From displacement to empowerment to citizenship: A refugee’s two-decade journey of strength in Botswana

Joyce Iganjo still remembers the uncertainty she felt in 2002 when she fled Burundi in search of safety. More than two decades later, she is an entrepreneur, community builder, educator, and a citizen in a country she never imagined would one day become home.

Born in 1970, she had built a life with her family, but circumstances at home forced her to make the difficult decision to leave everything behind. Her journey was long. She travelled through Tanzania, then Zambia and Zimbabwe, before entering Botswana through the Ramokgwebana border post in the north-east. Along the way, she was separated from two of her children—her daughter and her son.

“It was the hardest part,” she recalled. “Leaving without knowing when we would see each other again.”

Upon arrival in Botswana, Joyce was taken by immigration officials to the Francistown Centre for Illegal Immigrants (FCII), where she spent nine months awaiting refugee status determination before being allowed to leave the facility. With no resources and no certainty about what lay ahead, she began rebuilding her life from scratch.

Starting Over

In 2003, Joyce arrived at Dukwi Refugee Settlement, approximately 360 miles northwest of the capital, Gaborone. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, became her only lifeline, providing warm meals on arrival, blankets, and cooking materials to help her start over and rebuild her life. She started plaiting hair to provide for her family's needs.

When she earned enough, she moved to Francistown, renting a small room while continuing to look for ways to survive. She sold clothes and plaited hair, using the skills she had to generate income. Later, together with a Somali friend, she saved enough to buy additional stock, allowing her to travel and sell goods. For nearly seven years, she worked tirelessly to sustain herself.

During this time, Joyce made a conscious effort to integrate. She learned Setswana and built relationships within both the refugee and host communities.

But her heart remained with her children.

In 2011, nearly a decade after arriving in Botswana, Joyce received the best news of her life. Authorities informed her that her daughter had been found. Their reunion marked a profound moment of healing. She moved back to Dukwi so her daughter could attend school. Sadly, that joy was cut short when her daughter passed away in 2020 due to a road traffic accident.

Years later, Joyce received the reassuring news that her son was alive and living in Tanzania, where he had started his own family—a source of pride and comfort for her.

Back in Dukwi, Joyce continued to look for ways to support herself. She sold sweets and other small goods and later worked at a warehouse run by a UNHCR implementing partner. Still, she felt drawn to something more stable and impactful.

Encouraged by a teacher in the settlement, she applied for a position as a teacher's assistant. Knowing she needed qualifications, she enrolled in a two-year online Daycare Management course with Penn Foster, an American school. Balancing work, studies, and caring for her daughter required immense discipline, but Joyce remained determined.

“I wanted to build something for myself,” she said. “Something that would last.”

Her efforts paid off.

In 2018, Joyce became a teacher. Today, she runs her own daycare centre in Dukwi refugee settlement — a vibrant learning space that serves 36 refugee children and 29 local Batswana children.

For Joyce, the daycare is more than a business. It is a bridge between communities. Children learn, play, and grow together, forming friendships that transcend nationality.

Empowering Women, Rebuilding Communities

Joyce’s work extends beyond education. She collaborates with other women in the settlement to create handicrafts from recycled materials, turning waste into art and income through a US-funded project. The support brought hope and opportunities for expansion.

However, the abrupt discontinuation of funding last year left the group uncertain about the project’s sustainability. Despite this setback, Joyce and the women continue to produce and sell their crafts, determined to remain self-reliant.

In 2025, Joyce received food assistance through UNHCR’s Cash-Based Interventions (CBI) programme, with support from Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI). This support has helped many refugees rebuild their lives with dignity.

Joyce was among 64 refugees who received Botswana citizenship and travel documents through the Botswana Government’s local integration programme, with support of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, during a handover ceremony held on World Refugee Day.

When she learned the news, she was very excited.

“Receiving my ID was a moment of joy. After so many years, I finally feel that I belong and can proudly call myself a Motswana,” says Joyce.

Despite success stories like Joyce’s, more support is needed. Nearly 117 million people worldwide have been forced to flee their homes, many spending years in displacement with limited opportunities to rebuild their lives.

For years, UNHCR has worked closely with the Government of Botswana and partners to support legal pathways for long-term refugees, including local integration, livelihood opportunities, helping reduce the risk of statelessness, fostering inclusion, and reducing dependence on aid. Botswana is the country where Joyce hopes to continue rebuilding her life, reunited with her daughter, build a business, and now educates nearly 70 children. It is where she learned a new language, forged friendships, and grew into a community leader.

From a woman who arrived alone and uncertain in 2002, separated from her children and her country, Joyce is now helping to strengthen the community she proudly calls home.

Her journey is not only one of survival, but also one of contribution.

“Today, as I watch the children in my daycare recite their lessons and play together, I see more than a classroom. I see possibility—the same possibility I once searched for when I crossed a border more than twenty years ago,” she said with pride.