The Mastercard Foundation and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have embarked on a transformative partnership aimed at empowering over half a million displaced young people in Africa by 2030. This ambitious $300 million initiative, unveiled at the 2025 Africa Forum on Displacement in Nairobi, represents a significant commitment to addressing the educational and economic challenges faced by refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) across the continent. The five-year plan focuses on providing access to quality secondary education, tertiary education, and employment opportunities, with a particular emphasis on supporting women and persons with disabilities.
At the heart of this partnership lies the shared belief in the potential of young people to contribute meaningfully to their communities and drive positive change. By investing in their education and skills development, the program seeks to unlock their potential and pave the way for a brighter future. The initiative targets providing secondary education to over 500,000 displaced young people, ensuring at least 50% are female and 5% are persons with disabilities. This commitment to inclusivity recognizes the unique challenges faced by these groups and aims to create an enabling environment where they can thrive.
Furthermore, the partnership will support 10,000 young people in pursuing tertiary education, including university and vocational programs. This facet of the initiative seeks to equip young people with the advanced knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in today’s competitive job market. By investing in both secondary and tertiary education, the program creates a comprehensive educational pathway that fosters continuous learning and development.
Beyond education, the partnership also prioritizes empowering young people through employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. The goal is to facilitate the transition of 200,000 young people, with a target of 70% being women, into meaningful work. This focus on economic empowerment acknowledges that education and employment go hand-in-hand in creating sustainable livelihoods and fostering self-reliance. By supporting both employment and entrepreneurship, the program offers diverse pathways for young people to achieve economic independence and contribute to the growth of their communities.
The partnership also recognizes the importance of strengthening local capacity to address the challenges faced by displaced populations. It aims to bolster the capacity of 100 local and refugee-led organizations, enabling them to implement impactful solutions and advocate for policy changes that benefit refugees and IDPs. This bottom-up approach empowers local communities to take ownership of the solutions and ensures that they are tailored to the specific needs and contexts of the displaced populations. By strengthening local organizations, the partnership fosters sustainable and locally-driven development initiatives.
The collaborative effort between the Mastercard Foundation and UNHCR builds upon a strong foundation of previous successful initiatives. Since 2019, their joint programs have already supported 30,000 young people in returning to school and 68,000 in accessing employment opportunities. This track record of success demonstrates the potential for impactful collaboration and underscores the commitment of both organizations to empowering displaced youth in Africa. The expanded partnership represents a scaling up of these efforts, with a significant increase in funding and a broader reach across the continent. This ambitious undertaking reflects the urgency of the situation and the shared determination to address the needs of displaced young people in a comprehensive and sustainable manner. The $300 million investment represents a substantial commitment to creating lasting change and enabling displaced youth to build a brighter future for themselves and their communities.
