Press releases

ITC, Arizona State University and Norwegian Refugee Council deliver digital opportunities to refugees in Kakuma

1 December 2020
ITC News

Phoenix / Geneva - Participants of the International Trade Centre's Refugee Employment and Skills Initiative (RESI) in Kakuma, Kenya, will receive online English-language instruction from Arizona State University (ASU) as part of digital marketing training delivered in partnership with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).

ASU's Education for Humanity programme is partnering with RESI to deliver courses remotely in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

"ASU is very proud to partner with ITC and NRC to better prepare refugee learners to access and succeed in the digital economy," said Nicholas Sabato, Director, Country Programs, Education for Humanity, Arizona State University.

"This innovative tripartite partnership leverages the strengths of our respective organizations and ultimately provides refugee learners with the quality training they desire," he said.

The RESI training programme is focused on digital marketing, life skills and entrepreneurship, to equip participants with the technical and soft skills needed to be self-employed and engage with international clients online. The programme starts with a one-month English language course, which helps participants advance professionally, for example, in applying for jobs, communicating with clients and delivering work.

Education for Humanity provides online courses to refugee communities across the world with in-person support from humanitarian partners. They delivered their first training under RESI when the project was launched in Kakuma in 2019.

As with other courses in the programme, the training has since been adapted to online or hybrid delivery due to coronavirus pandemic restrictions.

After the training programme, ITC offers participants a remote mentorship programme. The programme provides test jobs, facilitates access to online work platforms and provides one-on-one technical guidance to help the new freelancers connect to clients and start earning online.

About ITC - The International Trade Centre is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. ITC assists small and medium-sized enterprises in developing and transition economies to become more competitive in global markets, thereby contributing to sustainable economic development within the frameworks of the Aid-for-Trade agenda and the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.
For more information, visit www.intracen.org. Follow ITC on Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram
For more information on RESI, visit https://www.intracen.org/resi/

For more information on Education for Humanity, visit https://edforhumanity.asu.edu/
For media inquiries please contact press [at] intracen.org (press[at]intracen[dot]org)