Global Innovation Valley (GIV)

I’m Blaise Amani, a refugee from DRC, living in the refugee camp for more than 10 years. Passionate by empowering young marginalized youth and young refugees to unfold to their potential to transform their challenges into opportunities and supporting them to create jobs for themselves and for others. I am the vision bearer of Global Innovation Valley, a grass root refugee led organization and community network that fills the gap of connectivity and unemployment among people living in the crises area like refugee camps.

- Blaise Amani, Founder of Global Innovation Valley (GIV) Kakuma

Youth Empowerment Program: We provide education to refugees, school dropouts, and marginalized youth from the host community through a transformative and innovative self-learning educational model. Our aim is to help individuals discover their purpose and establish social and tech enterprises, thereby generating job opportunities and reducing unemployment rates among refugees and youth in Turkana and across Kenya.

 

Since our inception, our program has attracted 1000 applicants, empowered 300 young people, facilitated the creation of 60 jobs by refugees, established 10 enterprises, and sparked the development of more than 50 ideas. Through our efforts, young refugees are transforming their lives and creating opportunities not only for themselves but also for others. We are proud to be making a difference in the lives of those we serve. GIV (Global Innovation valley )

 

Connect the Unconnected; Community Network: GIV (Global Innovation Valley) serves as a community network bridging the gap in connectivity and digital access within marginalized communities, including refugee camps. Our initiative focuses on linking Kakuma Refugee Camp and Kalobeyei Refugee Settlement, extending internet connectivity to the last mile. Our mission is to empower marginalized communities by providing ICT and digital skills training to young refugee youth while also facilitating internet access in schools and public areas.

Through our program "We Are All Connected," we have successfully trained 500 young people in digital and ICT skills, as well as provided training to 100 teachers from junior, primary, and secondary schools. Additionally, we have established internet connectivity in 10 schools and 10 public hotspots across Kakuma, Kalobeyei, and the host community. Our goal is to link young disadvantaged individuals with internal and external opportunities, thereby creating more job opportunities for them. GIV is dedicated to fostering a digitally inclusive environment where everyone has access to the resources they need to thrive.

Community Building: We are fostering a resilient local community by empowering them through a self-organizing system and supporting peace-building activities within the community. Our goal is to bring peace and coexistence initiatives to the most remote areas, creating a sustainable and independent community by promoting peace in refugee camps and marginalized areas. We aim to establish a community that can self-manage and address its own challenges, fostering an ecosystem where everyone contributes as a problem solver and creates more opportunities in their community.

Our peace-building model encourages individuals to become peace makers and advocates. Young people undergo innovative and practical training, including nonviolent communication techniques, which help them heal past wounds and promote peace effectively. Since the inception of our program, we have trained 50 youths, leading to the establishment of two communities through various outreach efforts.

Education: For education, we offer an online scholarship program to young refugees and marginalized youths from the host community, enabling them to build meaningful lives and tap into job opportunities. Currently, through partnerships with Google, Techfugees Kenya, and ourselves, we provide short courses on Coursera's online platform to support young refugees in their career development. We have given 20 scholarships to young refugees and despite the challenges 9 of them were able to finish their programs.  Our vision includes establishing a residential online campus where the system is residential while learning takes place online. We plan to collaborate with universities and colleges to initiate degree programs within the camp.

Sustainability of the organization: The donations play a crucial role in amplifying the work of GIV (Global Innovation Valley) and ensuring the sustainability of our organization. With your support, we can expand our reach, enhance our programs, and empower even more marginalized youth and refugees. Your contributions will enable us to provide additional resources for our educational initiatives, further develop our community network to connect the unconnected, and strengthen our efforts for unlocking the potential of disadvantaged individuals and fostering a digitally inclusive environment, in fostering resilient local communities and promoting peace-building activities. Together, we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of those living in crisis areas like refugee camps, creating a brighter and more hopeful future for all. Thank you for your generosity and support.