Volunteering by displaced youth in Uganda: livelihoods, skills, employability and inequalities

Abstract

This chapter explores the role of volunteering in the lives of young refugees in Uganda. It analyses findings from ‘Refugee Youth Volunteering Uganda’ (RYVU), a large interdisciplinary research project aimed at developing a critical understanding of volunteering by young refugees that builds from their voices and experiences. The chapter outlines the mixed-methods collaborative approach of the project and explores the relationships between volunteering and the livelihoods of displaced young people, how volunteering impacts their skills, employability, and the inequalities they experience, and the roles that volunteering plays in shaping social connections and community development efforts. It concludes by highlighting the implications of the findings for ensuring that participation in volunteering does not increase inequalities or take advantage of displaced young people.