My name is Alex, and I am from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). I fled from Congo in 2007 when the Mai Mai militia started attacking village after village. When they reached my village, my family and I escaped and sought refuge in Rwanda. Life at the Nyabiheke refugee camp in Rwanda was not easy. I struggled to provide for my family’s basic needs, and after eight years, I decided to move to Kenya in 2015 in search of better opportunities.
Nyabiheke refugee camp, established in 2005, is home to 14,507 refugees, with 14,499 from the Congo. Before the conflict, Alex raised livestock for a living. After getting married, he decided to train as a tailor at a local school to gain skills that could support his livelihood.
Tailoring was a talent I had, and I loved the craft deeply. My brother, a tailor, taught me how to make trousers, and then I taught myself how to make women’s clothes. It didn’t take long to master. Watching tailors at work always made me happy. In my village, which wasn’t very developed, seeing someone practice tailoring was a rare and joyful sight.
I came alone at first, leaving my wife and children in Rwanda. When I arrived in Kenya, I had nothing, not even a thousand shillings in my pocket. Although I had tailoring skills, I didn’t have the necessary equipment. Fortunately, I was hosted by some neighbors from my village in Congo, and I worked with them for a while. I then managed to rent a sewing machine, which I paid for monthly, and worked hard to save money. Eventually, I saved enough to bring my family to Kenya.
Soon, life became difficult. My business wasn’t doing well. I found it hard to pay my children’s school fees, so they had to take up small businesses, one selling watermelon and the other working in a barbershop. When I met RefugePoint in 2023, my life changed significantly.
Millions of refugees worldwide struggle to make a living for themselves in host countries. Through self-reliance, refugees can regain the social and economic ability to meet their essential needs and reduce dependence on assistance. Since its founding in 2005, RefugePoint has provided stabilization services to nearly 8,000 refugees, more than half of whom have graduated to self-reliance.
Before I met RefugePoint, I had to rent a sewing machine, which was very expensive. But after completing RefugePoint’s business training I received a Ksh. 78,000 ($600) business grant, which I used to purchase a sewing machine. It has made a huge difference. I no longer have to spend money renting, and my income has increased.
RefugePoint trains approximately 120 clients through its Livelihoods Program and disburses an average of 130 business grants of up to Ksh. 80,000 ($620) annually. Refugee clients primarily use the grants to set up new businesses or expand existing businesses in order to work towards self-reliance. Alex used part of the grant to start a phone accessories business for his son, who now contributes to the family’s income.
The training I received at RefugePoint was invaluable. It taught me many essential skills, including how to be independent, how to save money, how to work hard, and how to stay persistent. Being self-reliant is something I truly value. To me, self-reliance means relying on yourself and not depending on anyone else to solve your problems. In my community, when you rely on someone, it’s like depending on them for help when it’s raining. Most people won’t show up until the rain has passed. But when you depend on yourself, you don’t wait for anything; you help yourself regardless of the circumstances.
Though the past few years have been hard, I remain hopeful. The fact that I’ve made it this far gives me the strength to keep going. I also hope to earn enough money so my other son can start his own business. My dream is for life to change in a way that allows me to expand my business, possibly even open a shop where my sons can work together so they don’t have to keep hawking. I also hope to earn enough to send my children back to school.