Stop and think: What were you doing 17 years ago? You may have had a computer, but probably used it just for word processing, maybe email. When you needed to find information, you had to look in a book, even go to the library. No Google. No BlackBerries or smartphones. Or perhaps you were in school, and had never had an opportunity to work.
Now think how hard it would be to get a job today using the skills you had 17 years ago.
That’s the situation faced by refugees. The average refugee situation lasts 17 years; it’s a long time to be away from home, often without access to work. In addition to being dependent on the humanitarian community for food and the means to survive, refugees lose critical skills when they are unable to work.
Watch this video to learn how we're helping refugees build skills and preparing them for life when they return home or are resettled in a new country.