East Africa — Publications

HBS & RELON: Policy Brief: Strengthening Gender-Sensitive Responsiveness among RLOs in Kenya and Uganda

June 2024

Refugee-led organisations (RLOs) are essential in bridging the gap between refugees and broader communities, facilitating services and advocating for refugee rights. Despite their crucial role, RLOs are often sidelined in decision-making processes. This policy brief aims to address these challenges by providing recommendations for donors and stakeholders.

This brief results from a workshop held in Nairobi, supported by Heinrich Böll Stiftung (HBS) - Africa Migration Hub, Samuel Hall, RELON Kenya, and RELON Uganda and calls for the following policy recommendations

Inclusive Decision-Making: Ensure RLOs have representation in all relevant decision-making bodies to influence policies directly affecting refugees.
Financial Empowerment: Promote direct and sustainable funding approaches for RLOs to enhance their financial inclusion and long-term impact.
Gender Transformative Agenda: Support RLOs in developing and implementing gender strategies to ensure gender inclusivity within their activities.
Digital Advocacy: Enhance RLOs’ capacity to use digital media for advocacy, communication, and storytelling through additional training and resources.

Read full brief here.

Samuel HallJune 19, 2024REFUGEE LED ORGANISATIONS, RLOs, Refugee rights, Nairobi, East Africa, Uganda, advocacy, empowerment

WUSC: Situational Analysis Access to Secondary Education and Economic Activities of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Ethiopia

January 2024

Did you know that Ethiopia is experiencing a significant rise in internally displaced persons (IDPs), reaching a staggering 4.4 million by June 2023?

The situation has worsened due to a prolonged drought, the far-reaching effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, and escalating tensions in northern Ethiopia. These factors have intensified health and socio-economic challenges, forcing thousands of households to relocate within the country's borders.

In response to this, the Displaced and Refugee Youth Enabling Environment Mechanism (DREEM) project is working towards creating an inclusive environment for refugee and displaced youth, with a focus on empowering young women to fully engage in society.

Samuel Hall conducted a situational analysis on IDPs in Ethiopia, focusing on their access to secondary education and economic opportunities. We found that challenges such as long distances to schools, overcrowded classrooms, language barriers, and poor hygienic conditions are daily obstacles. Innovative ICT-driven programs and structural initiatives like TVET, micro-credit opportunities, formal employment incentives, and infrastructure projects are essential.

Find out more of our findings and recommendations in our report.

Download here

Samuel HallJanuary 29, 2024ETHIOPIA, situational analysis, East Africa, Education

Save The Children: Tipping Points to Turning Points - How Can Programmes and Policies Better Respond to the risks of Child Trafficking and Exploitation on the Central Mediterranean Route?

December 2022

Samuel Hall was commissioned by Save The Children to conduct research to understand how practitioners and policymakers can reduce the risk of child trafficking and exploitation. The research was conducted across the East Africa Central Mediterranean route, through Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt as part of Save the Children’s work on the East African Migration Routes project, mandated by the Swiss Agency for Development & Cooperation (SDC). Egypt, Eritrea, Sudan and Tunisia were among the top ten countries of origin of migrants reaching European shores in the first half of 2021. More than 200 individuals, including children, community members, practitioners and experts participated in the research.

The aim of the study is to support practitioners to develop more tailored risk prevention and protection interventions for child migrants at each stage of their journey and to influence the development of national and global policies that will strengthen the protection of child migrants in Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan and other transit and destination countries on the CMR.

Download the Executive Summary here
Download the Full Report here
Download the Annex: Analysis of National Legislation here

MIGNEX: Migration and development dynamics in Batu, Ethiopia

August 2022

Samuel Hall interviewed youth in Batu, Ethiopia as part of our research with MIGNEX [Aligning Migration Management and the Migration–Development Nexus]; a collaborative research effort to tackle the challenges of global migration with a long-term vision for better outcomes.

This case study brief co-authored by Samuel Hall team explores 'Migration & Development Dynamics in Batu, Ethiopia’ where fertile land and foreign-owned agribusinesses have led to increased employment a rural-urban in-migration. Yet well-paid jobs & development interventions remain limited

But hope prevails - grounded in religion, general elections, or improved infrastructure. International migration aspirations are low, with most young adults preferring to remain in Ethiopia. Internal migration is strongly preferred.

Download here

Samuel HallAugust 3, 2022MIGNEX, East Africa, ETHIOPIA, BATU, PILLAR 1

Open Society Foundations - Free and Safe Movement in East Africa

October 2018

A multi-region study analysing migration policy and practices in Central, East and Southern Africa. This report reviews findings at the East African sub-regional level at a time of growing attention to fostering mobility and mobility’s gain for protection and development.

Download Report

HIF/Samuel Hall - Innovating Mobile Solutions for Refugees in East Africa

February 2018

This study takes a significant step towards deciphering the degree to which mobile phone coverage, access to smartphones, awareness of mobile-based services and technical literacy affect the role mobile technology can play in supporting refugees.

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ReDSS - Durable Solutions Review in East Africa

July 2016

By reviewing existing initiatives, frameworks and commitments in the search of durable solutions in the region, this study conducted by Samuel Hall looks at good practices, challenges and opportunities. The objective is to have a better understanding of the current landscape to improve coordination and to inform a learning and capacity development agenda across stakeholders.

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