We use the term ‘insider researcher’ to refer to any researcher who has lived experience of displacement, including refugees, asylum seekers, IDPs, stateless persons and other groups that have been forcibly displaced or live in exile, whether they are still displaced or have resettled. We use ‘outsider researcher’ for any researcher who does not have lived experience of displacement, whether they are based in Global North or Global South universities and research institutions. Our study is on the nature and impact of refugee-led organisations (RLOs) in East Africa led by displaced insider researchers from start to finish. We explore the benefits and challenges associated with being an insider researcher and make the case for the need to support refugee-led research.

Benefits of being insider researchers

RLOs are an understudied topic in forced migration studies. Our initial desk review highlighted that there is limited available information about RLOs and the forms that they take in East Africa, especially in Tanzania and Ethiopia. Our intimate knowledge of the refugee communities in the locations of the study was a clear benefit in helping us identify RLOs of diverse sizes and levels of influence when designing the study. We have strong insights into the social setting of the refugee community because of our lived experience as displaced persons. Some of us also have personal experience working or volunteering with RLOs. Many RLOs in our communities do not have an online presence, but we knew from experience that some of these smaller, less-resourced RLOs have a significant impact on individual refugees and refugee communities. Being familiar with the role of smaller RLOs convinced us of the need to include RLOs of different sizes and to examine in depth their impact on the refugee community.

Being insider researchers also created a feeling of ease between us and refugee participants. Refugee and RLO participants in our study felt more comfortable sharing their experiences and perspectives with us. In contrast to outsider researchers, our shared background helped to create a good connection between us and the participants as the participants often mentioned that they were talking to peers. We hypothesise that this is due to their belief that we understand the potential repercussions of breaking their confidentiality as we would face the same problems if our own confidentiality was broken. Furthermore, participants are more likely to believe that we will work hard to make sure their inputs are heard by stakeholders, including donors, international NGOs and government institutions, because we share the same challenges. Participants expect more honesty from us than from outsider researchers, as we are part of the community and have also experienced being interviewed and never being informed of the outcomes of the research.

Varied experience

Our team consists of four researchers with varied experiences of displacement and with different backgrounds. The lead researchers in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania still live in the country where they experienced displacement. In Uganda, the lead researcher is a Kenyan refugee in Nakivale refugee settlement. In Kenya, the lead researcher is a Sudanese refugee who has lived in both camp and urban settings, making it easier for her to relate to participants from both these settings. In Tanzania, the lead researcher is a former refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo based in Dar-es-Salaam.

By contrast, the Ethiopian lead researcher is a former refugee who has returned to Addis Ababa. Researchers who are still in the countries where they experienced or are experiencing displacement tended to be seen as peers by participants but the Ethiopian lead researcher was considered an outsider by refugees being hosted in Ethiopia because they did not share a nationality or language. As the researcher shared his experience as a refugee, however, participants saw him as someone who is both insider and outsider.

The gender of team members also had an impact on how we designed and conducted the study. With regard to diversity, women refugee lead researchers more deliberately looked for RLOs initiated by women, as they more easily identified with the challenges women RLO leaders faced, and such RLOs tend to be less visible than those led by men.

Challenges of being refugee researchers

We have faced several challenges that are specific to being insider researchers and to our dual identity as displaced persons and professional researchers.

With regard to relations with participants, one challenge is that participants often assume that we understand all their difficulties and therefore sometimes omit information from the interviews. For instance, participants often make comments such as “you know what I mean”, which suggests that some information has been left unsaid. We often have to probe further to ensure we understand the full picture. Likewise, there is a risk that we may be biased and assume that, given our shared experiences, participants’ perspectives and opinions are the same as ours.

One of the most critical challenges we face is being recognised legitimate researchers by stakeholders such as international NGOs, UN agencies and government officials, despite having delivered a presentation at the side event on meaningful refugee participation at the 2021 UNHCR High-Level Official Meeting. While we have better access to the refugee community than outsider researchers, we struggle to secure interviews with local humanitarian stakeholders and often have to rely on non-refugee colleagues for introductions.

Conclusion

What makes our study different is that it is conducted by ‘us’, people with displaced backgrounds, from the start to the end: from developing research questions and methodology, to data collection and analysis, to report writing. Our study offers us an opportunity to enhance our research skills through supervision and mentorship from a pool of experienced non-refugee and refugee researchers. It also demonstrates that, given the right resources and support, refugee researchers can lead studies and contribute to knowledge production in the field of forced migration, thanks to our unique positionality.

