World Refugee Day is just around the corner. With this year's theme ‘Imagine’, this is a time to celebrate the contributions, creativity, and resilience of refugees. We want to imagine a world where every refugee has access to the financial tools they need to be self-reliant and resilient, to have hope and be able to embrace new opportunities. Yet the hard reality of job and livelihood losses is bearing heavily on refugees and forcibly displaced populations around the world — already some of the most vulnerable households. This panel discussion will highlight a few of the organisations that are committed and determined to do all they can to help refugees tackle these difficult circumstances.

We will examine the financial lives of refugees and internally displaced persons during the COVID-19 crisis. Included in this discussion, Opportunity International will share some key insights from their Financial Diaries work in two refugee settlements in Uganda, Nakivale and Kiryandongo. UNCDF Rwanda and Mercy Corps will also share about some of their programmes with refugees and what has been learned during this time of global crisis.

We are delighted to welcome our fantastic panel:

SPEAKERS

Noah Ssempijja | Refugee Program Coordinator, Opportunity International

Noah is Opportunity International’s Refugee Consortium Lead in Uganda, responsible for field implementation and partnerships management, as well as monitoring, evaluation and learning. Noah provides strategic oversight in the implementation of Financial Diaries research across the refugee settlements. He has over 7 years’ experience leading innovative and impactful programmes for refugees, including cash transfers. Noah is passionate about the use of evidence and data to guide programme implementation.

Roselyne Uwamahoro | Program Coordinator, UNCDF Rwanda

Roselyn has worked in the financial inclusion sector for the past 13 years. She is currently Programme Coordinator at the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), where she is leading efforts to ensure no-one is left behind in the digital era, especially the most vulnerable - Women, Youth, Refugees and MSMEs. Previously, Roselyn was Head of Microfinance at Access to Finance Rwanda (AFR) following a successful banking career. Roselyne holds an MBA in Project Management from Maastricht School of Management (MsM) and is an Alumni from Harvard Kennedy School on rethinking financial inclusion.

Mike Warmington | Director, Financial Inclusion, Mercy Corps

Mike has worked in banking and financial inclusion for more than a decade. He currently leads Mercy Corps’ global financial inclusion work, helping to set the agency’s strategy and provide technical support across more than 40 programme countries. Prior to Mercy Corps, Mike spent more than 5 years with One Acre Fund, leading the organisation’s microfinance partnerships work, creating innovative partnerships in the cocoa sector, and working with more traditional FSPs to better serve smallholder farmers. He previously served as Head of Operations at an MFI in Malawi and Zambia, and as a project finance analyst with Dexia bank working on UK infrastructure projects.

MODERATOR

Pete Sparreboom | Director, PHB Academy

Pete is the Director of PHB Academy, PHB Development’s training and coaching practice. She has 25 years’ experience in the promotion of financial inclusion via traditional and digital delivery channels in Africa and Asia, including the turnaround of a rural community banking institution on the verge of collapse in Mozambique. Pete is recognised for the effective way she uses the latest insights in adult education, executive coaching and e-learning to help decision makers speed up the digitalisation of their institution and the economy.

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