JRS has been assisting urban refugees in Nairobi since 1991, responding to the urgent, unmet needs of newly-arrived asylum seekers and refugees in the most vulnerable circumstances. In particular, JRS prioritises single women with large families, household heads with no other means of support, unaccompanied minors, people with special needs or disabilities, older refugees, the sick, and those living with HIV/AIDS.
The education programme offers the children of vulnerable refugees an opportunity to continue their education in Nairobi through the provision of scholarships covering school fees, uniforms and educational materials. Support is also given to children with special needs and to young adults to complete government-accredited vocational training courses.
As of early 2012, estimates suggest that the number of refugees and asylum seekers residing in Nairobi is around 50,000. Around 60 percent of urban refugee children are unable to access school in Nairobi due to lack of resources. During 2011, JRS provided scholarships for refugee children to attend primary and secondary school and gave additional informal educational support to 140 beneficiaries.
The project is currently funded through a number of donors, including Jesuit Mission Australia, JRS USA, the Refugee Empowerment Network and the Catholic missionary agency in Germany Missio.
Eastern Africa
Regional Office
easternafrica@jrs.net
+254 20 3874152
http://www.jrsea.org
Eastern Africa is one of 10 geographic regions of the Jesuit Refugee Service, an international Catholic organisation founded by the Society of Jesus.
In eastern Africa JRS is currently implementing 13 projects in Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda, reaching out to over 105,000 refugees, internally displaced persons and returnees. JRS Eastern Africa provides education, psychosocial support, pastoral care, peace-education, livelihoods services and emergency relief and is involved in human rights protection and advocacy activities on different levels.
Altogether, there are over eight million refugees and internally displaced persons in the whole region, including Somalia.
JRS started working in Africa in the early 1980s. One of the earliest commitments was in Ethiopia, providing food, shelter and medical aid to thousands of people displaced within their own country by war and famine.
In the early 1990s the JRS Eastern Africa region was established with the regional office based in Nairobi, Kenya.
In 1992 one of the biggest and longest serving JRS projects was set up in Adjumani, northern Uganda, assisting Sudanese refugees mainly through education and pastoral care. It was closed in 2008, after 75 schools were handed over to the government and most of the refugees were repatriated to Southern Sudan, now helping to rebuild their country, with the skills they gained during their exile in Adjumani.
Today, JRS's biggest operations in eastern Africa are in Southern Sudan, providing support in education, peace-building and pastoral accompaniment.
Kenya: JRS scholarships make a difference in Nairobi
Nairobi, 27 March 2009 — After a needs assessment was carried out in 2008, the JRS Scholarship Programme has diverted its attention from college to secondary school and pre-primary assistance. It became clear that the funds available could accommodate a higher number of students if the focus was shifted to secondary education. Interviews were held in February and intake of 18 students took place in March. At the moment JRS also sponsors two deaf students from Sudan.
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