© UNHCR

Life is difficult for most of the around 12,000 refugees in Indonesia, who do not have the right to engage in income-generating activities. But thanks to a local refugee-led organization, Skilled Migrant and Refugee Technicians (SMART), some have been able to improve their IT knowledge and learn various other skills to improve their livelihood prospects.

Hakmat, from Afghanistan, who prefers to be identified by his first name only, founded SMART with several fellow refugees in 2020. In 2022, its activities included courses on website and graphic design for around 30 refugees aged between 15 and 30-years-old. Two of the course’s participants went on to be accepted for internships at Pameo, a digital marketing company, Hakmat said.

Both the training and the subsequent internships will help prepare refugees for when they are eventually able to work in a country where they can settle, according to Hakmat. “If refugees are provided with the opportunity to show their skills and potential, they can rise, they can shine, and they can contribute to the community," he said.

Another SMART activity, funded by UNHCR’s Digital Innovation Service, involved raising awareness on digital safety and digital literacy among refugees living in Jakarta and Cisarua. 

The initiative included developing a curriculum with input from several refugee-led organisations and delivering courses to refugee communities through training of trainers sessions. Nearly 60 trainers successfully completed the training, who then trained their own communities and reached 285 refugees in only one month.

“Hakmat is a testament to the resilience of refugees and the power of hope to overcome adversity,” said Ann Maymann, Representative of UNHCR in Indonesia. “They invest time and effort in preparing for an eventual career.”