AFRO ROAD

Season’s Greetings from AFRO-ROAD!

As we step into 2026, we extend our heartfelt wishes to our partners, communities, and colleagues across the globe. May the year ahead be one of renewed hope, resilience, and positive transformation for the global humanitarian sector, and most importantly, for people affected by displacement.

We look forward to continuing our collective efforts toward inclusive solutions, dignity, and lasting impact in the lives of displaced communities.
Wishing you a hopeful and purposeful New Year.

ለወጣት ተመራቂዎች የቀረበ የጥናት ጥሪ!

ሀሁ ጆብስ ከአዲስ አበባ እና ቦኮኒ ዩኒቨርሲቲዎች እንዲህም ከአፍሮ ሮድ ኮንሰልትስ ጋር በመሆን በስራ ፍለጋ ዙሪያ ለሚደረግ ጥናት ተሳታፊዎችን ይፈልጋል።

ብቁ ለመሆን፦
✅ በ2014 - 2017 የተመረቁ
✅ በአሁኑ ሰአት ስራ በመፈለግ ላይ ያሉ
✅ በአዲስ አበባ የሚኖሩ እና መታወቂያ ያላቸው

✨ በጥናቱ ሲሳተፉ ለጊዜዎት እና ለትራንስፖርት ክፍያ ያገኛሉ!

ለመመዝገብ ይህን ሊንክ ይጠቀሙ ወይም ይደውሉልን፡
🔗 https://shorturl.at/70AEn
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📢 **AFRO-ROAD at R-Space 2025 | Refugee Leadership in Action**

We are proud to share that **Mary Gitahi**, representing **AFRO-ROAD**, presented key findings from the study **“From the Fringes to the Forefront: Refugee Leadership within Uganda’s Humanitarian Response”** at **R-Space 2025**, a refugee-led global convening held from **15–17 December 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland**, alongside the **Global Refugee Forum (GRF) Progress Review**.

🟣 **R-Space 2025**, organized by **R-SEAT (Refugees Seeking Equal Access at the Table)**, brought together refugee leaders, refugee-led organizations (RLOs), policymakers, and humanitarian actors to reflect on progress and push for **meaningful refugee leadership** in global refugee responses.

During her presentation, Mary highlighted:
🔹 What **humanitarian coordination looks like when refugees are allowed to lead**
🔹 Evidence of **good practices** where refugee leadership has strengthened coordination, accountability, and impact
🔹 The critical role of **RLOs** as equal partners rather than implementers at the margins

📌 **Key Recommendations from the Study:**
👉 **INGOs:** Shift from tokenistic engagement to equitable partnerships with RLOs, including direct funding and shared decision-making.
👉 **OPM & Government Actors:** Institutionalize refugee leadership within national coordination and policy frameworks.
👉 **UNHCR:** Create structured, resourced pathways for RLO participation in coordination mechanisms and strategic planning.
👉 **RLOs:** Continue strengthening collective leadership, coordination, and advocacy to influence humanitarian systems from within.

📄 **Read the full report here:**
[https://policy-practice.oxfam.org/resources/from-the-fringes-to-the-forefront-refugee-leadership-within-ugandas-humanitaria-621770/](https://policy-practice.oxfam.org/resources/from-the-fringes-to-the-forefront-refugee-leadership-within-ugandas-humanitaria-621770/)

👏 AFRO-ROAD remains committed to advancing refugee-led research, policy influence, and leadership—ensuring refugees move from the fringes to the forefront of humanitarian action.

📘 New Briefing Note | Refugee Leadership in Uganda

We are pleased to share a new briefing note examining refugee leadership in humanitarian coordination in Uganda—a country widely recognized for its progressive refugee policies and commitment to refugee participation.

The paper highlights how Uganda’s legal framework provides a strong foundation for inclusion, while also identifying persistent gaps in practice. Key barriers such as limited funding, information gaps, and language challenges continue to hinder meaningful engagement—particularly for women, youth, and persons with disabilities. At the same time, the note showcases promising and strengthening practices, including Refugee-Led Organisation (RLO) networks and coordination platforms like the Refugee Engagement Forum.

This work is a collaboration between AFRO-ROAD and Oxfam, and is authored by Mary Ghitahi, Co-Founder of AFRO-ROAD. The briefing calls for inclusive coordination structures, direct funding, and policy reforms that recognize and empower refugee leadership as a core pillar of humanitarian action.

📖 Read the full briefing here:
👉 https://policy-practice.oxfam.org/resources/from-the-fringes-to-the-forefront-refugee-leadership-within-ugandas-humanitaria-621770/

📢 Research for Impact | Youth Employment in Ethiopia

AFRO-ROAD, in collaboration with Bocconi University, is currently conducting a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) to generate policy-relevant evidence on the effectiveness of behaviorally informed labor market interventions.

This study seeks to better understand how targeted, evidence-based approaches can improve employment outcomes for young people in Ethiopia, including Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)—a group often facing additional barriers to accessing decent work.

By generating rigorous evidence, the research will inform practical, data-driven policy recommendations to address youth unemployment, a critical challenge for Ethiopia’s social and economic development.

We look forward to sharing insights that contribute to more inclusive and effective employment policies for all young people.

Send a message to learn more