Promoting Pathways to Economic Inclusion and Social Protection for Refugees and Host Communities in Kenya

This project applies a new approach to promote durable solutions for refugees that combines measures to promote livelihoods of refugees and vulnerable host communities with measures to include these groups in national social protection schemes. The proposed interventions directly respond to the needs of urban refugees and host communities as identified in recently conducted socio-economic and market assessments. The programme will have three interlinked components, all contributing to the ultimate objective of improving refugee and host community access to social protection and livelihood opportunities, where the first component focuses on a more inclusive policy environment, the second on income generation and decent work opportunities, and the third on access to protection, including to social protection schemes, as follows: Objective 1: Policy frameworks are more inclusive of refugees and workers in the informal economy Intervention area 1: Work towards more inclusive national social protection policies Intervention area 2: Advocate for the realization of refugees’ right to work and sensitize refugees on their right to work Intervention area 3: Advocate for refugee access to sim cards and banking to improve access to financial services and enhance digital inclusion Objective 2: Refugees and host communities have access to decent work and livelihood opportunities Intervention area 1: Facilitate access to high-quality and gender-sensitive financial and business development services Intervention area 2: Create opportunities for wage-employment and self-employment in sectors with high potential for inclusive growth Intervention area 3: Support refugees and host communities in accessing employment opportunities by facilitating work permits and employment services Objective 3: Social protection options are available and accessible to refugees and host communities, including for workers in the informal economy Intervention area 1: Support effective implementation of the national policy for social protection to ensure inclusion of refugees and informal workers Intervention area 2: Work with institutions to make national social protection schemes (NHIF, maternity benefits and Haba Haba) more accessible to refugees and HCs. Intervention area 3: Strengthen the alignment of assistance to vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers to national social assistance schemes

Project symbol

KEN/23/01/USA

Admin unit

CO-Dar es Salaam

Start date

30/09/2023

End date

29/09/2025

Total allocation

1513250

Total expenditure

Status

Active

1513250

Development Partners

USA, Department of State

Country/Countries

Kenya

Outcomes

Outcome 7: Universal social protection
Outcome 4: Sustainable enterprises for inclusive growth and decent work