Please note this report was commissioned and published under our former name, Heshima Kenya.

Please note this report was commissioned and published under our former name, Heshima Kenya.

Stories from the Creative Economy: Making the Case for Refugee Artisan Enterprise

In this set of case studies, Stories from the Creative Economy: Making the Case for Refugee Artisan Enterprise (2019), the Aspen Institute’s Artisan Alliance traveled across the globe conducting field visits with three diverse social enterprises working with refugee artisans in Africa and the Middle East, Indego Africa, RefuSHE, and the Jordan River Foundation During these field visits, the Artisan Alliance learned more about the social and economic impact artisan work has on refugees by surveying program participants, conducting in-depth interviews, and documenting the insights of relevant stakeholders from the public and private sphere.

It is our hope that these studies build the knowledge base on refugee artisan businesses and provide actionable new ideas for supporters, investors, and other artisan enterprises.

Increasing Access to Economic Empowerment Opportunities for Refugee Girls in Nairobi: Insights & Lessons for Refugee Service Providers

In December 2017, RefuSHE partnered with the Mastercard Foundation to expand our approach to livelihoods development for unaccompanied refugee girls and young women in Kenya. RefuSHE conducted an assessment to identify market opportunities and in-demand skills for the unique population we serve, and then used the assessment findings to design and implement new components to our economic empowerment programming.

Increasing Access to Economic Empowerment Opportunities for Refugee Girls in Nairobi: Insights & Lessons for Refugee Service Providers (2019) provides key takeaways and lessons learned from the one-year partnership with Mastercard Foundation.

The Moved and The Shaken: How Forced Relocation Affects the Lives of Urban Refugee Women and Girls

Please note this report was commissioned and published under our former name, Heshima Kenya.

The Moved and The Shaken: How Forced Relocation Affects the Lives of Urban Refugee Women and Girls (2013) highlights the lived experiences of more than 50 female refugees and asylum seekers in Nairobi, emphasizing their concerns and the exploitation they will face if forced to relocate. Their voices confirm that female asylum seekers and refugees need to be protected and empowered, instead of persecuted and coerced into further displacement. The Kenyan government, along with groups charged with the protection of refugees, must move to consider how to adequately deal with Kenya’s security concerns without neglecting its vulnerable populations.