Overview
Re:BUiLD is committed to generate and share evidence for innovative, sustainable livelihood solutions that can be adopted to support refugees and host residents in East Africa and beyond.
Core Principles
Flexible & Adaptive | Continuous Experimentation | Client-Centered | Local Partnerships
Who We Are
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The Re:BUiLD program is funded by the IKEA Foundation and is currently under implementation in Kampala and Nairobi cities. The IRC is the lead partner and has been coordinating a consortium of local and international partners to deliver the program interventions.
The program seeks to deliver livelihood interventions for urban refugees and vulnerable host residents to achieve economic self-reliance and benefit from strengthened urban economic, regulatory, and social environments. We aim to enable change at varying levels, from better access to livelihoods opportunities and inclusive services within communities, to improved refugee-related policies and more targeted and effective service delivery by national, regional, and global actors.
Some of the key features of the program’s approach are flexible funding, adaptive design, and continuous knowledge and evidence generation.
The Challenge
Nearly 80 million people are displaced worldwide, the majority of whom are making their way to cities. Cities are beacons of economic opportunity. However, opportunities are frequently out of reach for refugees, and other vulnerable residents in these cities. As a result, urban refugees struggle to find sustainable livelihood and achieve long-term self-reliance. At the same time, programmes to support them lack investment and evidence to show what works.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the IKEA Foundation have partnered to find a solution to this challenge, with ultimate goal of changing policies, practices, and investments to better support urban refugee livelihoods.
Initially focusing on Kampala and Nairobi, Re:BUiLD is working to build and share the evidence base for innovative, sustainable livelihoods solutions that can be adopted to support refugees and host residents in other cities in East Africa and beyond. This is being achieved through a program entitled: Refugees in East Africa: Boosting Urban Innovations for Livelihoods Development (Re:BUiLD)
According to data from UNHCR, East Africa hosts about 5.5 million refugees - many of them in urban areas
In these urban settings, refugees and vulnerable community members have limited opportunities for an adequate income to support their families and enrich their communities.
We are focusing on supporting thriving economies and cohesive communities in a selection of low-income neighborhoods in Kampala and Nairobi.
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Data cited from UNHCR 31st October 2024
Our Goal
We aim to reach 20,000 urban refugees and host community members – including women, men and young people.