Urban transition livelihood strategies among the South Sudanese Refugees in Eldoret City, Kenya

Abstract

Refugees are increasing worldwide and according to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), their hosting is the preserve of the destination countries and the international community. Support to refugees is sometimes challenging because refugee agencies and host governments lack adequate resources to take care of their welfare. Most of the refugees are left to fend for themselves. The study extensively reviewed literature and the research gap lied in three areas that it sought to address Social Cohesion, Livelihoods and Economic integration. The general objective of this study was to examine overall Urban Transition Livelihood Strategies among South Sudanese Refugees in Eldoret City, Kenya. The specific objectives of the study were to analyze South Sudanese refugees’ transition livelihood strategies, assess the role of stakeholders on South Sudanese refugee livelihood strategies, establish the challenges that South Sudanese refugees face in their livelihood strategies and assess the mitigation efforts on refugees’ challenges on livelihood strategies in Eldoret City. The study incorporated both the individualist theory and the model developed by Harris and Todaro. This approach was employed to conduct a comparative analysis of agricultural wages with those earned in the manufacturing sectors in urban areas. The study adopted a descriptive research design and utilized mixed methods approach. The target population comprised of all adult South Sudanese living in Eldoret City, Kenya. The population size was 1396 adults. The sample size of the study as determined by Krejcie and Morgan formulae was 301. The respondents were picked from their households using systematic sampling technique in which every 5 th household was selected until the desired sample (n=301) was reached. The study instruments included a questionnaire and interview guide. Three hundred and one questionnaires were disseminated to refugees while seven (7) interviews were conducted for government officers. Data was coded, entered and cleaned with the aid of SPSS software. Quantitative analysis was done using descriptive statistics while qualitative data was thematically analyzed and interpreted. The quantitative findings of the study were presented using tables and charts while the qualitative data was presented using themes, narrative descriptions and use of participant quotes. The study findings indicated that most (55.1%) of the Sudanese refugees were engaged in business as a livelihood strategy, while 15.0% were employed. However, the leading livelihood strategy was skill trading in which service is offered for money so as to sustain individuals and/or families. Majority (40.2%) of the refugees depended fully on monetary assistance from their relatives while 34.9% depended on this assistance partly and 19.9% did not depend on it. The Monetary assistance was provided by family/relatives and friends at a rate of 65.3%. 49.8% of the refugees had transnational networks for accessing remittances while 45.2% had local contacts. 30.2% of the refugees believed that provision of job opportunities could be a way out to solve the challenges they have on livelihoods. Data from qualitative interviews indicated that sometimes refugees lack money to use, and in such situations the religious members assist them. In addition, other challenges experienced include discrimination by landlords and security enforcement officers. The challenges experienced on refugee livelihoods was exacerbated by inadequate refugee funding. The study concluded that there was a myriad of challenges which refugees face in their day-to-day life and engagement in business is not able to solve most of these challenges. The study recommends provision of jobs and funds to help urban refugees mitigate on challenges.