday, November 19, the three-year programme aims to help 3,200 refugee families and 800 host community families become more self-reliant in meeting their basic needs. The project will offer a package of interventions, including training in entrepreneurship and climate-smart agriculture, as well as financial support and tools, to help households in five camps and surrounding communities reduce dependency on aid, in line with the national Refugee Sustainable Graduation Strategy. It will also provide support to Village Savings and Loans Associations to strengthen long-term sustainability. The initiative is funded through a €10 million contribution from the EU. Speaking about the initiative, the Minister in Charge of Emergency Management, Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Albert Murasira, said the project marks an important milestone in creating meaningful pathways to self-reliance for refugees in Rwanda. “By supporting 4,000 refugee and host community households to graduate into sustainable livelihoods, we are demonstrating the power of strong partnerships to drive tangible, lasting change and strengthen the resilience of communities,” he said. ALSO READ: Rwanda secures $66.7m to boost refugee, host community development Martin Seychell, EU’s Deputy Director General for International Partnerships, referred to the initiative as “a concrete demonstration of the EU’s support to the ambitions of the government of Rwanda to enable refugee households to move from aid dependence to self-reliance.” “Thanks to EU support through this and other projects, close to 20 percent of refugee households should advance towards economic inclusion,” he said. He added that the initiative will further strengthen a longstanding engagement in the Great Lakes region and will reflect a broader commitment to the humanitarian development peace nexus. ALSO READ: Rwanda warns of funding gaps in refugee support Andrea Bagnoli, WFP Country Representative, said the agreement is the beginning of a new chapter where refugees are seen not as ‘beneficiaries’, but as entrepreneurs and active contributors to the community and Rwandan economy. Rwanda currently hosts over 136,000 refugees, primarily from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi. Many have relied on humanitarian aid for years. Ritu Shroff, UNHCR Representative in Rwanda, said the new programme reaffirms that refugees and host communities deserve the opportunity to live dignified, productive, and independent lives and that with the right support.
