Randa Habib

Social entrepreneur empowering Palestinian refugees through education and economic initiatives

Randa Habib (born 1965) is a Jordanian social entrepreneur who founded the Jordan River Foundation (JRF) in 1999 to address systemic poverty among Palestinian refugees. Growing up in a refugee camp herself, she witnessed the lack of opportunities for displaced populations and dedicated her career to creating sustainable solutions. JRF now operates in 12 countries, providing education, vocational training, and microloans to over 150,000 refugees annually.

Her signature program, the "Women's Empowerment Initiative," trains women in skills like tailoring and IT, while providing childcare services to enable their participation. This has increased women's income by 300% in participating communities. Habib pioneered the concept of "camp-based enterprises," establishing factories within refugee camps to create local jobs without forcing relocation. These initiatives preserve cultural heritage while fostering economic independence.

She developed the first Arabic-language online learning platform for refugees, offering courses in 15 technical fields. Her work has been recognized by the King Hussein Humanitarian Award (2005) and the UNDP's Global Innovators Prize (2012). Her TED Talk "Why refugees need education, not just shelter" has over 800,000 views. Collaborations with UN agencies have scaled her models to Syrian refugee camps in Lebanon and Iraqi displacement sites.

Habib's approach combines economic empowerment with cultural preservation, showing that refugee communities can thrive when given access to education and dignified work. Her foundation's microfinance programs have a 99% repayment rate, proving the financial viability of investing in displaced populations. She currently advises the World Bank on inclusive development strategies for crisis-affected regions.