RAVES PROJECT - KENYA LAUNCH: Official launch of the Refugee Agricultural Value chains for Economic Self-reliance (RAVES) Programme. FAO with funding from the IKEA Foundation and in collaboration with the Turkana County Government, UNHCR, WFP, IFC, INSTA Products, Egerton University and other stakeholders has initiated a project aimed at enabling farmers from Loima and Turkana West Sub-Counties of Turkana County as well as refugees in Kalobeyei settlement to produce groundnut for INSTA Products in a Public Private Partnership. The four-year project is targeting 1,500 farmers, of which 30 percent are refugees, farming on approximately 750 acres and ultimately delivering 1,200 tons of Groundnuts per year. The project is expected to bring in KES 96 million annually to Turkana County and spur the development of a groundnut industry in the County.

UNHCR in partnership with Oracle launched the Oracle Workforce Development program, which aims to impart digital skills training with global certifications. Five Persons of Concern (PoC (3 females, 2 males) from urban areas and eight PoC (3 females, 5 males) from Kakuma were shortlisted for the training after a competitive process. The trainees will be upskilled in Java Fundamental and Programming and later be linked to job opportunities.

PoC who can no longer support themselves in urban areas continued to request for assistance to relocate to the camps. UNHCR and the Refugee Affairs Secretariat (RAS) worked on resuming PoC’s relocation to the camps. This had been suspended towards the end of August due to a high COVID-19 positivity rate among PoC that had been tested before travel.

RAS and UNHCR agreed to set up a working group to start a remote interviewing pilot for refugee status determination. Remote interviewing will increase the number of interviews conducted.

In August, UNHCR and implementing partners in Kakuma distributed 130,000 reusable facemasks donated by the Government of the United States.

The National Council of Churches in Kenya (NCCK) donated medical equipment and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to UNHCR health partners in Kakuma to enhance the fight against COVID-19. The donation includes pulse oximeter, oxygen concentrators and cylinders, suction machines, infrared thermometers and assorted PPE.

458 households have benefited from kitchen gardens aimed at improving food security at household level in Kalobeyei settlement.

Good Neighbors International (GNI), a Korean NGO will partner with UNHCR to initiate the construction of a secondary school in Kakuma camp with a capacity to host 1,000 students.

Over 3,500 new arrivals to benefit from the opening of 3 temporary schools, put up to decongest the existing school, in Kalobeyei settlement by UNHCR in collaboration with WFP, UNICEF, and partners.

The UN Refugee Agency has organized a Mr. and Miss 2017 World Refugee Day beauty pageant that will see contestants from the refugee and host community compete for this year’s title. Auditions have been conducted and a total of 30 contestants selected from Kakuma and Kalobeyei to compete in this year’s beauty pageant. The event is set to take place on the 19th June 2017 at Liz Ahua Hall in Kakuma 3.