RefugePoint

I have lived in Kakuma for 22 years. My family fled from South Sudan in 2002 due to the civil war and sought safety in Kenya. I think I was four years old. At Kakuma, we were provided security, which we never had back home. Life there [South Sudan] wasn’t easy because we depended solely on cow milk as a source of food and livelihood. We moved from one place to another in search of green pastures for the animals. We never had a specific place that we called home. We were nomads. On the day war broke out, the cattle camp that we were in got attacked, and it was really saddening because so many people lost their lives. And you know, being so young and seeing blood all over the place wasn’t something easy to cope with. It was really tough; we had to run for safety. My dad had to remain behind in order to protect us, and mom ran with us until we came to the Kenyan border.

When we arrived at the border, we were taken to the refugee camp where we’ve lived ever since. My siblings and I also went to school in the camp. Back home, we don’t have the kind of institutions or educational facilities that can facilitate that kind of learning. The education system is so low, and insecurity is a big issue; anytime, you might find yourself running for your life. You could be coming from school, and people start fighting, and you will be risking your life. So, I chose to study here [in Kenya] because the education system is perfect. And yeah, it has sharpened me to who I am today.

After completing high school, I studied for a diploma in social work for three years. I wanted to pursue a career in social work to help society in case of any required medical assistance. Back home, we encounter natural disasters like floods. The first people to reach out are usually social workers and medical personnel. That’s why I had to venture into social work. After completing my diploma, I got a job as a special needs care assistant for two years. I’m proud of my work with those who need special care, as people don’t take the responsibility to care for them. Working in this field has also given me insight into working in the healthcare sector.

In 2021, I heard about the Economic Labor Mobility Program (EMPP) through some friends and colleagues. I read the advert, did some research on the program, and decided to apply. It has been a long time since then, but it is worth waiting for.

When I got the call that my application to work as a continuing care assistant in Canada had been successful, I was happy. This was a new adventure.

I am going to a new place to start a new life. However, my flight was canceled at the last minute, and our travel was postponed, which saddened me. Still, I knew things would fall into place. In November 2024, we received news that our flight had been booked and were scheduled to depart soon. I was happy. Finally, it is becoming a reality. It sounded like a dream, but I can say it is becoming a reality soon.

When I get there [Canada], I have to work hard. I believe this opportunity will change my life, the fact that I will be able to work when I go to Canada and I will have an opportunity to go to school. When the opportunity presents itself, I will venture into something and play a big role in the healthcare system; I believe I will do it. I’m leaving the entire family behind, so if there is a way I can support them and bring them over, then I will be happy.

Wang departed for Canada at the end of 2024 to begin his new job. 

Abisi Olivier, a former refugee from Congo, is one of eleven refugees who departed for Canada in late 2023 to work as Continuing Care Assistants through the Economic Mobility Pathways Project (EMPP). Although he trained as a nurse assistant, Abisi had been teaching history and Kiswahili at a high school.  

“When I got to the Kakuma refugee camp, I began working as a community health worker. That is when I became curious to learn more about health sciences. So, I enrolled for nursing studies at the Kenya College of Commerce and Hospitality. Before my interest in nursing, I trained as a teacher at the university where I learned the skills to be a primary and high school teacher,” Abisi said when he spoke to us. 

In 2021, Abisi received a WhatsApp message from a friend with information about RefugePoint’s Economic Mobility Pathway Program. Although his application was successful, Abisi had to wait three years for this dream to come true.

I’m feeling so happy because this opportunity will change many things in my life and help my family, who are remaining behind,” Abisi said.

“When I get to Canada, I want to improve my skills to be a full nurse and help fellow refugees who are still in the camps. My hope is that I’m going to a multicultural country and environment, and I’m going to enjoy my freedom, which I did not have before,” Abisi said. 

RefugePoint supported me with food assistance, helped me to enroll in Kenya’s  National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), and provided rent support. Their help allowed me to focus on growing my business and securing my children’s future.

My name is Chantal, and I am a businesswoman from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). I sell vitenge (African fabric) and shoes in Nairobi, Kenya.

