Assessment of Service Effectiveness in Women Empowerment Programs at Young African Refugees for Intergral Development
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Date
2024-05-14
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Uganda Christian University
Abstract
The study topic was assessment of service effectiveness in women empowerment programs at young African refugees for integral development. This was guided by three research objectives which included : (i) To explore the role of YARID initiatives in supporting refugee women's leadership, community engagement and participation in decision-making processes in their communities.(ii) To identify challenges and barriers refugee women face in accessing and using YARID empowerment programs.(iii)To explore the perceptions and experiences of refugee beneficiaries regarding the quality, relevance and effectiveness of services provided by YARID.
The study adopted a phenomenological research design, utilizing a qualitative research approach.22 participants were purposively selected for the study where in-depth interviews were conducted to generate data for analysis. Analysis was done using themes. The study found that YARID had a positive role in supporting refugee women’s leadership through advocacy, capacity building, networking, community engagement, community building and social cohesion, Livelihood and economic empowerment and through health and wellness activities. The challenges faced by refugee women in accessing services and YARID empowerment programs included language barrier, cultural insensitivity of the programs, culture and gender norms, limited education of refugee beneficiaries, child care responsibilities, trauma and mental health issues. The study found that refugee women felt that the programs and services provided to the refugees were very timely and that they were to have long term impact on their lives even after they have gone back to their countries. However, the refugees feel that YARID should improve on the communication channels to allow feedback from the refugees regarding the services offered to them. The study recommends that the programs and services offered by YARID to refugees be designed to suite aspects of cultural sensitivity so that all refugees can be comfortable participating in the activities.