Creating spaces for refugees to lead research, rather than just undertake fieldwork, will require adjustments within humanitarian research and academia and is beyond the control of individual researchers. To disrupt current patterns of exploitation and power imbalances between insider and outsider researchers, we recommend that:

• Donors should fund refugee-led research in topics identified by refugee researchers in consultation with community members.
• International NGOs should consider refugee researchers as legitimate researchers and make themselves available to support research processes (such as in organising interviews and securing research permits).
• Outsider researchers should support refugee researchers through mentorship and in accessing research opportunities, particularly in spaces where power imbalances remain.

Contributors

• Abis Getachew (Researcher, Ethiopia)
• Mary Gitahi (Researcher, Uganda)
• Uwezo Ramazani (Researcher, Tanzania)
• Andhira Yousif (Researcher, Kenya)

The RLO study is led by �Ӱ�ԭ�� University through the Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN) and in partnership with the Refugee Studies Centre (RSC) at the University of Oxford. In East Africa, LERRN and RSC are also collaborating with the Dadaab Response Association (DRA), which leads a case-study in the Dadaab refugee camps as part of the RLO study. The study is supported, in part, by the  and the International Development Research Centre.

One exception is Betts A, Easton-Calabria E and Pincock K (2020) The Global Governed? which provided important information about the nature of RLOs in Uganda and Kenya. 

While we knew that refugee-led organisations were important actors in the refugee response ecosystem, their roles and scope of activity were poorly understood. How could we move from anecdote to evidence, to better understand the nature and scope of refugee-led responses to the needs of refugees? In response to this question, the Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN) and the Refugee-led Research Hub (RLRH), based in Nairobi and run by the University of Oxford’s Refugee Studies Centre, launched a different kind of research project in early 2021. With support from a range of partners,  two teams of researchers who have experienced displacement or live and work in close proximity to the phenomenon of displacement were formed. Read this research insights in the article

This special edition of the Humanitarian Exchange, co-edited with Emily Arnold-Fernández, former CEO of Asylum Access, focuses on refugee participation and leadership in addressing forced displacement. To access the full issue

Event details and recordings available here.

On September 29, the Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN) hosted a webinar to launch the supported by LERRN and the . The report and Executive Summary are available on the . The webinar attracted 87 participants, bringing together scholars and practitioners from 16 countries. The four country-lead researchers – Andhira Yousif Kara, Abis Getachew, Mary Gitahi, and Uwezo Ramazani – presented key takeaways from the report.

Andhira Yousif Kara, the lead researcher in Kenya, kicked off the presentation by introducing a definition for Refugee-led Organizations. Within the framework of this research, the definition of RLOs included any organizations, associations, coalitions, formal or informal networks, faith-based groups, and initiatives led by refugees or asylum seekers in urban, rural, camp, and settlement settings. As these organizations function to respond to the needs of refugees, the organizations that operate fully for profit or do not include refugees in their key decision-making roles were excluded from the scope of this study.

Kara emphasized the lack of evidence on the impact of the RLOs in displaced communities. This research fills in this gap by looking at how RLOs are perceived in the communities where they work and by analyzing the factors that present challenges in their operations. A team of researchers affected by displacement conducted the research in two phases in 11 urban and camp/settlement sites across Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. The mapping phase reviewed the literature, identified 178 RLOs, and included 151 rapid phone interviews with stakeholders to grasp the diversity of RLOs. The team selected 60 RLO leaders and 53 external stakeholders to interview. The team also conducted over 100 focus group discussions with RLO staff, volunteers, and beneficiaries. The 60 RLOs in the smaller sample were divided into three main stages of development depending on their funding capacities.

1. The “self-help phase” where the organizations exist in informal groups and are not registered. They are dependent on membership contributions and may engage in small income-generating activities to support their community work. The research shows that most women-led organizations are found at this stage.
2. The “growth phase” where RLOs are registered and provide services to their members and their broader communities (often along ethnic lines). Some of them receive funds from diasporic community members and humanitarian organization donors. At this stage, they look for local and international actors with whom they can partner and collaborate.
3. The “expansion phase” includes Non-Governmental Organizations and other larger registered RLOs. They provide services to refugees regardless of ethnicity and also to the host community. They can access more funding through larger networks.

After this overview of the research methodology, Abis Getachew, the lead researcher in Ethiopia, explained the perceived impact of RLOs. As RLOs work closely with the communities they serve, their services are perceived by their beneficiaries as fairer, more accountable, and more accessible. Community members feel that they are treated with respect and dignity when they access support from RLOs. Their proximity to the community allows them to respond to emergencies, including outside of typical work hours. They are also known for their provision of livelihood support, such as micro-loans.

Getachew emphasized the importance of networks for RLOs. In countries such as Ethiopia and Tanzania where RLOs are not allowed to register with the government, they depend heavily on the diaspora for support and funding. In countries like Kenya and Uganda where there is government support, RLOs rely on NGO connections for funding. The structural barriers and self-censorship in all four countries affect women-led RLOs more severely, as they are more likely to remain at the self-help stage.

