Refugees in Namibia rebuild their lives through livelihood activities

In Namibia’s remote Osire Refugee Settlement, Nicole tends to neat rows of her vegetable garden, watering each plant with care. To her, this is more than a garden - it is a lifeline.

“Before, I was only waiting for food assistance. Now I have a garden. I can sell and buy stuff,” says Nicole Mulumba, a Congolese refugee farmer in the Osire Refugee Settlement in Namibia.

This mother of seven arrived in Osire in 2004. Over the years, she has relied on humanitarian assistance to feed her children while working hard in her small vegetable garden and poultry farm. Today, Nicole sells fresh produce to fellow refugees and nearby communities, earning a small but meaningful income that helps support her household.

Namibia hosts nearly 7000 refugees and asylum‑seekers from across the African continent, mainly from the DRC and Burundi, with others living in urban areas.

In 2025, UNHCR, in collaboration with the Government of Namibia and the World Food Programme, launched a project to revive livelihoods. The support included small‑scale agriculture activities such as planting tomatoes, beans, cucumbers and lettuce, or raising beehives, to help refugees become more self‑sufficient while contributing to the local economy. A total of 24 hectares of land has been allocated to support the initiative, along with technical assistance.

With limited employment opportunities, many refugees in Osire face persistent food insecurity driven by low wages, poor harvests, recurrent drought, extreme weather and limited access to markets. Budget constraints, including cuts to food assistance, have immensely affected many refugees, impacting women entrepreneurs like Nicole, who are the breadwinners in their households.

Amid these challenges, Nicole remains hopeful. She dreams of expanding her garden, sending her children to tertiary school, and sharing her agricultural skills with others.