The focus groups from both the refugee settlement and host community reported on several factors that contribute to their psychological well-being/frustration. The factors that were frequently discussed are presented below and will be contextualized in the already existing literature and reports and later will be linked to BPNS.
Availability of Food
In all focus discussion groups, food was the main factor that contributed significantly to their psychological well-being/frustration as it was talked about in each focus group discussion. For example, refugees reported feeling happy when food is always available, however, reported frustration onset in the event when food gets finished before the next distribution which leaves them with nothing to feed, and it was more problematic for those with children. However, food concern was never presented as a key concern in the host community. They appreciated the arrival of refugees whom they reported served as a market to whom they sell their garden produce. while food is categorized as a physical basic need, the issue of having limited influence on decision making concerning food can be fully related to the aspect of autonomy as major decisions are done by WFP.
….. “food reduction, some people are sleeping hungry. The little food given you cannot reach to the two months. It has really stressed people much”. (FGD, refugee in Rhino Camp-Omugo zone).
…… ‘I also want to add, food was reduced and the advice they give to the refugees is it that they should be tilling their land, it is now being a challenge. Some of the refugees most of them are finding their way back to South Sudan in the country, the place is not yet okay, war is still there. Unfortunately, others go and they are shot dead.” (FGD, refugee in Rhino Camp-Ofua zone).
….“I think when food is scarce, food at home is very scarce and that shortage makes me feel unhappy. Because of that shortage of food sometimes my children cry for food but I could not even provide for them. I myself I cannot even sustain myself.” (FGD, refugee in Rhino Camp-Ocea zone).
Family Separation and Deaths
Across the majority of focus groups from the refugee settlements, it emerged that separation from their family members negatively affects their psychological well-being on daily basis. This was coupled with the inability to attend burial ceremonies in case one lost their beloved one away from the camp. They stressed that they cannot have any chance to even travel to their respective countries due to fear for their lives, instead they live with the pain in the refugee camp. Some were unhappy with burying deceased loved ones in the camp noting that when they happen to go back to their countries they will leave their past loved ones in a foreign land. This is an example of frustration due to the need for relatedness as far as BPNS is concerned.
…..“You know, at this point, when we are in the settlement some other things were not in place, as usual as we had them before. And since we came here, you know we lost a lot of things, lost families” (FGD, Refugee in Rhino Camp- Tika zone).
…..“One of the things that made her unhappy is sickness, also if you lose a loved one those are the things which make them unhappy” (FGD, refugee in Rhino Camp-Ofua zone).
……“Losing my family my friends, people who died when I was here and not able to bury them, things like those cause frustration.” (FGD, refugee in Rhino Camp).”
Good Security in the Refugee Camp
Security emerged as a very positive factor for all the refugees and for Ugandans in the host community. A situation where the refugees have no worry about gunshots, and rebel attacks meant a lot of living described as happy and comfortable; they reported that this greatly contributes to their psychological well-being. This aspect can also be linked to competence, the focus groups viewed the Rhino camp as a peaceful environment compared to their previous countries that had daily attacks by rebels. Participants reported that children born in the Rhino camp have heard of or experienced war and they want them to be spared of this experience. Credit was given to the Ugandan Government for ensuring good and reliable security right from border entry and in the refugee camp.
……“to me what makes me happy in this settlement, I am just free just free not as I used to be in South Sudan you don't hear the sounds of bombs or people shooting themselves so I feel that I'm just safe here in the settlement”. (FGD, Refugee in Rhino Camp- Omugo zone)
……“I think I have an idea, what I've seen what makes me happy is my security, because here in the settlement I cannot see armed men carrying guns for killing people. But the arms they carry are just for protection for security and I can also see people carrying guns in the food distribution centre just for protecting my food from someone going to take it out from me and I cannot see someone dying because of insecurity. So that's what makes me happy in this settlement.” (FGD, refugee in rhino Camp- Odobu Zone)
……“When I wake up from here of course I feel glad because I'm alive and I am safe and the I have to be first of all happy for the life, in summary, I can say that security because I wake up and I'm safe nothing has happened to me there at least I have some reason to be happy” (FGD, a youth refugee in Rhino Camp)
Health Services
It was a relief that refugees have free access to medical health facilities in the refugee camps. The focus groups from the refugee camp mentioned this as another key factor towards their happy living in the camp, this can be linked to competence. To some extent, they reported feeling frustrated in circumstances when certain drugs were not at health centers and they had either to wait or be advised to buy from clinics which are not even within their reach.
……”Let me talk on behalf of health, as refugees when we were brought here we saw that they have provided us with health facilities where there are services of treatment when you're feeling sick, you come to the facility. They test you when you have malaria they give you drugs instead of you using small money got from causal work and go to the clinic and buy drugs but here since there is free facility, you just come freely, they test for malaria they give you drugs you go home you become fine. I am very happy with me myself because I've come as a refugee and I've seen that in this facility people are not dying because of malaria and other diseases. If at all you are sick you just come to the facility straight away. Then you are worked on. They give you drugs then you become fine.” (FGD, Refugee in Rhino Camp- Omugo zone)
…… “They might tell me these drugs are not there. You go home maybe come and check for these drugs after some days or one week or two weeks. But if you come back and find they're not there that they're out of stock. So that's another challenge. Well, we also see that it is also challenging and sometimes it is risky. You might end up dying because you have not got the director drug for your treatment.” (FGD, a female refugee in Rhino Camp- Ocea zone).
