Self Reliance

Self Reliance Beneficiary Mariam Mafood stands proudly outside her business in Kharaz camp market. April 2009

Donor: ADRA Norway
Location: Kharaz Refugee Camp, Lahij Governorate
Project Duration: October 2007 — September 2009

This project is based in Kharaz Camp, Lahij Governorate, and is funded by ADRA Norway. This project provides business training and a combination of grants and loans to refugees to start small businesses in the camp. Loans are available to both individuals and groups.

Kharaz refugee camp is home to around 9,000 refugees, mostly from Somalia. Kharaz is located in a remote area of the Lahj governorate in southern Yemen. Established in 2001 by UNHCR, it is a live–in facility. UNHCR and its four implementing NGO partners supply the refugees with shelter, food, education, health, and social services. The refugees face numerous problems and are one of the poorest, most vulnerable groups in Yemen. Many of the refugees lack skills to be competitive in the market and the geographically isolated position of the camp hinders chances to establish a functioning, sustainable infrastructure for income generating activities within the camp. Thus, the refugees often have insufficient resources to earn a living for themselves and depend on support from UNHCR for survival.

The Self Reliance project provides individual and group loans to refugees to begin their own businesses. Thus far, over a dozen projects have been funded, including a women’s weaving cooperative, barber shop, coffee and snack shop, general store, butcher, fresh juice shop.