What is Jya Mbere?
Socio-Economic Inclusion of Refugees and Host Communities in Rwanda Project (Jya Mbere) was designed by the Government of Rwanda through the Ministry in Charge of Emergency Management (MINEMA) with the aim of improving access to basic services and economic opportunities for refugees and host communities and supporting environmental management, in target areas in Rwanda.
It is composed of four components, namely, Access to Basic Services and Socio-economic investments implemented by districts and RTDA, Economic Opportunity implemented by the Development Bank of Rwanda Plc., Environmental Management, and Project Management/M&E implemented by MINEMA.
Economic Opportunity Window
This window supports the implementation of the government’s commitment to improving refugee self-reliance. It seeks to expand economic opportunities and promote access to finance and private sector investment in five districts hosting refugee camps and five urban districts. The goal is to increase access to finance and encourage self-employment or job creation projects for the host community and refugees.
Beneficiaries are entrepreneurs from the refugee population or Rwandan community who have business ideas that they can implement in the 5 districts hosting refugee camps in Rwanda (Gatsibo, Kirehe, Karongi, Nyamagabe, and Gisagara) and refugees’ residents in urban areas namely the City of Kigali, Bugesera District, and Huye District.
Beneficiaries can be cooperatives, individual entrepreneurs, and companies (Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and micro-entrepreneurs).
Joint activities between refugees and host communities are encouraged.
Providing a matching grant to Refugees and eligible Rwandan entrepreneurs with viable projects and Capacity building to improve the business skills, entrepreneurship, and access to finance for refugees, host communities, Business Development Advisors (BDAs), Cooperatives, and participating entities in order to expand their capacity to develop financially viable project proposals.
BRD will transfer the matching grants to Participating Financial Institutions and will be given to beneficiaries as follows;
- 30% will be given to beneficiaries with a loan amount above 25 million
- 40% will be given to beneficiaries with a loan amount above 5 million to 25 million
- 50% will be given to beneficiaries with a loan amount of 5 million or below
Get Started Today
Are you a refugee?
- Complying with District regulations for doing business.
- Possess trading license
- Own contribution of at least 10% of the total project cost.
- Qualify to access a loan from a Participating Financial Institution.
- All interventions should be implemented in the targeted districts.
- At least 10% of the project’s employment or value chain benefits refugees.
- Complying with District regulations for doing business.
- Possess a trading license
- Own contribution of at least 10% of the total project cost.
- Qualify to access a loan from a Participating Financial Institution.
- All interventions should be implemented in the targeted districts.
- At least 10% of the project’s employment or value chain benefits refugees.
Are you a host community?
- Complying with District regulations for doing business
- Possess trading license
- Quality to access a loan from a Participating Financial Institution.
- Resident in targeted Urban areas.
- Joint businesses and cooperatives between host community members and refugees
- At least 10% of the project’s employment or value chain benefits Urban Refugees.
- Complying with District regulations for doing business.
- Possess a trading license
- Own contribution of at least 10% of the total project cost.
- All interventions should be implemented in the targeted districts.
- Qualify to access a loan from a Participating Financial Institution.
- At least 10% of the project’s employment or value chain benefits refugees.
Are you a cooperative or a company?
- RCA Certificate
- Good Cooperative governance (Leadership, policies & procedures).
- Track history of good Financial Management (audited financials with non-loss position) unless newly created cooperatives.
- Own contribution of at least 10% of the total project cost.
- Project complies with requirements on social and environmental safeguards.
- All interventions should be implemented in the targeted districts.
- Qualify to access a loan from a Participating Financial Institution.
- Complying with District regulations for doing business.
- Quality to access loans from a Participating Financial Institution.
- Cooperative membership includes at least 10% refugees.
- Complying with District regulations for doing business.
- Possess trading license
- Quality to access loan from a Participating Financial Institution.