A Refugee who became CEO of a NGO that creates opportunities for other refugees.

Michael Tesfu, CEO of International Fellowship Canadian Aid (IFCA) an Eritrean by origin but born in Ethiopia due to the war ranging in the horn of Africa. He fled to Sudan in 1998 where he spent seven years as a refugee, experiencing all economic and social challenges, this nurtured his desire to change the lives of other refugees and disadvantaged people of the world.

As a refugee his life was characterized by desperation for a better life worsened by the challenge of language barrier and lack of credentials, employable skills to obtain a decent job in the host country and lack of support since there were urban refugees and not under the designated camp.  Despite the challenges. In 2005. Michael was among the lucky few who got a chance to move to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada where people were welcoming, friendly and always smiling. After working in Manitoba for two years to gain Canadian work experience. His experience as a refugee became the driving force for his desire to help other refugees and unfortunate people of the world. In 2017, he moved to Uganda in Africa.

Uganda hosts about 1.5 million refugees, of which 80,000 are urban refugees who most believe moving to western country is the only way out. Through joint work with colleagues, Michael became CEO of International fellowship Canadian Aid (IFCA), an NGO that helps transform lives of refugees within the urban areas. He says “Migration to western country is not a solution for refugees but instead skilling them to obtain a self-sustaining and reliant lives in the host communities is the way out”.

IIFCA`s Training Center transforms lives of urban refugees within Kampala through skills development, business mentorship, language classes, gender empowerment, and psycho-social support. He believes that through partnership and collaboration with government agencies and NGOs, one can reduce refugees’ dependence on handouts, promoting, their self-reliance and self-sustenance.

Achievements

• Through networking with other international non- government organizations, he managed to secure a scholarship slot for 30 refugee children being sponsored for primary schools within Kampala by JRS.
• Continued networking with other NGOs like JRS; he managed to secure vocational training programs for refugees from the Horn of Africa who are being trained in courses like hairdressing, fashion, computer literacy, networking, auto mechanics, and electronic repair and maintenance.
• He has successfully created a refugee platform with over 400 Ethiopian, Eritreans and Somalians within Kampala central region which has been a accessing channel for information sharing to refugees concerning available refugee opportunities and assistance provided by other humanitarian agencies.
• Child development center for refugee children aged (3-6) and other disadvantaged children of the host communities through a pre-learning program, protection, and assessment.
• Continued support and work with refugees at risk within Kampala communities

Children Educational Scholarship
Through networking with other international non-governmental organizations, IFCA secured a scholarship slot for 30 refugee children sponsored for primary schools within Kampala by JRS.