Browsing by Author "Awich Ochen, Eric"

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    COVID-19 Prevention Measures: Impact Stories and Lived Experiences of Uganda-based Refugees
    (Vienna Journal of African Studies, 2021) Okot, Betty J.; Tenywa Malagala, Aloysius; Awich Ochen, Eric; Muhangi, Denis; . Serwagi, Gloria K
    The COVID-19 pandemic is making new demands on society to become more aware of humanity’s oneness and collective vulnerability. The disease has instigated a catalogue of health communication initiatives focused on prevention and containment. Tentative solutions such as social distancing, face masking, hand-washing, and lockdowns have seemingly become the mantras of safety and prevention. Moreover, staying safe entails going against the everyday normal and nearly doing away with that which, defines humanity, namely: socialising (even physical contact), thus, leading to compliance dilemmas. Relying on findings of the mixed methods socio-behavioural study, “Knowledge, adherence and the lived experiences of refugees in COVID-19:A Comparative Assessment of Urban and Rural Refugee Settings in Uganda,” hereafter REFLECT. We show that refugees are in a constant dilemma of choosing either to comply with prevention measures or maintaining the everyday normal. Hence, we reflect on how the prevention-related social restrictions might be increasing refugee vulnerabilities by disrupting their everyday normal. We question whether it is appropriate to view non-compliance as a deliberate act of defiance on the part of refugees when their current positionality hinders amenability. We conclude that, it is vital to understand how refugees’ lived experiences and socio-economic pressures lead to compliance dilemmas.