Education
Both focus group discussions in refugee and host community settings indicated the need for quality education at all levels as an important benefit for their children on the side of parents. Parents however get frustrated when asked to pay school fees for those in secondary schools because they have no source of income. The youth who took part in this study said continuing with education made their future seem bright. This was not the case with youth refugees who noted that they see no future ahead since they cannot proceed fully to the respective levels of education especially those joining tertiary institutions like universities which in end they report would affect their psychological well-being. The host community praised the support and empowerment of a girl child due to the provision of free education at the primary level (Universal Primary Education-UPE) they reported registering reduced school dropouts, early marriages and teenage pregnancies as opposed to the past before these free education services were implemented. More so the focus groups were questioning the scholarship criteria as it is so demanding and as a result most refugee students miss out on free tertiary sponsorship. This brings out a typical need of frustration related to competence in relation to BPNS.
……“Most, at first our children would go to school and at that moment they learn for free. But to some extent what I have seen as a challenge, is we have been told to pay money mostly the secondary school, so it is a challenge for some parents. It has made children go into the street to be exposed to drugs abuse and this causes rampant cases of criminalities in the community like teenage pregnancies this because they are unable to afford what they are supposed to do, because of the conditions that we are facing here.” (FGD, refugee in Rhino Camp- Eden zone).
……“In addition to what frustrated me much since I came into this settlement like most when the scholarship or sponsorship comes, the qualification that they can put it will not match the youths that we are having on the ground that's why it limits the youths to continue with an education that is the main thing that affects too much!” (FGD, a refugee youth in Rhino Camp- Eden zone).
……“Being in school makes me happy, it also prevents one from being spoilt and also not to fall into early marriages as one thinks so much about it when they are not in school, even the girls cannot have a teenage pregnancy.” (FGD, School going youth from Host community-Arua district
“My children cannot go to school, this is so frustrating for me” (FGD, a refugee parent at Rhino Camp).
The Role of Psychosocial Support
Refugees appreciated the initial and continuous support offered to them in the form of psychosocial support. In some focus group discussions, they say this helped them not to have delayed treatment for the traumatic and stressful events that they went through. Others looked at it as an ongoing activity that they always resort to whenever they feel overwhelmed by the hard-living conditions in the refugee camp. However, stigma was highlighted among those who seek psychosocial support as they are termed to be mentally sick and this has hindered many from utilizing the service offered by non-governmental international organizations, this aspect tallies well with the factor of competence in the BPNS.
……“When I came here to the camp, the first thing I received that helped me was the psychosocial support, it helped me much”. (FGD, refugee from Rhino Camp-Ofua zone)
…. “Concerning psychosocial support, I know the wellbeing of the person requires counselling. Me I know I am now Okay. When I came I was having that stress that is what made me not to be happy in the camp.” (FGD, a refugee from Rhino Camp-Eden zone).
Refugees get frustrated when they are unable to get psychosocial support services in their respective places at any time when they are needed. They have always relied on the mental health and psychosocial service providers at all times for the management of mental illnesses like Acute Stress Disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, separation anxiety disorder, among others.
…… “Now unfortunately nowadays the services of psychosocial support, are meagre it has rarely made so many issues arising is a talk now we have a lot of the things in the community, people are traumatized”. (FGD, refugee from Rhino Camp-Tika zone).
……“She first of all appreciates that the time she was coming up the border side she had a mental illness. She was happy they told her to come and meet if she did she reached at Omugo she will come up the health center she will get somebody called Juma who works with TPO with issue of mental health she will be helped actually she came she found your mental assistance helped her. But also, what made her not be happy sometimes is that TPO was not always there in the settlement. That is what made her unhappy.” (FGD, a female refugee from Rhino Camp-Omugo zone).
Unfavorable Farmland
The focus group discussions from the refugee camp reported frustration due to poor land topography and the dryness of the area which does not favor crop growing. Having no opportunity to cultivate their own food and supplement what they are provided by the World Food Program (WFP) leaves many vulnerable by only relying on food aid by WFP yet they would be digging just like how some refugees in other camps do. This frustration from the BPNS cannot be separated from autonomy whereby refugees limited say as well as choice and yet this is not the case with the host community as they have full control and options to choose.
……”We are trying to cook up for the farming but the pattern of the rain here cannot really make us to produce what we want to produce, it has really stressed me much.” (FGD, a refugee from Rhino Camp-Ofua zone.
“The topography of the place is not okay where you can gain some livelihood project that can sustain your life that is the main challenge.” (FGD, a refugee from Rhino Camp-Omugo zone)
… “We are in this place where one is not able to make some cultivations and it's actually making us just remain poor from time to time. So that is why I am not happy also being here.”
