{"id":56330,"date":"2025-11-20T15:25:37","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T15:25:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/eu-wfp-and-unhcr-formalise-eur10-million-project-to-boost-refugee-self-reliance\/"},"modified":"2025-11-23T17:01:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T17:01:10","slug":"eu-wfp-and-unhcr-formalise-eur10-million-project-to-boost-refugee-self-reliance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/eu-wfp-and-unhcr-formalise-eur10-million-project-to-boost-refugee-self-reliance\/","title":{"rendered":"EU, WFP and UNHCR formalise \u20ac10 million project to boost refugee self-reliance in Rwanda"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The agreement, signed in Kigali and witnessed by the Minister in Charge of Emergency Management on Wednesday, November 18, marks the official start of the \u201cRefugee Socio-Economic Graduation &#038; Livelihood Opportunities in Rwanda\u201d project. <\/p>\n<p>The three-year initiative will support 3,200 refugee families and 800 families from surrounding host communities, providing targeted solutions to enhance their economic autonomy and improve their ability to meet basic needs independently.<\/p>\n<p>The project represents a major step in implementing Rwanda\u2019s Refugee Sustainable Graduation Strategy (2025\u20132030), which seeks to enable half of all refugee households in the country to graduate from reliance on aid by the end of the decade. <\/p>\n<p>Speaking at the ceremony, Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Albert Murasira, Minister in Charge of Emergency Management, said the partnership illustrates the effectiveness of collaboration in driving long-term change.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis project marks an important milestone in creating meaningful pathways to self-reliance for refugees in Rwanda,\u201d he said. \u201cBy 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>European Union Deputy Director-General for International Partnerships, Martin Seychell, noted that the initiative reinforces EU support to Rwanda\u2019s efforts to shift refugee assistance towards economic empowerment.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe programme we sign today is a concrete demonstration of the European Union\u2019s support to the ambitions of the Government of Rwanda to enable refugee households to move from aid dependence to self-reliance,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThanks to EU support through this and other projects, close to 20% of refugee households should advance towards economic inclusion. This new initiative further strengthens our longstanding engagement in the Great Lakes region and reflects our broader commitment<br \/>\nto the humanitarian\u2013development\u2013peace nexus, which is more essential than ever in a<br \/>\ncontext of increasing pressure on limited resources.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The project will provide a sequenced package of interventions including targeted cash assistance, physical toolkits, and training programmes focused on entrepreneurship, climate-smart agriculture, and other livelihood skills. <\/p>\n<p>Support will also be channelled into Village Savings and Loan Associations to strengthen long-term financial inclusion and resilience for participating households across five refugee camps and surrounding communities.<\/p>\n<p>Andrea Bagnoli, WFP Country Director and Representative, said the initiative reflects a new era in how refugee support is approached in Rwanda.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cToday, we are starting a new chapter where refugees are seen not as beneficiaries but as entrepreneurs and active contributors to the community and Rwandan economy,\u201d he said. \u201cBy working hand in hand with MINEMA and our partners, we are turning promise into practice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rwanda currently hosts more than 136,000 refugees, largely from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi, many of whom have depended on humanitarian support for years. By aligning this initiative with national development frameworks and facilitating access to markets and financial systems, partners hope to offer a sustainable and scalable model for future refugee assistance.<\/p>\n<p>UNHCR Representative in Rwanda, Ritu Shroff, said the agreement reflects a shared belief in the potential of refugees and the communities that host them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe reaffirm something fundamental: that refugees and host communities alike deserve the opportunity to live dignified, productive, and independent lives and that with the right support, they absolutely can,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cUNHCR remains committed to working side by side with MINEMA, the European Union, WFP, and all partners to ensure that this project delivers meaningful, lasting impact.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-97996 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/g6lcxlgxwaawbwxnew.jpg\" alt=\"The Government of Rwanda, the European Union (EU), the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), and the World Food Programme (WFP) have formalised a new \u20ac10 million (approximately Rwf 16 billion) partnership aimed at helping refugee and host community households transition from humanitarian dependence to sustainable livelihoods.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-97993 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/g6lcufmwqaa_jojnew.jpg\" alt=\"Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Albert Murasira, Minister in Charge of Emergency Management, said the partnership illustrates the effectiveness of collaboration in driving long-term change.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-97994 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/g6lkt_qwcaaz5nr.jpg\" alt=\"UNHCR Representative in Rwanda, Ritu Shroff, said the agreement reflects a shared belief in the potential of refugees and the communities that host them.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-97998 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/g6lkt_txkaa7vsj.jpg\" alt=\"European Union Deputy Director-General for International Partnerships, Martin Seychell, noted that the initiative reinforces EU support to Rwanda\u2019s efforts to shift refugee assistance towards economic empowerment.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-97999 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/g6lkt8rwsaax5zs.jpg\" alt=\"Andrea Bagnoli, WFP Country Director and Representative, said the initiative reflects a new era in how refugee support is approached in Rwanda.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-97995 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/g6lcviowkaatgurnew.jpg\" alt=\"The project will provide a sequenced package of interventions including targeted cash assistance, physical toolkits, and training programmes focused on entrepreneurship, climate-smart agriculture, and other livelihood skills. \" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Government of Rwanda, the European Union (EU), the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), and the World Food Programme (WFP) have formalised a new \u20ac10 million (approximately Rwf 16 billion) partnership aimed at helping refugee and host community households transition from humanitarian dependence to sustainable livelihoods.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131,"featured_media":2000097997,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[75],"byline":[192],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-56330","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-homenews","byline-wycliffe-nyamasege"],"bylines":[{"id":192,"name":"Wycliffe Nyamasege","slug":"wycliffe-nyamasege","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":131}],"contributors":[{"id":192,"name":"Wycliffe Nyamasege","slug":"wycliffe-nyamasege","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default 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