The agreement, signed in Kigali and witnessed by the Minister in Charge of Emergency Management on Wednesday, November 18, marks the official start of the 'Refugee Socio-Economic Graduation & Livelihood Opportunities in Rwanda' project.
The three-year initiative will support 3,200 refugee families and 800 families from surrounding host communities, providing targeted solutions to enhance their economic autonomy and improve their ability to meet basic needs independently.
The project represents a major step in implementing Rwanda's Refugee Sustainable Graduation Strategy (2025â€"2030), which seeks to enable half of all refugee households in the country to graduate from reliance on aid by the end of the decade.
Speaking at the ceremony, Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Albert Murasira, Minister in Charge of Emergency Management, said the partnership illustrates the effectiveness of collaboration in driving long-term change.
'This project marks an important milestone in creating meaningful pathways to self-reliance for refugees in Rwanda,' he said. 'By supporting 4,000 refugee and host community households to graduate into sustainable livelihoods, we are demonstrating the power of strong partnerships to drive tangible, lasting change and strengthen the resilience of communities.'
European Union Deputy Director-General for International Partnerships, Martin Seychell, noted that the initiative reinforces EU support to Rwanda's efforts to shift refugee assistance towards economic empowerment.
'The programme we sign today is a concrete demonstration of the European Union's support to the ambitions of the Government of Rwanda to enable refugee households to move from aid dependence to self-reliance,' he said.
'Thanks to EU support through this and other projects, close to 20% of refugee households should advance towards economic inclusion. This new initiative further strengthens our longstanding engagement in the Great Lakes region and reflects our broader commitment
to the humanitarianâ€"developmentâ€"peace nexus, which is more essential than ever in a
context of increasing pressure on limited resources.'
The project will provide a sequenced package of interventions including targeted cash assistance, physical toolkits, and training programmes focused on entrepreneurship, climate-smart agriculture, and other livelihood skills.
Support will also be channelled into Village Savings and Loan Associations to strengthen long-term financial inclusion and resilience for participating households across five refugee camps and surrounding communities.
Andrea Bagnoli, WFP Country Director and Representative, said the initiative reflects a new era in how refugee support is approached in Rwanda.
'Today, we are starting a new chapter where refugees are seen not as beneficiaries but as entrepreneurs and active contributors to the community and Rwandan economy,' he said. 'By working hand in hand with MINEMA and our partners, we are turning promise into practice.'
Rwanda currently hosts more than 136,000 refugees, largely from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi, many of whom have depended on humanitarian support for years. By aligning this initiative with national development frameworks and facilitating access to markets and financial systems, partners hope to offer a sustainable and scalable model for future refugee assistance.
UNHCR Representative in Rwanda, Ritu Shroff, said the agreement reflects a shared belief in the potential of refugees and the communities that host them.
'We reaffirm something fundamental: that refugees and host communities alike deserve the opportunity to live dignified, productive, and independent lives and that with the right support, they absolutely can,' she said.
'UNHCR remains committed to working side by side with MINEMA, the European Union, WFP, and all partners to ensure that this project delivers meaningful, lasting impact.'
Wycliffe Nyamasege
