Program on Forced Migration and Health

Previous Research

The Program on Forced Migration and Health faculty lead and collaborate on research that influences policy and practice in complex emergencies, post-emergency recovery and development contexts. We work hand in hand with governments, international agencies and community-based organizations. As part of our commitment to building the next generation of leaders in the field, we regularly engage students in our research through mentorship in field engagements and research assistantships and through the application of applied case studies based on our research as part of our curriculum program. 

 

The projects listed below are a sampling of the previous research conducted by the Program on Forced Migration and Health.

 

SOCIAL SERVICE WORKFORCE TRAINING IN THE WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA REGION

The West and Central Africa Region

Program Faculty and Staff: Mark Canavera, Bree Akesson, Debbie Landis

The focus of this study is to better understand how social workers and related professionals are trained and educated—both formally and informally—to engage in social work practice, especially as it is related to child protection, in the West and Central Africa region. The study defined the social service workforce broadly, including not only professional social workers but paraprofessionals such as NGO and CBO workers who through their daily work attempt to support vulnerable children and families. Research occurred in two phases, an initial phase from November through December 2013 when documents were collated from 13 countries across the region and phone interviews were conducted with relevant individuals. A second phase included field visits to five West African countries in January and February 2014—Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal—during which the research team conducted 42 semi-structured interviews and 27 group discussions with 253 individuals.

DETERMINING ACCEPTABLE CUSTOMARY CAREGIVING ARRANGEMENTS WITH CONGOLESE REFUGEES IN RWANDA: FINDINGS FROM RAPID STUDIES IN TWO CAMPS AND A TOOLKIT FOR MOVING FORWARD

Rwanda

Program Faculty and Staff: Lili Birnbaum, Liberata Muhorakeye, Nancy Gatete, and Mark Canavera

This report presents both the process and the findings from a recent attempt to better understand customary caregiving arrangements for refugee children living in two camp-based populations in Rwanda. The study emerged from UNHCR’s recognition that although the globally accepted definitions of unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) do include provisions about customary caregivers, this concept has only rarely been operationalized in field settings.

 

COMMUNITY-BASED CHILD PROTECTION MECHANISMS IN REFUGEE CAMPS IN RWANDA: AN ETHNOGRPAHIC STUDY IN RWANDA

Program Faculty and Staff: Lindsay Stark, Mike Wessells, Mark Canavera

The purpose of this research is to learn about community-based child protection processes and mechanisms (CBCPMs) in two refugee camps in Rwanda – Gihembe and Kiziba. In particular, the research seeks to identify what refugees see as the main harms or risks to children, what CBCPMs exist and how they are used, what protective factors enable children’s positive coping and resilience, and whether and how the CBCPMs link with elements of the formal aspects of the child protection system, led by the Rwandan government and Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). This study places special emphasis on the linkages between CBCPMs and education-sector groups and structures in order to assess modalities of interaction and collaboration between the two sectors for the strengthening of children’s protective environment.

COMMUNITY-BASED CHILD PROTECTION MECHANISMS AMONGST URBAN REFUGEES IN KAMPALA, UGANDA: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY IN UGANDA

Program Faculty and Staff: Lindsay Stark, Mike Wessells, Mark Canavera

The purpose of the study reported here was to learn about community-based child protection processes and mechanisms in three urban refugee communities in Kampala, Uganda. In particular, the research sought to identify what urban refugees see as the main harms or risks to children, what CBCPMs exist and how they are used, what protective factors enable children’s positive coping and resilience, and whether and how the CBCPMs link with elements of the formal, government-led aspects of the national child protection system. This study had a special focus on the protective effects of education. By learning about child protection amongst urban refugee communities, the research aimed to contribute to new knowledge that will be useful in strengthening both the child protection system and services provided to refugees in Uganda.

CHILD PROTECTION SYSTEMS STRENGTHENING AND DISASTER RISK REDUCTION

Haiti, Cote d'lvoire, South Sudan, Palestine and the Philippines 

Program Staff: Mark Canavera

Students: Kiryn Lanning 2012, Kristen White 2013

The CPC Learning Network Secretariat in collaboration with UNICEF is also completing a series of studies that examine perceptions of efforts to strengthen national child protection systems in a variety of humanitarian settings: the 2010 earthquake in Haiti; the 2011 post-electoral violence in Côte d’Ivoire; the protracted emergencies in South Sudan and Palestine; and Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan in 2014 in the Philippines.

 

ENUMERATING AND MONITORING VULNERABLE SUB-POPULATIONS

Sub-saharan Africa

Program Faculty: Les Roberts

Les Roberts has received a CDC grant to use non-traditional methods to monitor birth and deaths among displaced people in urban areas. This main approach will involve organizing community monitors to keep track of births, deaths and migrations from a fixed number of households in their neighborhoods. The first site for this project will be in the city of Goma in North Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo.  

ENUMERATING CHILDREN OUTSIDE OF HOUSEHOLDS

Cambodia

Program Faculty: Lindsay Stark, Les Roberts; Students: Anjoli Anand '16, Saeed Rahman '16

The objective of the research, which is supported by USAID and JSI, is to develop a set of methods and tools for establishing a nationally representative estimate of the number, distribution and basic characteristics of children outside of households. The aim is that inclusive data can guide policy makers and service providers in recognizing and protecting these children.​

MONITORING AND REPORTING ATTACKS ON EDUCATION 

Sub-saharan Africa

Program Faculty: Les Roberts; Students: Cyril Bennouna '15, Elburg van Boetzaelaer '15, Lina Rojas '16

Research is now underway in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia to examine various methodologies used to monitor attacks on education in these conflict affected countries, measures to protect schools and their personnel, and ways to increase national capacity to monitor this violation of attacks on schools.

ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY OF CHILD PROTECTION THREATS IN POST-EBOLA SIERRA LEONE

Sub-saharan Africa

Program Faculty: Lindsay Stark, Michael Wessells

The project aims to evaluate child protection threats in Sierra Leone after the Ebola crisis.