Rwanda is host to more than 162, 000 refugees. UNHCR together with implementing partners such as ADRA Rwanda, Plan International, American Refugee Committee (ARC), Oxfam and others are supporting refugees to rebuild their lives and giving them hope for a brighter future. Their work impacts the lives of all refugees including children and youth; empowering them to overcome various challenges in their lives and make valuable contributions in the society.

Many refugees arrive in foreign countries with little more than the clothes on their back. As such they require every bit of assistance to enable them to get back on their feet to be able feed and educate their children.

In the recent past the world has witnessed a rise in the number of violent conflicts around the world: from Syria, Nigeria, Central African Republic to next door in Burundi. This has led to millions of people being displaced from their homes and separated from their loved ones. Women have had to leave their husbands and children behind, children have been sent away on their own from conflict zones and ultimately many innocent lives have been lost.

World Refugee Day draws our attention to the plight of these people whose hope in life is dashed by circumstances beyond their control. Despite their daily challenges in foreign countries where they are mostly unwelcome, many have overcome their apparent failure to make important contributions in the society. Their stories speak of their resilience in moving forward in life without fear of being defined by their past. Just like you and me, they create new ideas and device ways to stay afloat when the boat is rocked.

World Refugee Day is an opportunity to celebrate these contributions, the people behind them and those who have not given up despite their desperate circumstances marked with shame and poverty. We remember and celebrate Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, Madeleine Albright, Henry Kissinger, Victor Hugo, Alek Wek and many others who were forced to flee their countries and live in foreign countries as refugees. These people made life changing discoveries and contributions to humanity against all odds.

However, as much as we celebrate these incredible people and their important contributions, World Refugee Day should remind us and the international community of the need to step up to address current violent conflicts. No one person chooses to be a refugee. No child should have to live separated from their family or a woman without her husband and children because of conflict.

The writer is an independent consultant