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Private
sector
partnerships

Over 100 million people worldwide are displaced, having fled violent wars, civil strife, and persecution. Refugees often lack basic rights outside their home countries, including access to quality education and the ability to earn a dignified livelihood for themselves and their families.

As the displacement crisis lingers, refugees can spend a significant part of their lives excluded from opportunities to rebuild their lives. On the African continent, the displacement crisis has long been viewed as a humanitarian issue; however, despite its great necessity in emergency situations, traditional humanitarian aid is not designed to meet the long-term needs of human economic and social development.

A different, market-based approach is needed to create sustainable solutions to the displacement crisis. 

A different, market-based approach is needed to create sustainable solutions to the displacement crisis. We believe the private sector in Africa can, through innovative business models, champion more sustainable and dignified ways for refugees to access economic opportunity while, at the same time, creating value for their own companies.

Our priorities

We mobilize private sector organizations to create long-lasting, market-based solutions promoting refugee economic inclusion. We focus on key interconnected outcomes:

Access to education is a powerful tool for refugees as it provides them with a foundation of knowledge to help them rebuild their lives. By learning new skills, refugees increase their chances of finding employment or pursuing other opportunities that enable them to provide for themselves and their families. Additionally, education can serve as a means of psychological support, providing a sense of stability and hope for the future.

Employment provides them with a sense of purpose and a means to support themselves and their families and helps them to become self-sufficient. Furthermore, it contributes to the host country’s economic growth, as refugees can bring valuable skills and talents to the workforce. By prioritizing employment for refugees, we can create a win-win situation that benefits not only refugees but also the host communities and the private sector.

Entrepreneurship solutions provide a pathway for economic empowerment and self-reliance for forcibly displaced individuals. Many of these individuals face significant barriers to accessing employment opportunities and financial resources. If given access to entrepreneurship solutions such as business training, mentorship, and capital, these individuals can start and grow their own businesses, creating new job opportunities and contributing to their local economies.

An enabling policy and socio-economic ecosystem is needed for refugees to access education, employment, or entrepreneurship solutions. In many countries, refugees have limited rights to work, freedom of movement, access to financial services, and more. Business leaders, given their influence in many ecosystems, have a unique role to play in advocating for policy and ecosystem shifts toward greater economic inclusion for forcibly displaced people.

Our approach

We convene and build a ‘coalition of the willing’ among private sector leaders and refugee-focused actors on the continent to enable multi-sector connections and ultimately create systems change. We support private sector leaders by providing them with information and targeted advice on leveraging their business models to create meaningful impact for displaced communities.

Join Amahoro Coalition

Companies can join the Amahoro Coalition by signing our Charter and committing to creating solutions for refugees under the abovementioned four priorities. 

Are you keen to learn how you or your company can be at the forefront of addressing the continent’s most pressing issues?