• 214 young refugees in Kakuma camp completed digital and entrepreneurship training.
• The program was led by BrighterMonday Kenya with MasterCard Foundation and Amahoro Coalition.
• It aims to create job opportunities via remote work or online businesses for displaced youth.

In a context where only 10% of Kenya’s workforce holds formal employment and youth unemployment remains high, refugee camps face even greater challenges.

Last week, 214 young refugees in the Kakuma camp, in the northwest of Kenya, completed a training program aimed at digital skills and entrepreneurship. This program, launched by BrighterMonday Kenya in partnership with the MasterCard Foundation and the Amahoro Coalition, responds to a worrying national situation where, as per the KNBS (Kenya National Bureau of Statistics), over 700,000 Kenyan youths lost their jobs after the onset of Covid.

The participants received training in basic digital skills, content creation, entrepreneurship, and career development, including CV writing and interview preparation. The initiative targets to offer displaced youth sustainable employment prospects, particularly through remote work or setting up online enterprises, in a context where the informal economy dominates.

"We are here, in collaboration with the MasterCard Foundation and the Amahoro Coalition, to ensure that young people have access to digital jobs they can do remotely. But where do they find these jobs? What training do they need? What other skills must they possess to be effective? This event aimed to answer these questions, showcase digital job platforms, and empower Kakuma's youth to take charge of their professional futures," said Sylvia Mbaabu, head of national programs at BrighterMonday Kenya.

In Kakuma, over 75% of young men and 74% of young women are jobless, according to the World Bank and the United Nations Refugee Agency. In the absence of formal economic activities, young refugees struggle to integrate sustainably. Digital skills training thus offers an alternative, more flexible and accessible, integration path.

The sustainability of such initiatives depends notably on institutional support, international financing, and improved connectivity in camps. Ultimately, their widespread adoption could contribute to reducing employment access inequalities for often marginalized populations, provided the beneficiaries are supported beyond the initial training.