Beyond Forced Migration: Refugees’ everyday lives and their state of wellbeing : The Case of Rhino Camp Settlement, Uganda

Abstract

South Sudan has been experiencing conflict since December 2013 and such an experience has led to an upsurge of forced migration in the East African region. Over four million South Sudanese have fled their homes and with over one million having chosen Uganda as their destination to seek refuge from the life-threatening situation in their country. Uganda has been lauded by various sources as a ‘progressive policy’ argued to be premised on guaranteeing freedom of movement for refugees. Uganda has some notable policies and legislation which seek to create a favourable environment for refugees to integrate with the host population and accessing social services. It was the purpose of this research to investigate on refugees’ state of wellbeing in a country which has received such great praise with regards to the hosting refugees. This thesis therefore outlines the nature and state of refugees’ wellbeing, which is an articulation of the other side of the story refugees which is given little attention in discussions about refugees in Uganda. The was inspired by institutional ethnography as a method of exploration on the everyday lives of South Sudanese young adults staying in Rhino Camp Settlement. The research established that refugees are facing a myriad of challenges which are negatively impacting on their wellbeing and in all this, institutions have a role of the current situation faced by refugees.