IN what experts are calling one of the largest private humanitarian commitments ever made, the Mastercard Foundation announced today a landmark $300 million partnership with UNHCR to revolutionise education and employment opportunities for refugees across Africa over the next five years.
The initiative, unveiled at the 2025 Africa Forum on Displacement in Nairobi, aims to provide more than half a million displaced youth with education and create pathways to dignified work for 200,000 young refugees by 2030 — all against the backdrop of unprecedented humanitarian crises affecting 45 million displaced people across the continent.
“This extraordinary commitment comes at a time of unprecedented displacement across Africa, and globally,” said Kelly T. Clements, UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner. “Its scale and long-term focus lay the foundation for meaningful recovery and lasting contributions to host communities.”
The strategic partnership represents a paradigm shift in refugee response, moving beyond emergency humanitarian aid toward sustainable, development-focused solutions that empower refugees to rebuild their lives with dignity.
The initiative targets regions most severely affected by displacement, including Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which represent some of the world’s largest refugee crises. The program’s flexible structure allows UNHCR to respond dynamically to the cross-border nature of displacement that has destabilised entire regions.
Among its ambitious goals, the partnership will:
- Enable over 500,000 refugees to complete secondary education, with half being women
- Support 10,000 refugees in higher education programs
- Create pathways for 200,000 displaced youth to secure dignified work
- Strengthen 100 local and refugee-led organisations to implement solutions and influence policy
“We’ve seen refugees and displaced young people make immense contributions to their communities when they have the right support,” said Reeta Roy, President and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation. “This new commitment to UNHCR builds upon remarkable results already achieved.”
The partnership expands on a proven model that has already demonstrated significant impact. A pilot program supporting refugees from Sudan has helped 30,000 young people return to secondary education and enabled 68,000 youth — 62% women — to access work opportunities within just six months.
Among the success stories is Dr. Fatima, who fled Sudan’s conflict with her four children. Through support from the Mastercard Foundation-UNHCR partnership, she received accreditation to continue practising medicine in Chad, where she now serves both refugee and host communities.
“For displaced professionals like Dr. Fatima, the ability to work is about more than a paycheck—it’s a return to identity, dignity, and purpose,” noted a program coordinator familiar with her case.
The initiative aligns with the Mastercard Foundation’s broader Young Africa Works strategy, which aims to enable 30 million young people to access dignified work by 2030.
As conflicts continue to force millions from their homes across Africa, this historic commitment provides a counterbalance of hope — converting one of the continent’s greatest humanitarian challenges into an opportunity to build stronger, more inclusive communities through education and economic empowerment.