Uwezo Ramazani, the lead researcher in Tanzania, noted that the regulatory framework influences RLOs differently in each country. In Uganda and Kenya, RLOs can operate openly even if they are not registered, whereas in Tanzania and Ethiopia unregistered RLOs are unable to operate safely and experience challenges in opening bank accounts to receive funds. In all of the countries, registration is challenging for RLOs who have leaders with low literacy or education levels, or who lack networks with area Chiefs and refugee-supporting institutions. Restrictions on refugee movement also makes it difficult to develop organizations. Partnerships are important as they bring exposure to the work of RLOs and legitimize them to potential donors. The registered RLOs are more likely to access partnerships. However, Ramazani emphasized that larger organizations and international Non-Governmental Organizations are slow to provide funding or to transfer power in a meaningful way to refugees.

Finally, Mary Gitahi, the lead researcher in Uganda, offered recommendations to donors, governments, UNHCR, aid organizations, and RLOs. For example, Gitahi underlined that stakeholders should work toward meaningful and non-tokenistic ways to engage RLOs, while ensuring their independence. Donors, including states and philanthropic organizations, should prioritize direct funding to RLOs, including unregistered self-help groups led by marginalized refugees. Gitahi wrapped up the discussion by emphasizing that researchers affected by displacement can lead methodologically rigorous studies – such as this study – if provided with appropriate resources.

This substantial research project demonstrates the importance of RLO inclusion in global humanitarian activities and calls for further research on the impacts of RLOs. The study provides an extensive knowledge base that shows the diverse and valuable work of RLOs. The webinar raised important issues such as the regulatory differences between countries related to registration and restrictions, the barriers for women-led initiatives, the challenges of RLO-to-RLO partnerships, the power imbalance between international organizations and RLOs, the challenges of accessing funding, and the risks RLOs must manage in their work. The next step for this research is to widely disseminate the regional report and individual country reports to community members, government decision-makers, and beyond. Stay tuned for the launch of the report from the parallel study in the Middle East region!

This report was prepared by Irem Karabağ, LERRN Project Writer.

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This conference brought together refugees living in Kenya and in other countries to speak about inclusion and what it looks like from their perspective. The conference was a good example of “Nothing �Ӱ�ԭ�� us Without Us” since it gave refugees a platform in discussions and offered recommendations on how best to include refugees in discussions about policies and programs going forward. It engaged participants from Africa, Europe, and North America in the fields of academia, implementing agencies providing services to refugees, and funders (EUTF), to understand how migration has changed due to COVID. The conference also showcased art produced by refugees in partnership with local artists and supported by UNHCR. It was a very successful event that highlighted striking differences between Kakuma/Kalobeyi and Dadaab which relate to the framing of Dadaab as a security risk and a space about to disappear, and the framing of Kakuma/Kalobeyi as a space of self-reliance.

This online interactive presentation explored the ongoing Evaluation of Refugee-Led Organisations in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Given that the project is in its early stages of development, the researchers outlined the methodology and project timeline, as well as identified challenges and opportunities. It is expected that the mapping of RLOs will be completed by the end of November. Data collection should be finalized early next year and the report on findings will be prepared in May 2022.

Discussants

Abis Getachew

Ethiopian returnee / former refugee; Lead Country Researcher in Ethiopia, RLO Evaluation

Full Profile

Mary Gitahi

Kenyan refugee; lead country researcher in Uganda (Nakivale Settlement), RSC RLO study

Full Profile

Andhira Yousif Kara

Sudanese refugee; lead country researcher in Kenya (Nakuru, Kenya)

Full Profile

Uwezo Ramazani

former refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo; lead country researcher in Tanzania (Dar Es Salaam), RSC RLO study

Full Profile

Andhira Yousif (lead researcher in Kenya) highlighted some of the common challenges: some refugees may be hesitant to participate in their research as they are used to working with international NGOs and RLOs may not be taken as seriously. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic when many NGOs were recalled or faced restrictions, RLOs stepped up to fill the gaps and their presence was very much welcomed.

When asked if RLOs will continue to have prominence after the pandemic, Abis Getachew (lead researcher in Ethiopia) said that RLOs will continue to have stakes as they have had an impact on communities. He added that it’s hard to know for sure what RLO activities will look like until data has been collected.

Uwezo Ramazani (lead researcher in Tanzania) shared that most RLOs start as self-help groups. Some are eager to get funding from outside groups, but are often unsuccessful, so they struggle to get funds for their sustenance.

Click here to view the presentation slides from this webinar.

For more info on the Evaluation of Refugee-Led Organisations from LERRN, RSC and CLS, Click Here.