UN coordinator highlights Kenya’s formal refugee-integration program 'Sharika'

Gary Connell, the United Nations resident coordinator in Kenya, said the Kenyan government "has a full program of integration called Sharika," which he described as aimed at helping refugee communities "actively join their local communities." He presented Sharika as a formal, government-backed effort rather than ad hoc assistance.

To illustrate results, Connell described a woman who had received WFP support and later developed a viable small business using digital media and local supply chains. "She had really gone from refugee life to to an entrepreneur," he said, using the example to argue that, when done right, integration can tangibly benefit both refugees and host communities.