By Aimé Kwizera
The Jya Mbere Project was started by the Rwandan government in collaboration with the World Bank to give refugees access to long-term financing to promote their integration.
This project is being carried out in six of Rwanda’s most populated refugee-hosting regions to encourage entrepreneurship and the generation of revenue among refugees and host communities that were badly affected by COVID-19.
This project is designed for both refugees and Rwandans who have an income-generating idea that is put into practice in the relevant districts and has at least 10% of refugees working for it. The goal of this project is to conduct an income-generating project with the assistance of refugees and nationals. After paying back a specific proportion that relies on the credit’s height , beneficiaries of this project are allowed to acquire credits and awards.
Beneficiaries who receive fewer than 5,000,000 Rwandan francs will receive a 50% subsidy from the Jya Mbere program after paying back 50% of their loan. Beneficiaries receiving between 5,000,000 and 25,000,000 Rwandan Francs will receive a grant of 40% of the amount after paying back 60% of their credit, while those receiving more than 25,000,000 Rwandan Francs would receive a grant of 30% of the amount after paying back 70% of their credit.
This economic empowerment program was received with mixed reactions, for some it is good news and for some, they raised the stringent attached to it as an obstacle. according to some of the refugees contacted. “This grant comes at the right time; our activities had been severely impacted by years of lockdown due to covid-19. This is really good news. We will be able to breathe a sigh of relief, and rehire our staff who had lost their jobs,” said Stephanie, a refugee who runs a food shop in Kigali.
Others who are unable to meet the requirements are skeptical project; “these credits require a mortgage, a property with a value of more than the amount requested; this is not a given for any refugee”, says Théophile, a refugee owner of a welding workshop.
The project will be implemented for seven months from 2019 to 2026. Rwanda has a refugee and asylum-seeking population of over 145,000 as of 30 November, of which over 140,000 are refugees.
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