In 2012 I was fortunate enough to spend the summer seeing first-hand the massively positive impact that Xavier Project has on the lives of many young refugees in Nairobi and Kampala, many of whom have been forced from their homes in neighbouring East African countries in very difficult circumstances.

In the subsequent couple of years, Xavier Project has continued to develop and expand their holistic approach to helping refugees in this region in a number of key ways:

• 32 children in Nairobi, and 51 in Kampala, supported financially through secondary education, with many more benefiting from extra-curricular holiday camps.
• monthly Female Empowerment workshops with groups of mothers and daughters, used to encourage a broader outlook on the place of women and how they can contribute to change
• the expansion of the Kampala Tamuka hub, allowing refugees a social media platform to discuss relevant issues, as well as the launch of the Tamuka Newsletter
• the microeconomic Kasirye programme, creating a route for refugees into employment, while aiming to twin participating businesses in Kenya and the UK