eThekwini (Durban), South Africa: Karibu Community Care Center
About
In 2022, the City of eThekwini, South Africa was selected as a grantee of the Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees (GCF), the MMC’s instrument to channel international funding directly to cities to implement inclusive projects of their own design.
With support from the GCF, the City of eThekwini built a care center and online care portal to connect migrants to social services and economic opportunities, while improving disaster preparedness and response.
Context
The city of eThekwini is a top destination for climate migrants from South Africa and neighboring countries. Many of these migrants and internally displaced people (IDPs) remain undocumented and face barriers to accessing employment and essential services, such as housing, healthcare, and education. Migrants in eThekwini are often unhoused or live in informal settlements, where they are disproportionately vulnerable to climate disasters and far from public services.
Photo Credit: MMC
Action
The City of eThekwini used its GCF grant to promote social inclusion for migrants, connect them to essential services and employment opportunities, and improve their climate resilience.
Through its project, eThekwini established an online care portal to link migrants and refugees to disaster risk reduction and response mechanisms, including healthcare, employment opportunities, and other critical legal and social services. The portal includes a registry to help the city better understand the demographics of unhoused migrants in eThekwini, warn them of upcoming climate events, and account for their well-being post-disaster.
To facilitate access to these services, eThekwini constructed the Karibu Community Care Center. The center offers migrants a comprehensive suite of socioeconomic services, including legal assistance, psychosocial care, housing and documentation support, post-disaster relief, broadband access, hygiene facilities, and a food bank. The center also helps migrants access sustainable employment through job opportunities at its permaculture garden, integrated waste management facility, and kitchen space.
The Karibu Community Care Center and Portal work hand-in-hand to promote migrants’ socioeconomic inclusion and well-being while also strengthening climate resilience, disaster-response readiness, and food security.
Mxolisi Kaunda, Mayor of eThekwiniSupported by the Global Cities Fund, our CARE self-registration platform will help our city better understand the needs of our displaced populations and their access to essential public services.
Impact
Once completed, the Karibu Care Center and the CARE Portal will give 500 migrants, refugees and IDPs the visibility and support they need to become an integral part of eThekwini’s society. The center will also connect 50 people to sustainable economic opportunities. The City of eThekwini intends the project to serve as an educational opportunity for local residents and government officials to better understand and treat migrants, refugees and IDPs.
Stay tuned for more impact updates at the end of the GCF grant term!
