The International Rescue Committee has announced a five-year, €30 million ($36.38 million) grant from the IKEA Foundation in support of efforts to support livelihoods in East Africa.

The Refugees in East Africa: Boosting Urban Innovations for Livelihoods Development (Re:Build) initiative will provide employment support to twenty thousand refugees and urban residents in Nairobi, Kenya, and Kampala, Uganda. Working with partner organizations and using a community-driven, research-based approach, the initiative will focus on creating opportunities for individuals to start or grow their businesses, secure employment, and access financial services. As part of the effort, IRC will partner with the Center for Global Development on research and advocacy efforts and the dissemination of key learnings.

Re:Build is the second partnership between IRC and the IKEA Foundation; the first, Building Incomes and Leveraging Livelihoods for Youth (BILLY), focused on providing skills training and job support to refugees and young Kenyans living in Nairobi.

"Re:Build presents a unique opportunity to break the status quo and create locally driven partnerships focused on continuous learning," said IRC chief executive David Miliband. "It holds the potential to transform the urban refugee livelihoods sector and deliver systemic change that will provide refugees with the resources and choices they need to regain control of their lives and their futures. With the IKEA Foundation’s investment and the IRC’s expertise in transforming livelihoods, this program is also a solid example of the private sector partnering with the international community to produce innovative solutions to some of the world’s largest problems. We are proud to be working together on this game-changing program."