In addition, they talked about difficulties in relating with host communities as they cannot be offered some additional land to grow some vegetables and other faster-growing crops instead, in some cases the host community is accused of illegally harvesting the refugees’ food without permission which leaves them disgruntled and frustrated.
…” and also to the native side, they would be friendly with the nationals sometimes we are going to have issues of land and then after cultivating some of them turn negative at harvesting you find your things are harvested which is causing most of the problems to people.”
Employment and Income-Generating Activities
Focus group discussions from both settings were happy when engaged in income-generating activities or employment. This created more avenues of having sufficient family support hence reducing aspects of dependency on NGO support but rather self-reliance. It was however presented that most refugees are unable to get jobs that correspond with their educational qualifications. They felt unhappy since they are mostly given volunteer jobs and other lower-paying jobs. This was not the case with focus groups in the host community who viewed the presence of the camp as a means of reliable job opportunities. When individuals strive for financial freedom in form of employment and involvement in income-generating activities, this can be reflected in BPNS inform if fulfilling their competence at the same time autonomy. All these two aspects of BPNS will see them able to support themselves and also free from dependence.
……“I feel okay because I've gained stability. By the time when I came in, I was just stranded. But later when I got employed, I could manage the children whom I came with, which I so, I was like a father I was like a mother behind the children.”
……“Yeah, I can I can also add on what makes me unhappy. In most cases, we lack opportunities, things like employment opportunities which are very scarce in the settlement.”
……“If there is no work to do, it makes you feel stressed in the community even if there is electricity for you to benefit you have to have a job to do something to do so that you can get some little money manage to enjoy whatever you want to do that's where the happiness will come. You have some petty works to do like Boda Boda riding, then one can be happy.”
Collaboration and Peer Support
In almost all youth Focus group discussions included a focus on how they enjoy interacting with colleagues from other countries especially in the case of refugees. For the Ugandan youths, they reported good moments when they have peaceful interactions with refugees which was also the case with refugees. It was later pointed out that things like sports, sharing of cultural related practices, sharing past experiences and how one dealt with painful or distressing situations are some of the key things the youths enjoy engaging in and this has seen peaceful co-existence among youths in all settings as they are eager to learn from each other and offer peer support. Ugandan youth hope to be treated well if they happen to go to Sudan as long as they also treated their peers well while in the refugee camp. This is a typical example of relatedness in the aspect of BPNS. This applies to both refugees and the host community.
…… “Another thing which I can say which is positive to this place is that to come people expected to meet. Amm,… especially here we are 3 nationalities and even there is another nationality you find that you meet new people share idea in Norman about them where they come from about their culture, you found that now that issue that thing for having for nature, different people from a different area that is one advantage.” (FGD protection).
… “Having a good friend, like we have neighbors around us refugees, specifically a good friend from them, you can at least share some things which are not even aware of, which will help you never know you may reach also to Sudan, which will guide you to stay confident in public like that.” like how to stay with people in the communities you know, each country has its own rules and the way to stay with some cultures is different like here being a Lugbara by tribe, we have our behaviors. But when you reach that side people also have their different ways of behaving. You find it easier to relate. (FGD youth from host community).
Youths also say it is easier for them to mobilize themselves towards advocating for peace because they view themselves as the agents of peace in their respective countries where tribal disputes resulted in war. Good relations among them has made it easier for them to talk to each other as they create more awareness and advocacy for peace. They hope this will be the same way they can practice the same when they return to their respective countries in the event repatriation occurs.
……“So, I am like what should I do by the way? My own country is misbehaving like that they certainly do a misunderstanding themselves, they don't want to come to a common talk. So, with all that, I met one of peacemakers, they call themselves peacemakers we formed a group, they were counselling people how to at least have that …that heart where you can be patient any time the country can be fine, they told me today the country might not be fine but you never know tomorrow the country will be okay. So that word has encouraged me, I am at least happy. So I am hoping that by tomorrow next time, the country will announce that there's already peace, people have to go back.” (FGD a refugee youth from Rhino camp –Ofua zone).
Delayed Resettlement
Specific Focus Group Discussions pointed out that staying in one place greatly affected them since they had hoped to stay for less time in Rhino camp and then they would be resettled to other parts of the country or even outside Uganda. They felt fed up with staying in one place with their main interest being leaving Rhino Camp. This is one aspect that causes distress to those in favor of living outside Rhino Camp as they never view it as a second safe and happy home to them.
……“I personally am living with my parents most of the thing which makes me sad is the time I had some expectation which I have but cannot get in this place one of expectation which I had it's an issue related to…., the first was security second was resettlement. But the expectation which I had it was that maybe too short time as they promised they can give promise that may be after six months one year the issue to be solved. But you found that he stayed five years now going to six years. Those have affected me much in many ways, it has affected me psychologically as you're thinking just future now I am 26 years.” (FGD, refugee from Rhino Camp-Ocea zone).