heInfluenceofSocialNetworksontheLivelihoodsofUrbanRefugeesinDaresSalaam,Tanzania

University of Dar es Salaam

Abstract

ThisstudyexaminedtheinfluenceofsocialnetworksinenhancingthelivelihoodsofurbanrefugeesinDaresSalaamCity,Tanzania.Itfocusedonthekeyactorswithinthesocialnetworksofurbanrefugees,aswellastheeffectivenessofthesenetworksonenhancingthelivelihoodsofrefugeesinDaresSalaamCity.Socialnetworkandactornetworktheoriesguidedthisstudy.Usingaqualitativeapproach,datawascollectedthroughfocusgroupdiscussionsanddocumentreviews.Fourfocusgroupswereorganized,involvingBurundianmen,Congolesemen,Congolesewomen,andamixedgroupofCongoleseandBurundianyouth.Thematicanalysiswasemployedtoidentifykeythemesandpatternsinthedata.Findingsrevealedthaturbanrefugeesrelyonvarioussocialnetworks,bothformalandinformal,rangingfromgovernmenttonon-governmentorganizations,internationalorganizations,families,andfriends.ActorsintheformalnetworksincludedDignityKwanza,TanganyikaChristianRefugeeServices(TCRS),RelieftoDevelopmentSociety(REDESO),ChurchWorldServices(CWS),UNHCR,andtheRefugeeDepartmentundertheMinistryofHomeAffairs,whichprovidestraining,financial,andlegalsupport.Inaddition,informalnetworksthatrefugeeshaveestablishedincludefamilyandfriendshipwithinthehostcommunity;offeringcriticalmoral,social,andmaterialsupport.Theresultssuggestthat,whileformalnetworksupportintheformoftraininghasnotsignificantlyimprovedthelivelihoodsofrefugeesduetopolicyrestrictions,informalnetworks,specificallythosemadeupoffamilyandfriendshipties,wereeffectiveinenhancingthelivelihoodsoftheserefugeesinDaresSalaam.ThestudyrecommendstailoringtraininginitiativesforrefugeeswithinTanzania’srefugeepolicycontext,tooptimizetheirimpactontheirlivelihoods