Opportunities for the Private Sector in Empowering Refugee Communities
featured brief
Doing Well While Doing Good — Opportunities for the Private Sector in Empowering Refugee Communities
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March 25, 2020
This brief explores how the private sector can engage with refugees and their host communities to enhance their economic independence. It also explores current models of private sector engagement with refugees and host communities and makes recommendations for more sustainable, mutually beneficial models of engagement.
Refugees in Africa have limited opportunities to improve their livelihoods and often live in host communities often have economic challenges of their own. As such, solving the refugee crisis and improving the quality of life in refugee settlements requires the cooperation of all sectors. The private sector, in particular, can play a key role in creating sustainable, commercially beneficial ways to economically empower refugees and their host communities. By investing in education and skills development the private sector can unlock the potential of refugees as future employees, employers, and leaders. To achieve this goal, businesses should consider integrating refugee workers and businesses into existing value chains and extending their current services and products to refugee communities.