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Factors Limiting Congolese Refugees’ Access to Food in Durban City of South Africa
Cumya Seraphin Zihalirwa and Joseph Rudigi Rukema
Published: 2024/12/01
Abstract
The current paper is an ethnographic market study where the researcher used both emic and etic perspectives to connect through storytelling with the Congolese refugees in Durban to discover why they are not able to access enough and appropriate food. This qualitative study used semi-structured, open-ended interview questions and participant observation to gather detailed narratives from 20 Congolese refugee households. The primary data from these households revealed three major factors for Congolese refugees not being able to access enough and appropriate food: household income dynamics, housing costs, and food homogeneity. Narratives unveiled that informants’ household income dynamics led to paltry food access. Most of the informants’ households lacked constant revenue, most income sources being informal. The narratives showed that both the food and rental expense curves were significant. The result is what can be called food homogeneity, with little access to certain host and home foods. For the Congolese refugees, “home food” is essential to maintaining their sense of identity even when they are embracing a foreign culture. It is one way to keep their culture alive. In light of the above, the Congolese refugees appeared to be constrained by the inability to sort out food worries in Durban. Keywords: Food access, Social identity, Home food, Income, Food homogeneity, Housing costs
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