FabLabs, or digital fabrication laboratories, are a global network of local labs, enabling invention by providing access to tools for digital fabrication. They also enable engagement and empowerment for youth in challenging circumstances.
Meraki Labs is supporting Terre des Hommes to utilise FabLabs in humanitarian, migration and development settings, and develop use cases focusing on youth empowerment and engagement.
Danish Refugee Council held a conference with Afghan diaspora agencies in Europe to discuss critical issues regarding the organisation and effectiveness of the diaspora in achieving development and humanitarian outcomes both in host countries and abroad.
Meraki Labs worked with DRC to prepare conference materials, engage with a variety of actors including academic institutions and diaspora organizations, and consolidate conference results into coherent recommendations for the future.
Danish Refugee Council has a presence in 40 countries, with a budget of approximately 400 million USD. The organisation uses a beneficiary-centred framework based on a holistic understanding of the stages of displacement that allows a flexible approach to individual country programmes. As a result, DRC works across 13 sectors humanitarian sectors.
Meraki Labs conducted a strategic evaluation of DRC’s global level programming and supported the organisation in streamlining its programmatic approach. Meraki Labs conducted an in-depth analysis, engaged with senior management and developed a set of options for the global Senior Management Team.
Approximately 70,000 migrants pass through Djibouti on the road from the Horn of Africa to Gulf countries. Most are youth; many have limited education and limited opportunities to engage with their local communities.
Meraki Labs supported Terre des Hommes and IOM in establishing a digital fabrication laboratory in Djiboutiville, ensuring that young migrants engaged with the lab, and ensuring that young migrants gained digital skills through the intervention.
Iran currently hosts over 1 million registered Afghan refugees, and up to 2 million unregistered Afghans. The Government of Iran has made significant advances in providing education and health care to refugee populations, but most are still subject to stigma, discrimination, and protection risks.
Meraki Labs supported Relief International in identifying key protection issues and developing priorities for programming, ultimately resulting in a revised Country Protection Strategy. Meraki Labs worked closely with Relief International to support capacity of staff to implement the strategy, including training and engagement with protection and complimentary sector staff.
