In a bold step to improve the future of displaced youth across Africa, the Mastercard Foundation and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) have unveiled a $300 million partnership aimed at expanding access to education and employment for over 500,000 refugees and internally displaced persons by 2030.
Announced at the 2025 Africa Forum on Displacement held in Nairobi, the five-year initiative is set to deliver secondary education to more than half a million displaced youth—half of whom will be women, and five percent, persons with disabilities. Additionally, 10,000 young people will receive support to pursue university degrees and vocational training.
A core component of the initiative will focus on transitioning 200,000 youth—70 percent of them women—into employment or entrepreneurship opportunities. The partnership also plans to strengthen 100 local and refugee-led organisations to deliver community-based solutions and engage in policy advocacy that improves the lives of displaced populations.
UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner said the collaboration will place education at the centre of efforts to secure a better future for young people who have been forced to flee their homes, while also offering employment support for adults to rebuild their lives and contribute to local economies.
The President and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation highlighted that the initiative builds on the Foundation’s Young Africa Works strategy, which aims to connect 30 million young Africans to dignified work by 2030. She noted that their previous work with UNHCR has already enabled 68,000 young people to secure employment within six months and helped 30,000 return to school since 2019.
Africa currently hosts over 45 million displaced individuals, with countries like Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo accounting for a significant portion of the continent’s displaced population. The new partnership aims to reverse some of the long-term social and economic consequences of this displacement.
Meanwhile, the Mastercard Foundation’s broader network of programmes continues to show tangible impact. LEAP Africa, a key partner, has successfully placed more than 1,200 young people across 15 countries—including Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, and Senegal through its Programme Associates initiative.
With education, skills training, and entrepreneurship at its core, the Mastercard Foundation–UNHCR partnership represents a vital investment in Africa’s future and a shift toward inclusive solutions that leave no one behind.
