The Refugee-led Innovation Fund welcomes a new cohort of changemakers
Across the world, organizations led by displaced and stateless people are innovating to support their communities. Weâre right beside them.
Three years ago, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, launched the Refugee-led Innovation Fund. This new support mechanism was based on a few simple ideas: Displaced and stateless people know their own needs and aspirations best; theyâre organizing to make lasting positive change; but they struggle to access traditional funding sources. The Refugee-led Innovation Fund sought to change that and to empower organizations led by displaced and stateless people by providing them with holistic support to design and implement innovative initiatives in their communities.
Now, as humanitarian funding dwindles and needs ratchet up, these organizations and their new ideas tailored to local needs are more essential than ever. UNHCR Innovation has just endorsed 10 new projects for support through the Fund (with several more still under consideration) â joining the 40 projects across almost 30 countries that have already received support.
So far, the projects championed through the Fund have positively affected the lives of more than 160,000 people from both displaced and host communities. Starting in 2025 and rolling through 2026, our newly supported projects will be finding new ways to enhance education, economic opportunities, environmental health, advocacy, and access to services for people forced to flee.
Hereâs a quick rundown of the newly supported projects and the brilliant organizations behind them ð
Widening education access for enhanced opportunity
Education can be a vital stepping stone to greater opportunities and socioeconomic inclusion for refugees and other forcibly displaced and stateless people. In Ireland, the Samali Foundation is focused on dismantling barriers to education. With support from the Fund, this organization will be piloting a one-year postgraduate access programme designed specifically for refugees and asylum seekers. The first of its kind in the country, the programme will combine tailored academic preparation, mentorship, and civic engagement and â critically â it will recognize prior learning without requiring formal documentation. Through this flexible admissions pathway, up to 10 people will gain access to higher education and, pending the pilotâs successful completion, a new model for education access will be established.
In Hungary, the OLIve Education Association also champions equality in education access, through various initiatives. Now, with support from UNHCR, theyâll be driving forward greater refugee leadership in the education sector, with a programme designed to enable experienced educators and refugee teachers to share knowledge and upskill less experienced teachers and education managers â creating a connected, empowered network of refugee educators and amplifying their voices in civil society.
Upskilling for womenâs economic empowerment
Beyond academic qualifications, vocational skill building is a critical way for refugees to gain self-reliance and to contribute to their new communities. In Kenya, the Solidarity Initiative for Refugees (SIR) â a graduate of our Digital Gender Inclusion and Innovation Bootcamp â is dedicated to building pathways toward dignified livelihoods for forcibly displaced people. As part of this mission, SIR will be empowering single mothers in Kakuma Refugee Camp to become fashion entrepreneurs, with training in garment-making, digital literacy, and business development. Paired with mentorship, e-commerce market access, and childcare support, this training will strengthen the earning potential of 60 women, with ripple effects for 500+ community members.
Many women returnees to Kunduz Province, Afghanistan, face economic hardship and struggle to reintegrate. The Organization for Womenâs Empowerment aims to address these challenges by providing 30 women entrepreneurs with business planning, financial literacy, and marketing training to enable them to restart small businesses in the community theyâve returned to. By incorporating psychological support and awareness-raising, the project will additionally ease barriers to reintegration and business growth â which, in turn, will boost the economic activity of the area.
Boosting environmental and human health
Healthy communities rely on health environments. In Uganda, Bidibidi Refugee Camp struggles with plastic waste management. So, Generous Designs Africa plans to establish a recycling centre in the camp to transform this waste into useful and durable household items â both cleaning up the camp environment and creating green jobs for camp inhabitants. Theyâll also be raising awareness about environmental protection and eco-friendly waste-management practices, reaching more than 300 people.
A more immediately hazardous environmental challenge faces those living in Kavumu refugee camp, Burundi: deep ravines, formed due to heavy rainfall and unchecked soil erosion. Agir pour lâenvironnement aims to implement a nature-based, community-led strategy to address this erosion â including planting soil-stabilizing species and constructing rainwater channels â protecting homes, agricultural fields, and water sources, and enhancing quality of life for all residents. More than 2,700 refugees and host community members will enjoy safer common areas â and enhanced environmental resilience will protect against further climate changeâfueled displacement.
Amplifying essential voices for more effective advocacy and inclusion
People with lived experience of forced displacement and statelessness are the most persuasive and powerful advocates for these causes, yet they too often struggle to meaningfully participate in decision-making. Ensuring their voices can be heard is critical to raising awareness of the challenges they face and gaining support for greater inclusion and empowerment.
The Canadian Centre on Statelessness will be pioneering the Statelessness Knowledge Platform â an online hub, cocreated with community members, to provide information on statelessness in Canada and connections to legal professionals, as well as fostering collaboration to improve stateless peopleâs access to justice. Meanwhile, in Nigeria, the Womenâs Interfaith Network will be working to care for and advocate on behalf of women who have experienced conflict-related sexual violence â addressing the stigma survivors face through psychological support and community dialogue. This project will engage survivors, traditional and religious leaders, and other community members, and will provide mental health and psychological support to more than 900 people.
Breaking down barriers to essential services
Water is essential to life â yet securing and storing safe drinking water can be a challenge in contexts of forced displacement. In Ethiopiaâs Jewi refugee camp, Youth Life Change for Peace and Development is looking to local traditional techniques and materials to address water contamination and associated health risks. Theyâll be developing and distributing clay water storage vessels designed to enable hygienic hydration â reducing the risk of water-borne diseases for 24,000 people.
In Brussels, Belgium, essential services like healthcare and housing are available â but refugees and asylum seekers can struggle to access them due to systemic gaps or language/cultural barriers. The Umbrella Refugee Committee aims to address this challenge by training and deploying refugee-led mobile teams to provide tailored assistance to communities left behind by the formal reception system. Diverse and able to navigate complex systems, these teams will ensure 1,500 individuals can access essential services â and the data they collect will inform policymaking and advocacy to drive wider systemic change.
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Embedded in and trusted by their communities, organizations led by displaced and stateless people are expertly equipped to address urgent challenges. As humanitarian funding dwindles, supporting their innovative solutions is an essential means of delivering a brighter future for people forced to flee and their hosts. Weâre honoured to be able to do so â and canât wait to watch their pilots unfold, delivering learnings for the sector at large and lasting positive change for their communities.
Read more about the Refugee-led Innovation Fund. Follow the progress of these projects on our LinkedIn page. More projects to be announced soon â stay tuned!