UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISIONER FOR REFUGEES STRENGTHENING PROTECTION CAPACITY PROJECT Co-Funded by the European Commission and the Governments of Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK United Nations High Commission for Refugees and International Labour Organization ILO-UNHCR Partnership through Technical Cooperation MULTI-BILATERAL PROGRAMME OF TECHNICAL COOPERATION FINAL REPORT Self-reliance and sustainable livelihoods for refugees in Dadaab and Kakuma camps Alfred Dube (Kakuma) Andreas Koenig (Dadaab) The views expressed in this report are those of its author and can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of UNHCR, the European Commission, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, or the United Kingdom ILO/UNHCR Partnership UNHCR CPA/SPC Project Kenya April-September 2005 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Resume The Government of Kenya’s (GoK) refugee encampment policy obliges refugees to register and reside in 2 refugee camps which are located in the Garissa (Dadaab) and Turkana (Kakuma) districts, two remote, semi arid and sparsely populated areas close to the Somali and Sudanese borders respectively. The Dadaab camp has a population of 138,129 (August 2005 UNHCR figures) refugees most of whom are Somali. There are 86,276 (June 2005 UNHCR figures) refugees in Kakuma, the majority of who are from Sudan. UNHCR and IPs and OPs have over the years promoted and conducted various training and livelihoods skills programmes. The refugee camp economies provide very limited opportunities for economic activity within the camp environment and also the restricted or absence of interaction with the potential markets outside the camps seem to suggest that the camp cash economy is very restricted, with the result that most refugees are dependent on international assistance. The absence of stimulating economic activities leads to observable boredom and frustration tendencies within the camp population which fuel reprehensible tensions, criminality and violence. The project seeks to addresses these problems through a package of measures directed at the promotion of livelihoods, capacity building, skills training and peace building. Underlying the approach is the view that immediate action is needed to prepare the refugee population in the camps for their eventual return. This requires widening livelihood options in both agriculture and non- agriculture through training, technical support and other inputs. There is also a need to promote expanded peace and reconciliation education programmes and seek opportunities for standardized training that would lead to recognizable certificates for attendees, and improve prospects for development in exchange for tensions, frustrations, idleness and eventually violence. A number of interventions are proposed and attached, translating into various projects that can be funded independently in Dadaab and in Kakuma. The projects range from livelihood promotion through training and income generation measures for the refugees in the camps and the local host community; to projects aimed at strengthening partner capacity in skills training delivery in the camps. _____________________________________________________________________ ii Alfred Dube/Andreas Koenig ILO/UNHCR Partnership UNHCR CPA/SPC Project Kenya April-September 2005 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TABLE OF CONTENT Resume................................................................................................................................ ii List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... iv List of Acronyms ................................................................................................................v SECTION I: BACKGROUND .................................................................................... 1 1. UNHCR – ILO Cooperation ................................................................................... 1 2. Terms of Reference of the consultancy to Kakuma and Dadaab............................ 3 3. Definitions and concepts......................................................................................... 4 SECTION II: KAKUMA............................................................................................... 8 1. Situation Analysis ................................................................................................... 8 2. Existing interventions in Kakuma......................................................................... 10 3. Challenges to coping mechanisms........................................................................ 13 4. Coping mechanisms.............................................................................................. 15 5 Summary............................................................................................................... 22 SECTION III: DADAAB ............................................................................................. 25 1. Background:.......................................................................................................... 25 2. Situation Analysis ................................................................................................. 25 3. Economic coping strategies of refugees ............................................................... 27 4. Skills training and income generating activities ................................................... 30 5. Summary............................................................................................................... 46 SECTION IV: FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS......................................... 47 1. General Strategic Considerations.......................................................................... 47 2. Priority needs........................................................................................................ 47 3. Kakuma findings and recommendations............................................................... 48 4. Dadaab findings and recommendations................................................................ 56 5. Objectives and outputs.......................................................................................... 60 6. Operational proposals Dadaab and Kakuma......................................................... 63 7. Suggested organisational structure ....................................................................... 66 _____________________________________________________________________ iii Alfred Dube/Andreas Koenig ILO/UNHCR Partnership UNHCR CPA/SPC Project Kenya April-September 2005 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ List of Tables Tables 1: General Background on Refugee Composition in Kakuma 7 Table 2: Refugee population (Dadaab) 24 Table 3: Camp specific data (Dadaab) 25 Table 4: Data on Incentive Workers (Dadaab) 27 Table 5: Micro-Finance Statistics (Dadaab) 31 Table 6: Priorities for skills training in Dadaab 36 Table 7: 2005 load of trainees in CARE vocational training programmes 38 Table 8: Post-training situation of selected CARE trainees 39 Table 9: Refugee trainees at NEP 41 List of Boxes Box 1: Summary of relevant international standards and principles 2 Box 2: Problem identification affecting IGAs in Kakuma as refugees 13 Box 3: Minorities and other disadvantaged groups 55 Box 4: The De-Vocalisation of the Kenyan Secondary Curriculum 58 Box 5: Logical Framework 60 Box 6: Suggested Implementation Structure 66 _____________________________________________________________________ iv Alfred Dube/Andreas Koenig ILO/UNHCR Partnership UNHCR CPA/SPC Project Kenya April-September 2005 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ List of Acronyms AIDS - Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome ASIST - Advisory Support, Information Services & Training (ILO Project) AVU - African Virtual University BMZ - German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development BON - UNHCR Branch Office Nairobi CARE - Co-operative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere CBR - Community-Based Rehabilitation CBT - Community-Based Training CPA - Comprehensive Plan of Action CTD - Convention Refugee Travel Document CTLC - Computer Training and Learning Centre EC - European Commission FAO - Food and Agricultural Organization GoK - Government of Kenya GTZ - Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit HI - Handicap International HIV - Humane Immunodeficiency Virus ICRC - International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies IDP - Internally Displaced Person IFP/CRISIS - In Focus Programme on Crisis Response and Reconstruction (ILO) IGA - Income Generation Activities IOM - International Organization for Migration ILO - International Labour Organisation IP - Implementing partner IRC - International Rescue Committee IT - Information technology IW - Incentive Worker JNA - Joint Needs Assessment KRSC - Kenyan Red Cross Society KSh - Kenyan Shilling LED - Local Economic Development LWF - Lutheran World Federation MFW - Micro Finance Worker NCCK - National Council of Churches Kenya NEP - North Eastern Province Technical Training Institute Garissa NGO - Non Governmental Organization OP - Operational Partner PERPS - Promotion of Economic Recovery Project in Somalia (ILO Project) PWD - Persons with Disabilities