In 2016, I was forced to flee my home in the DRC due to violence. One early morning, at around 5 a.m., gunshots erupted outside our house. My husband went to check, only to find people running in terror. We followed, escaping into the forest. Tragically, as my husband tried to gather our cattle and rejoin us, he was shot and killed. Left alone with my six children, I had no choice but to keep moving. For two weeks, we walked through the forest at night, hiding during the day to avoid being seen. Eventually, truck drivers transported us to Nairobi.

We found temporary shelter with our fellow Congolese in the Soweto area, but the space was too small for my children and me. I needed to find a way to survive. Without money or knowledge of the local language, I started washing clothes and cleaning houses. The work was inconsistent, but I did whatever I could to feed my children.

My Kenyan neighbors taught me about Chamas (women’s savings groups). I joined one, and when I explained my struggles, they allowed me to take the first turn to receive funds. 

I discovered that few people in Nairobi were selling Vitenge, the beautiful African fabric worn by many in my home country. With guidance from Kenyans and Somali residents, I found my way to Eastleigh, where the fabric was sold. I bought a few pieces and started selling them to my neighbors. At first, I struggled to calculate the currency’s value and got lost trying to expand my market, but I persevered. Eventually, I started seeing profits. 

In 2022,  I heard about RefugePoint through other refugees. They told me about Augustine, a Community Navigator, who could help me connect with the organization. It took time—many months of waiting—but finally, in December 2023, I was enrolled as a client. RefugePoint supported me with food assistance, helped me to enroll in Kenya’s  National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), and provided rent support. Their help allowed me to focus on growing my business and securing my children’s future.

With RefugePoint’s support, I relocated to a safer and more comfortable home. Before, my children were constantly sick due to poor living conditions, but now they are healthier and happier. RefugePoint also provided business training and a grant, which allowed me to expand my business significantly. I found a small space near a busy road to sell my goods. My sales improved, and I could pay for my children’s school fees.  My children are learning, we have food on the table, and I am saving for the future. I no longer feel helpless; I feel empowered.

To other refugees, I say: be confident, know your strengths, and choose a path that suits you. Do not simply follow what others are doing—find what you love and pursue it with dedication. My journey has not been easy, but I have learned to love my business and work hard daily.

Carol, Chantal’s case manager at RefugePoint, shared, “It has been great partnering with Chantal and seeing her bold steps toward self-reliance.”

The Economic Mobility Pathway Program (EMPP) is crucial because I’ve seen so many skilled refugees in Kakuma who need assistance in obtaining long-term solutions. Without the EMPP, these refugees would never have been discovered.

I am a South Sudanese refugee who has lived in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya for around 20 years.

Kakuma Refugee Camp was established in 1992 and has grown significantly over the decades. As of December 2024, the camp hosts approximately 218,660 refugees and asylum-seekers from neighboring countries, including South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

I was a hardworking teenager, a cattle herder, farmer, and fisherman but I fled the civil wars to Kenya at 14 years old. I pursued my education in Kenya, graduating with a high school diploma. I am advancing my nursing degree online at Xim University in India through the sponsorship of Jesuit Worldwide Learning.

In 2010, I started working as a community rehabilitation adviser with Handicap International (Humanity and Inclusion), supporting individuals with disabilities and older adults within the camp.

In April 2021, I learned about the Economic Mobility Pathway Program (EMPP) through a colleague who shared the Call for Applications with me via WhatsApp. I decided to apply because I met the qualifications of having a high school certificate and a recommendation from my employer.

The EMPP program offers skilled refugees and displaced people an opportunity to work permanently in Canada. Through its Labor Mobility Program, RefugePoint partners with the Canadian Government, UNHCR, and Talent Beyond Boundaries to help qualified refugees in Kenya immigrate to Canada through work-based visas.

Through RefugePoint’s support, I took the IELTS exam and attended interviews with potential employers in Kakuma. Their [RefugePoint] assistance ensured that my application was handled with care and professionalism.

Chol’s application was successful, and in mid-2022, he was offered a job in Canada as a Continuing Care Assistant at Northwood, a continuing care organization in Nova Scotia.
From my experience, the Economic Mobility Pathway Program (EMPP) is crucial because I’ve seen so many skilled refugees in Kakuma who need assistance in obtaining long-term solutions. Without the EMPP, these refugees would never have been discovered.

The EMPP program is going to change my life in so many ways. It is a sign of change in my life. I aspire to further my education, support my siblings’ schooling in Kenya, and give back to organizations that have been instrumental in my journey. Whatever I gain in Canada, I will use it to change the world.

