Youth in refugee camps have a lack of opportunities, but it doesn’t mean that they have a lack of abilities. By finding the potential of youth in Anzisha Impact Hub, I hope that youth in refugee camps could regain hope.

Greetings everyone! This is Julien, and I am living in Nakivale refugee camp located in the southwest region of Uganda. Nakivale is the oldest refugee camp in Africa.

Do you know how much is the monthly cost for living for youths in the Uganda Nakivale refugee camp? It is 4 dollars. They live 30 days providing food, clothes and shelter for themselves with only 5,000 won. Most of the youths in Nakivale refugee camp live their life without opportunity, hope and dream due to the poor living standards in refugee camps and the social prejudice against refugees. What’s more, due to the continuation of helpless life, they become easily addicted to drugs and alcohol, and easily exposed to sexual violence.

As I went across borders to Uganda in 2013 and became a youth in a refugee camp, I also encountered and am still encountering diverse difficulties since then. However, I used these difficulties as a motivation for my life, and challenged myself to change the world. By actively participating in plenty of youth incubating programs for refugees, I gained self-capacity and the ability as an entrepreneur to come up with business ideas. That is when the journey of Anzisha Impact Hub has begun! Anzisha Impact Hub is an incubating center that develops the competency of youth in refugee camps and regains hope. I want to prove that they have as much potential to change the world as others.

At Anzisha Impact Hub, mentors with mentoring specialties train youth in refugee camps and let them find their potential to grow into an entrepreneur. Currently, 25 youth attended this incubating program and started 5 businesses with their ideas, and about 200 people in the village received direct/indirect support from it. Furthermore, Anzisha Impact Hub also collaborated with ILO to run a social impact workshop tackling diverse stakeholders with youth in refugee camps!

The goal of Anzisha Impact Hub is to actively support more youth in the refugee camps to expand their business by using their unique potential. However, we have difficulty affording enough opportunities for youths to achieve their dreams due to lack of financial capability. What’s more, the space for the incubating center is very poort, which needs to be replenished. Through Impact Donation, Anzisha Impact Hub will provide economicopportunities for the youth to expand their business and also the space of the incubating center. To help youths in the refugee camp to find their potential and regain hope, please send your encouragement for Anzisha Impact Hub!