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Contrary to popular myths about refugees relying on aid and being a burden to the countries hosting them, the refugees in these photographs are running thriving enterprises, often based around the adaptation of different technologies.
 
Whether sharpening tools, making sanitary pads from local materials or producing radio shows, these refugees — mostly from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Somalia — run businesses that use technology in diverse and creative ways. These enterprises reveal how refugees create sustainable livelihoods and contribute to the wider economy.
 
The photographs were taken by researchers from the Humanitarian Innovation Project (HIP) at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom, during fieldwork  in Uganda for their report, Refugee economies: Rethinking popular assumptions, which is published today, on World Refugee Day.  To hear more about their research, listen to our podcast with HIP director, Alexander Betts, here.