Success Stories from Our Members in the field

Young Refugees Learn Life Skills; Gain Self-Sufficiency, International Rescue Committee
June 23, 2002

Young refugees from Burundi have a chance for a better life, thanks to a youth program established by the International Rescue Committee, an American nongovernmental organization.

Two years ago, the situation in the Karago refugee camp in Tanzania was bleak. Thousands of Burundians had fled civil strife at home to seek safety and security from violence in neighboring Tanzania. Most ended up in Tanzanian refugee camps-- 40,000 in Karago camp alone. Adolescents -- about one-fifth of the population-- would spend their days loitering around the camp, idle, bored and at risk of getting into trouble or joining armed groups.

In July 2000, IRC built a youth center in the camp where the teenagers could meet, learn, gain skills, read books and play in a safe, supportive environment.

Originally designed for 800 adolescents, the youth center was expanded to provide reading, writing and sports activities to some 3,000 youth. They also learned vital life skills, such as hygiene and reproductive health. Because of the program's success at Karago camp, IRC hopes to establish similar youth centers at other refugee camps.

The work of IRC in the refugee camps not only contributes to the education of young Africans-- it also helps to create a more stable social environment in which youth have an opportunity to move toward self-sufficiency and build a secure future.