heInfluenceofSocialNetworksontheLivelihoodsofUrbanRefugeesinDaresSalaam,Tanzania
Tanzania Journal for Population studies and Development
##common.published##: June 30, 2023
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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
