Refugee Entrepreneurship

Purpose: This paper sought to examine the multifaceted term refugee entrepreneurship from a global level, to a more focused view of the Kenyan context. As such, the authors of this paper examined the general understanding of refugee entrepreneurship in Kenya, assessed the effect of talent displacement with regards to refugee entrepreneurship in Kenya and analyzed the effect of integration and social economic inclusion in relation to refugee entrepreneurship in Kenya. Design/methodology/approach: The paper utilized qualitative research where available secondary data on refugee entrepreneurship was analyzed. Findings: The study found that there appeared to be no clear-cut understanding of refugee entrepreneurship in the Kenyan context, no systematic approach to tackle talent displacement with regards to refugee entrepreneurship in Kenya, and there continued to be barriers to full integration and social economic inclusion with regards to refugee entrepreneurship in Kenya. Research limitations/implications: This study also noted that there is no current global solution to the issue of the ever-increasing number of internally displaced persons, asylum seekers or refugees. On the contrary, the year 2022 has seen an increase in civil strife around the world including; the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Tigray-Ethiopia war and the more than 20-year-old ongoing conflicts in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Other conflicts of concern on the African continent include; South Sudan, Somalia, Mozambique and other West African nations, while Libya and other North African states have suffered similar civil strife. Despite these ongoing challenges, this study established that there are significant socio-economic contributions of refugee entrepreneurship to host communities. Practical implications: Consequently, the study recommended a more in-depth understanding of refugee entrepreneurship in the context of Kenya, nurture refugee talents and skills while enacting and enabling policies that foster integration and social economic inclusion with regards to refugee entrepreneurship in Kenya. The Government and people of Kenya stand to reap the benefits of refugee entrepreneurship, which in turn reduced refugee talent displacement and continued government handouts that have promoted dependency, rather than self-reliance. Refugee entrepreneurship, if well cultivated, is an avenue for adding to Kenya’s bread basket through taxation, employment and investment. Paper type: Research pape

Refugee Entrepreneurship

Purpose: This paper sought to examine the multifaceted term refugee entrepreneurship from a global level, to a more focused view of the Kenyan context. As such, the authors of this paper examined the general understanding of refugee entrepreneurship in Kenya, assessed the effect of talent displacement with regards to refugee entrepreneurship in Kenya and analyzed the effect of integration and social economic inclusion in relation to refugee entrepreneurship in Kenya. Design/methodology/approach: The paper utilized qualitative research where available secondary data on refugee entrepreneurship was analyzed. Findings: The study found that there appeared to be no clear-cut understanding of refugee entrepreneurship in the Kenyan context, no systematic approach to tackle talent displacement with regards to refugee entrepreneurship in Kenya, and there continued to be barriers to full integration and social economic inclusion with regards to refugee entrepreneurship in Kenya. Research limitations/implications: This study also noted that there is no current global solution to the issue of the ever-increasing number of internally displaced persons, asylum seekers or refugees. On the contrary, the year 2022 has seen an increase in civil strife around the world including; the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Tigray-Ethiopia war and the more than 20-year-old ongoing conflicts in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Other conflicts of concern on the African continent include; South Sudan, Somalia, Mozambique and other West African nations, while Libya and other North African states have suffered similar civil strife. Despite these ongoing challenges, this study established that there are significant socio-economic contributions of refugee entrepreneurship to host communities. Practical implications: Consequently, the study recommended a more in-depth understanding of refugee entrepreneurship in the context of Kenya, nurture refugee talents and skills while enacting and enabling policies that foster integration and social economic inclusion with regards to refugee entrepreneurship in Kenya. The Government and people of Kenya stand to reap the benefits of refugee entrepreneurship, which in turn reduced refugee talent displacement and continued government handouts that have promoted dependency, rather than self-reliance. Refugee entrepreneurship, if well cultivated, is an avenue for adding to Kenya’s bread basket through taxation, employment and investment. Paper type: Research pape

Microfinance Institutions as a Vehicle for Poverty Eradication in Developing Countries: Evidence from the East African Community Member States

This paper focuses on examining the link that exists between microfinance institutions (MFIs) and poverty eradication efforts in developing countries, specifically focusing on the East African member states of Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. The study was driven by the varying interpretations, debates, and opposing opinions in literature on the effects of MFIs on poverty eradication in developing economies, particularly in the East African Community (EAC). The study used a depth literature search using secondary data on the role of MFIs in poverty eradication in the EAC context. The results pointed out that despite the challenges such as high transaction rates, limited funding and others, microfinance credit has played a significant role in poverty eradication among poor/low-income families in the EAC Member States. Therefore, the study recommends that governments of the EAC Member States should increase government support, and conducive working environments should be provided to ensure microfinance institutions reach as many less privileged individuals as possible so as to raise their economic status

Rwanda 20 years on: investing in life

Two decades ago, the genocide against the Tutsis in Rwanda led to the deaths of 1 million people, and the displacement of millions more. Injury and trauma were followed by the effects of a devastated health system and economy. In the years that followed, a new course set by a new government set into motion equity-oriented national policies focusing on social cohesion and people-centred development. Premature mortality rates have fallen precipitously in recent years, and life expectancy has doubled since the mid-1990s. Here we reflect on the lessons learned in rebuilding Rwanda's health sector during the past two decades, as the country now prepares itself to take on new challenges in health-care delivery