Dr. Kiptoo graces RefuSHE’s annual graduation ceremony

The Public Benefit Organizations Regulatory Authority’s (PBORA) Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Laxmana Kiptoo, today attended the annual graduation ceremony at RefuSHE centre in Nairobi to mark an important milestone in the lives of nearly sixty young women refugees aged between 18 and 25 years.

RefuSHE is a Kenyan public benefit organization (PBO) that supports refugee women and girls living in the city of Nairobi and its outskirts who have either been separated or orphaned because of political instability in their home countries caused by violent conflicts, war or droughts.

There are hundreds of refugees in Kenya who have fled their countries to escape instability and persecution. Majority of those in the care of RefuSHE are from the Democratic Republic of Congo; others are from Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.

Violent conflicts often disrupt learning opportunities, especially for young girls, making it hard for them to access gainful employment opportunities. RefuSHE is one of the various PBOs that have stepped in to offer market-driven nationally-certified skills training for such vulnerable groups.

Today’s graduates were trained in various courses such as fashion and design, beauty nail and art, and digital literacy. The training takes between six and nine months and culminates in internship for hands-on job experience.

Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Kiptoo congratulated the graduates and commended RefuSHE for what he termed as practical sustainable support to one of the most vulnerable members of the global society.

“I am glad to see the good job that you are doing in offering pragmatic and sustainable support to this most vulnerable group of people through training and mentorship. This will definitely go a long way in opening up opportunities for these young women and position them on the road to economic independence,” said Dr. Kiptoo.

RefuSHE’s Country Manager, Ms. Rose Kanana, appreciated the regulator’s boss for gracing the occasion noting that it is through such engagements that the Authority may enhance its understanding of the work that PBOs are doing in the country.

Echoing Dr. Kiptoo’s sentiments, Ms. Kanana reiterated that RefuSHE’s core mission is to provide both short-term and long-term assistance to refugee girls and young women so that they can be emotionally resilient and become economically empowered.