Chol was resettled in Nova Scotia, Canada, in February 2025 to begin his new job.

I’m the first in my family to graduate high school. I’m really proud, and I am an example to my siblings.

That is actually what made me work so hard in school so that I can set an example for my brothers. I love videography and photography. I used to see my friends doing it, and it seemed like a lot of fun. So, I decided to pursue a course in videography and photography. I would like to learn the tricks they use to edit videos and capture scenes. Most of the time, I visit YouTube to learn when I don’t have classes. 

I love going to school. Back in Congo [the Democratic Republic of Congo], where I’m from, going to school was hard, and the environment was challenging due to the civil war. Staying in school the whole day was really hard. After I came to Kenya, I had an opportunity to join a school, which was very different. We used to go to school the whole day, and it was really enjoyable, and that motivated me to love school. I remember that on my first day in school, I was told to write a composition about a game I love. When I recall what I wrote then, I laugh so much because I used the Kiswahili we used to speak back in Congo, and teachers made fun of my composition. It was not that easy, but I tried until I started performing well. I was also the best in mathematics in my class. 

When I finished primary school, my parents sought assistance from RefugePoint to sponsor my high school education. In December 2019, I met Kimani [then Education officer], who interviewed me and reviewed my documents. Luckily, I qualified for the sponsorship, and in April 2020, I started my high school studies. I had the morale to study knowing that I didn’t have the school fees challenge. I had everything that I needed, so I was really motivated. I put all my energy into my education and learning new things in a new school.

After graduating from high school in 2023, I got another sponsorship opportunity through RefugePoint to study photography and videography, which I started in March 2024. 

I enjoyed my studies and made friends in school. Photography and videography skills are additional skills that can offer opportunities for income generation. You can do it privately and continue working on other things, so it’s important for one to have extra skills because they will give you an advantage and a higher chance of getting a job. The most important thing I’ve learned through this education journey is to be humble and flexible with everything. I’ve also learned my rights because I’m a refugee. Where I come from, many don’t know how to speak or defend themselves. This has given me so many chances to understand myself and also to understand my fellow refugees. 

I encourage people to go to school and study to know their rights and how to handle others. I think if our elders went to school and had an education, there would not be war or chaos in my country. We need to know how to solve problems, come to an understanding, and avoid the chaos in my country. If we want to change the mindset that refugees are just refugees, we can do it through education because education can change your life completely. I never thought I would be an important person as a refugee, but right now, I know that even if I’m a refugee, I have rights just like any other person in his or her own country.

For nearly three decades, Aleu, a South Sudanese refugee, called Kenya home. Aleu arrived with his parents at  Kakuma Refugee Camp in 1996 at the age of four. His entire childhood and educational journey—from elementary to high school—were shaped by the environment of Kakuma. 

After completing his education, Aleu worked for four years as a Community Rehabilitation Worker with Handicap International, now known as Humanity and Inclusion, focusing on supporting the elderly and individuals with disabilities. “During that time, I gained experience working with the most vulnerable people, and I was pleased to work with them because these are the people the community needs to help,”

In June 2021, Aleu learned about the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) program through a friend. The EMPP program offers skilled refugees and displaced people the opportunity to work permanently in Canada. RefugePoint partners with the Canadian Government, UNHCR, and Talent Beyond Boundaries to help qualified refugees in Kenya immigrate to Canada through work-based visas. Seeing that he met the criteria, Aleu applied without hesitation. 

In 2022, Aleu secured a position as a Continuing Care Assistant with Northwood Care, a long-term care organization in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. “I believe they [Northwood] will show us how to adapt to the new environment and work, making it easier for us,” he shared.

Beatrice, a Labor Mobility Senior Associate with RefugePoint, shared, “Working in Labor Mobility has helped us shed light on refugees who are highly skilled professionals. Many refugees are not paid well, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation. EMPP candidates like Aleu can find stable employment opportunities and begin to rebuild their lives.”

“My contribution to my new community will be as a Continuing Care Assistant.

I’ll be helping people in my community through my employer. If I have time, I’ll also help others who need my help. I believe I will contribute much of what I know to my new community,” Aleu shared.

Aleu was resettled in Nova Scotia, Canada, in February 2025.