Darfur: In Um Shalaya camp for Chadian refugees, the 100 most vulnerable refugee families were supported with vocational training and start up assistance for income generating activities, such as handcrafts, shoemaking, welding, door making, home nurseries, and farming. As a result, the products produced by the beneficiaries appeared in the local market and helped improve the refugees’ self-reliance. In South Darfur, 400 households (63% women) among the CAR refugees were empowered through skills training on income generating activities and self-employment to encourage self-reliance and to help refugees meet their basic needs. After market assessment and consolation/sensitization with the refugees, they were provided with small cash grants to start up the businesses of their choosing, including donkey carts, perfume making, handicrafts, petty trade, and sewing, among others.
East: 1216 women have been trained on basic skills training (income generating skills ) such as food processing, tailoring/embroidery and printing. In addition, 320 selected youth received vocational training in mobile maintenance, leather production, perfumes and cosmetics, advanced food processing and advanced printing. Upon graduation, they were provided with certification and start up kits to start their own business. In order to contribute to life skills among poor and extreme poor female refugees, 1500 refugees provided with literacy and numeracy training.UNHCR through its partner’s facilitated access to financial services (formal and informal) for 50 VSL groups (1500 beneficiaries) in all the refugee camps. The services included promotion of micro-savings and credit services (VSL/ROSCA modality), building their organizational and managerial capacities and establishing trusted linkages with micro-savings and credit sources. The groups were also supported with seed capital. Additionally, 220 refugees supported with loans in different income generating projects.