United States Awards $25,000 To Promote Entrepreneurship for Meheba Refugees

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The U.S. government (through the Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration) has awarded a $25,000 grant to improve livelihood opportunities for refugees and host communities in the Meheba refugee camp. Located in Kalumbila District, North Western Province, the Meheba camp is the largest refugee settlement in Zambia, with approximately 23,700 refugees from Angola, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Somalia – and more than 5,000 skilled workers in need of job opportunities.

This grant, awarded through the Julia Taft Refugee Fund to non-profit organization Caritas Czech Republic Zambia, will enable the organization to leverage its existing expertise and infrastructure to promote linkages with the private sector in developing entrepreneurial skills for refugees and in creating internship and job opportunities that strengthen livelihoods. The project will focus on developing skills in tailoring and other trades and equip beneficiaries with important new skills in marketing and managing a small business.

The Julia Taft Refugee Fund was named in honor of former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration Julia Taft, who worked tirelessly to improve the lives of refugees around the world. The fund supports one-time, low-cost interventions that address important gaps in protection and assistance for refugees and stateless persons.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of U.S. Embassy in Zambia.