June 10, 2024
News
There are currently more than 122 million displaced people in the world. Whether they have fled abroad or stayed in their countries, they are trying to start again from zero in new places. Refugees, despite many prejudices, do not wait with their hand out for help, but instead want to work, study and stand on their own two feet. But they need support at the beginning to succeed. Caritas Czech Republic is helping them to do just that.
1. Refugees learn a craft and open their own businesses
The Mayukwayukwa refugee settlement in Zambia is home to 14,000 refugees and people from the host community. Among them is 25-year-old Laurinda, who fled to the safety of Zambia from Angola to escape the war. In the refugee settlement, it is difficult for her to find work and the nearest towns are far away. One way for refugees like Laurinda to get on their feet is to learn a craft and set up their own business. Caritas Czech Republic supports refugees in the settlement to take part in a six-month course to learn their chosen skill. Like Laurinda, who trained as a seamstress. "Today I have my own tailoring workshop in the refugee settlement. I sew dresses, shirts and school uniforms and I am able to provide for my three children," smiles Laurinda happily.
It is difficult for refugees and displaced people in new places to find work. The opportunity to learn a trade and set up their own business is one way to become self-sufficient. We provide training courses not only to refugees in Zambia, but also to displaced people in western Ukraine.
2. Thanks to business skills trainings, refugees can run their own businesses
Imagine having to leave your home because of a war, and losing not only the roof over your head, but also any chance of making a living. After a few years, you may return home, but you have to start from zero. Just like the young baker Saman from Iraq. After a war with the self-proclaimed Islamic State drove him from his home, Saman returned to his hometown of Karakosh in the north of the country. But job opportunities were scarce here. Saman has always had a fondness for baking and longed to open his own bakery selling traditional Iraqi bread. Without the finances and the knowledge to start a business, he struggled. Caritas Czech Republic helped him.
Saman attended business skills training where he learned how to estimate demand and create his own business plan, budget and overall business strategy. He also received financial support from us, which he used to improve the bakery premises and necessary equipment. Today, he bakes delicious traditional bread and never stops for a moment, with one customer after another coming to the counter all day long.
Like Saman, other Iraqis have taken part in our business skills courses. Whether they are displaced residents trying to get back on their feet in new places, or returnees building their lives from scratch in homes they had to leave because of the war. We provide support to small businesses also in Syria, for example.
3. Safe shelter helps ensure decent living conditions
When Svitlana and her family left their home in Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region after the outbreak of war in Ukraine and fled to the west of the country, she had no idea that she would not see home for several years. She found safety in a dormitory at Uzhhorod University in the Transcarpathian region. It is here that Caritas Czech Republic has reconstructed eight dormitories where people displaced by the war live. Just like Svitlana.
In the dormitories for displaced people, Caritas Czech Republic renovated rooms and corridors, kitchens, showers and toilets, replaced windows and furnished the premises with new furniture and appliances. The residents themselves, including Svitlana, were involved in the renovation process. We also built modular houses in the west of Ukraine to provide decent accommodation for the displaced people.
We also helped provide safe shelter for displaced people in Iraq.
4. Studying at university opens the door to a better future
Education helps refugees reach better opportunities beyond the refugee camps. But without funding and support, it is almost impossible for them to enrol in university. Especially in countries like Zambia, where students have to pay tuition fees. That is why we support refugee students to go to university and fulfil their dream of a better future. We provide scholarships to students through the DAFI programme, which is financed by UNHCR. We also pay for accommodation and other necessary expenses for refugees so that they do not struggle during their studies and can focus on their education.
"I want to become an entrepreneur and help other refugees," says Baruani, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo who is studying at a university in Zambia thanks to our support.
5. Psychological support helps to overcome the worst trauma
People who have been forced to leave their homes have often experienced unimaginable trauma and stress. We help them to cope with difficult conditions and provide psychological support through individual and group therapy or psychosocial support. Thanks to this support, refugees and displaced people are better able to cope with their situation and get back on their feet. We have provided psychological assistance in Ukraine and to refugees in Moldova, for example. Our colleagues from Caritas Jerusalem also provide essential psychological care to people in Gaza.
6. Humanitarian aid provides the basic necessities of life
The wars in Ukraine and Gaza have shown that immediate humanitarian assistance remains essential for refugees and the forcibly displaced. Caritas Czech Republic has been helping in Ukraine and refugees in neighbouring Moldova since the beginning of the war. We have provided basic necessities such as drinking water, food and electricity generators, but also financial assistance to help people buy what they really need. In Ukraine, we are currently focusing on long-term assistance. Whether it is the provision of decent shelter or helping to rebuild trades.
In Gaza, Caritas is helping the affected population. For people who have fled their homes due to the ongoing escalation of fighting, Caritas provides health care and basic humanitarian assistance.
