Ways of helping refugees are not limited to providing aid. In Malawi, an organization called “There is Hope” is trying to help them through offering vocational training.

The founder of the organization, Innocent Magambi, concocted the idea from his own experiences. He was forced to flee the Democratic Republic of Congo and lived in refugee camps after civil war broke out in the country. In the Dzaleka refugee camp in Malawi, he got a chance to study at a bible college and eventually live a life outside a refugee camp. 

It is at this point that he felt the need to help his fellow refugees, so he funded “There is Hope” in 2016. The organization is trying to bring different communities, including refugees and Malawians, together and teach them skills such as carpentry, welding and plumbing. 

Jennifer Nthala, a Malawian who studies welding and fabrication at “There is Hope” says she wants to open her own workshop after finishing learning. However, the relationship between the different communities does not always go smoothly. Innocent Magambi says he hopes one day the refugees and local community can work together as one. 

Magambi believes the refugees should be given the opportunities to exercise their talents even if they are confined within the refugee camp. Magambi says his dream is to see that refugees can also contribute to the society they are in.