Jaqueline Francoeur, Beloit College
“Remittance With the Southern Sudanese Community in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Turkana District, Kenya”
Abstract: Remittances have become a significant source of foreign exchange that is thus far a potentially underutilized tool for grassroots development. Most studies focus on labor migrants; however, refugees constitute a more complex demographic when it comes to harnessing the effects of remittances within their communities. In Sub-Saharan Africa, a region which is host to over two million refugees, understanding this source of foreign investment, which surpasses foreign aid given annually to developing countries, could prove to be a useful tool in the region’s development. In order to shed light on this problem, this study provides an in-depth examination and analysis of the source and use of remittances in a distinct and small community. Kakuma Refugee Camp in Turkana District, Kenya is host to many Sudanese refugees, many of whom receive remittances from “Lost Boys/Girls” resettled in the United States, Australia, and Canada. This in-depth, quantitative study offers a micro-level look at remittances within this community. It also identifies significant differences in the distribution of remittances between genders as well as along ethnic and regional ties. If differences in the allocation of money received are understood within this population, these findings could be applied to other cases and be used to implement local-level and national policies as well as microcredit schemes.
