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About / Who We Serve
Without long-term solutions, refugees often remain in limbo for decades. Most international aid is directed at non-displaced populations, such as helping the nationals of a country with education, health and poverty reduction. Refugees are typically excluded from such development programs as they lack legal standing and permanent residency in their host countries. Many governments deny refugees access to public services and the right to work, leaving refugees excluded from the social and economic life of their host countries.
Children are disproportionately impacted by forced displacement. 40% of refugees are children, despite the fact that children account for only 25% of the world’s population. Many refugee children have lost their traditional support systems (extended family, neighbors, teachers), leaving them especially susceptible to abuse, violence, exploitation, and continued trauma. Their schooling is also frequently interrupted, often put on hold for years on end.
A commitment to child protection underpins everything we do at RefugePoint. We employ Child Protection Experts throughout Africa. For unaccompanied children—either separated from parents or orphaned—we conduct assessments to determine what solutions are in the best interest of the child.
For children living with their parents, we focus on supporting the family through food, rent, and medical assistance as the frontline of protection. We also support school enrollment and focus on education as an important intervention for combating poverty and providing children with opportunities to integrate in their new communities.
Women and girls face increased risk of physical abuse, exploitation and assault. They are frequently compelled to rely on dangerous survival strategies or are forced into marriage and early motherhood. Furthermore, war and flight often separates families and leaves women as the head of the household with no adult male support.
Many of RefugePoint’s female clients served through our Urban Refugee Protection Program in Nairobi, Kenya, have experienced sexual violence in their home countries, during their escape, after arrival in Nairobi, or all of the above. Many also find themselves in exploitative home and/or work environments, sometimes resorting to ‘survival sex’ to support their families.
Given these heightened risks, RefugePoint prioritizes women and girls in all of its work. Through our Urban Refugee Protection Program in Nairobi, Kenya, our group-counseling program provides tailored support. For example, our staff conducts therapy groups for women who are raising children born as a result of rape. These groups provide much needed stability, helping to build coping mechanisms and social capital. Groups frequently continue to meet even after formal sessions end.
Among the most at-risk refugees are those who do not enjoy the protection and care of their own communities and families, as is often the case for LGBTIQ+ refugees. Having escaped violence, discrimination and abuse in their home countries, they often face many of the same threats in their host countries. Many LGBTIQ+ refugees face challenges such as marginalization, sexual violence, domestic violence, stigmatization by health professionals when seeking medical care, forced marriage, forced separation from their children, harassment, and threats.
RefugePoint staff have been trained on creating a safe space for LGBTIQ+ individuals to seek assistance and to recognize the unique forms of persecution that these refugees experience. At-risk LGBTIQ+ individuals are prioritized for various services and solutions. Our Urban Refugee Protection Program in Nairobi, Kenya has prioritized outreach to these individuals and developed partnerships with a broad network of humanitarian agencies offering medical, legal and psychosocial services. Drawing on the expertise of its medical staff, RefugePoint has helped sensitize other medical professionals to issues affecting this community and has conducted outreach campaigns and trainings for community members themselves.
War and flight take a toll on refugees’ health. Many have injuries or chronic conditions that have not been addressed. For refugees facing serious or even life-threatening medical conditions, they often lack access to the treatments that they need. Such cases may be identified and prioritized for resettlement, in order to receive the care they need abroad.
For refugees in Nairobi, Kenya who need access primary care, RefugePoint runs an in-house medical clinic through our Urban Refugee Protection Program and also covers the costs of prescription medicines. Referrals for secondary and tertiary care are made to partner clinics at favorable rates and may be subsidized by RefugePoint. We also partner with a crowd-sourced medical funding platform, which helps refugees cover the costs of treatments, procedures, and surgeries.
Through the tireless advocacy of our medical staff with the Kenyan Ministry of Health, we were able to enroll a set of clients in Kenya’s National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) for the first time in March 2014. This opportunity later expanded to more of our clients and to include refugees in Nairobi broadly. UNHCR secured funding to cover the premiums, which has allowed tens of thousands of refugees to enroll in the plan.
Our goal is to support more refugees in more places to access lasting solutions. To achieve this, we work simultaneously on direct services, field building, and systems change to drive large-scale change.
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