IRC Uganda employs more refugees as decent work campaign gains momentum
IRC Uganda employs more refugees as decent work campaign gains momentum
IRC Uganda employs more refugees as decent work campaign gains momentum
12 September 2023 - Kampala, Uganda. Josiah K Flomo, Head of Urban/Kampala Unit at UNHCR interacts with Priscilla Dembetembe, the Re:BUiLD Program Director during the decent work summit at Mestil Hotel. At the decent work summit, Re:BUiLD launched the Decent Work Policy Brief that highlights recommendations for policy makers and employers to address issues affecting refugees in accessing decent jobs in Kampala and Nairobi. (PHOTO: Nathan Ijjo Tibaku/TheIRC)
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Uganda has stepped up efforts to offer refugees befitting job opportunities with decent benefits. The move takes shift from the traditional engagement of refugees as incentive workers. In September 2023, five additional refugees joined the IRC’s Re:BUiLD Program in Kampala as regular staff.
Elijah Okeyo the Country Director of the IRC, Uganda said talented refugees should be considered for employment despite the inconsistent progress in the implementation of legislation and the execution of policies intended to ensure the inclusion and self-reliance of refugees in the region.
Mr. Okeyo spoke at the Kampala decent work summit convened by the Re:BUiLD Program in Kampala on Tuesday September 12, 2023 where he challenged the private sector and aid agencies to follow in the IRC’s example. He said the IRC in Uganda had made a commitment and taken practical steps in providing jobs for refugees as regular employees.
“In Kampala, ten percent of the IRC’s regular staff are refugees supporting our urban programs. We have a total of 21 refugees serving as regular staff across the country and they are eligible to all the benefits. We want to grow this number to a place where we can say we work for refugees and that they sit at the table where decisions are made.” Stated Okeyo.
13 September 2023 - Kampala, Uganda. Priscilla Dembetembe, Re:BUiLD’s Program Director meeting newly recruited staff at the Livelihood Resource Center, LRC in Nsambya. Under the ReBUiLD program, the IRC has recruited six refugees as staff in Kampala, Uganda. (PHOTO: Nathan Ijjo Tibaku/TheIRC)
This year, the IRC together with refugee-serving agencies in Nairobi and Kampala joined forces with government and the private sector under the Re:BUiLD Program’s decent work campaign advocating for access to decent work for refugees in the region.
The campaign brought together experts from government, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), the Federation of Uganda Employers, Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE), Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), Hotel Owners Association, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) the International Labour Organization (ILO), trade unions and and refugee-led organizations culminating in the launch of a decent work policy brief.
Mr. Okeyo called on the private sector and other employers in the region to take advantage of the existing legal frameworks and ensure that labour practices that safeguard refugees from exploitation are followed. Adding; “We have many refugees who are skilled and highly experienced. They only lack an opportunity to showcase their abilities and ultimately attain economic self-reliance. We are challenging all stakeholders to step up now and lead by example in offering refugees sustainable livelihood opportunities, not as incentives but as regular employees.
5 September 2023 - Nairobi, Kenya. Panel discussion on barriers to refugees’ access to decent work at the Decent Work Summit held at Trademark Hotel Nairobi. (PHOTO: Edgar Otieno/TheIRC)
