Refugee Success Stories

Previously featured in our “Unlocking Refugee Self-Reliance in the UK” report, Sahan Cares is a social enterprise that provides home care and support services to the elderly. Based on the experiences of founder Abdul Shiil and his family as Somali refugees in West London, the social enterprise promotes self-reliance.

Kenya’s Refugee Act passed in late 2021 promises to improve refugee access to a range of rights, including freedom of movement, the right to work, better access to financial services, better access to documentation and education, and the ability to start a business. If implemented well, this law could support self reliance for half a million refugees.

This RIN video spotlight tells the story of an R3 (Refugee Supporting) enterprise based in Uganda: Livara Cosmetics. Livara was founded in 2013 as an online store, and has since grown to 6 salons with over 64 employees. Livara has a 22% refugee workforce and plans to expand to 50 salons over the next 5 years.

RIN’s Refugee Entrepreneurship Lead Selen Ucak writes about the growing local activity in impact entrepreneurship and investment in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Kanyi Maqubela is an entrepreneur and venture capitalist based in New York. He was born in Soweto, a township outside of Johannesburg, South Africa, during apartheid. To escape this life-threatening environment, his family moved to the United States as refugees in 1986. In 2014, Kanyi and co-founder Steve Jang, raised $56 million to create Kindred Ventures.

In the United States, a person’s credit score is one of the strongest predictors of financial stability. This key to a strong future can also act as a roadblock to a secure life, especially for new Americans. When RIN and the IRC’s Center for Economic Opportunity launched the Social Impact Fund, the goal was in line with both organizations’ objectives: to help new Americans establish a financial foothold in the US.

After starting her own successful food business in Jordan, Fatimah began encouraging and advising other aspiring businesswomen in her community.

Reuters feature on a generation of refugees who have set up financial technology firms to help other refugees and migrants send money, access paperwork, and share information.

NextBillion profiles refugee entrepreneurs who have pivoted their food industry businesses during COVID-19 to weather the pandemic and help others.

Read how refugee entrepreneur Ashley Tran quickly and creatively pivoted her business model in response to COVID-19 to garner traction nationwide and land a deal with Amazon.

A social impact and innovation contest called the BridgeBuilder Challenge identified five social enterprises globally who are making a difference for the more than 70 million displaced people around the world.

Forbes feature on businesses changing the stigma surrounding refugees through entrepreneurship.