Dr. Opportuna Kweka is a senior lecturer in the Department of Geography within the College of Social Sciences. As a political economist and expert on refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) issues, she brings a wealth of knowledge to her field. Her doctoral research focused on analyzing the changes in refugee policy in Tanzania and its implications on livelihoods and the environment. Prior to this, her master’s thesis examined the migration patterns of Maasai pastoralists to urban areas following the El Niño rains in 1998, alongside other policy-related factors.
Dr. Kweka holds the esteemed position of Chair at the University of Dar es Salaam’s Research Chair on Forced Displacement (UDSM-RCFD). Additionally, she leads the IDRC-funded project titled “Strengthening knowledge, evidence use, and leadership in the global south on forced displacement: focus on East Africa.” This project played a pivotal role in establishing the research chair on forced displacement at the University of Dar es Salaam.
Under Dr. Kweka’s guidance, a team of 32 members comprising experts from various disciplines, departments, and institutions in East Africa collaborates on addressing issues related to refugees and internally displaced persons. Their research encompasses a wide range of topics, including displacement due to climate disasters, development-induced displacement (such as urban infrastructure, conservation, and large-scale investments), and other pertinent issues affecting the region. Through her leadership and expertise, Dr. Kweka continues to make significant contributions to the field of forced displacement research in East Africa.
Professional Contributions
- South coordinator for the project Everyday Humanitarianism in Tanzania funded by DANIDA.
- Citizenship in the Great Lakes Region of Africa with CSFM, IRRI and SSRC in New York.
Highlighted Publications
- Social categorization and local humanitarian help: the limitations of legal categories for refugees, Utafiti, No 2. Online, October 2022.
- Spaces of Interaction between Protracted refugees in Nyarugusu Camp and the Surrounding Host Community with Rosemary Msoka,Journal of Geographic Association of Tanzania. 41 No. 2 p 59-78 in 2022.
- South-South Humanitarianism: The case of COVID-organics in Tanzania, with Richey et al. in World Development.
- Socio-economic Assessment in the Refugees Camps and Hosting Districts of Kigoma Region, work submitted to UNHCR in 2018.
- Mapping of Socio-economic needs, partners and interventions for local integration of Burundian refugees in Tanzania, report submitted to the Solutions Alliance in 2016.
- Mapping of Migration Data Sources in Tanzania: Migration observatory, African, Caribbean and the Pacific in 2015.
- Citizenship without Integration: the Case of Burundian Refugees in Tanzania, the African Review: A journal of African Politics, Development and International Relations, Vol. 42 No. 2 of 2015, pp 76-93.
- Lessons leant during the Mtabila Closure, research report submitted to IRC in 2013.
- Assessment of the Plan for Internal Relocation of Naturalized Burundian Refugees, a research report submitted to IDRC in 2012.
- Tanzania, a book chapter in the book titled Marginalization and the Plight of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons in East Africa edited by Zachary Lomo, Fountain Publisher, Kampala in 2012.
- Being and Staying Pastoralists: In Search of a Livelihood Security for Maasai Displacement, a Paper Presented in a Conference on the Future of Pastoralism, Addis Ababa, 21-23 March, 2011 available on www.futureagricultures.org
- Dual Citizenship for Development? Chemichemi Mwalimu Nyererein 2009.
- Refugee caring regime: a paper presented in the international migration workshop in Ghana in 2007, IMI, Oxford.
- A PhD thesis titled: The Impact of Structural Adjustment Programmes on the refugee policy in Tanzania and Implications on Livelihood and the Environment submitted to the University of Minnesota Minneapolis in 2007;
- Migration and land use changes: the case of Maasai pastoralists migration to urban areas in 1999, a master dissertation in Demography, UDSM.
Education
- PhD in Geography obtained from the University of Minnesota.
- Masters of Arts degree in Demography from the University of Dar es Salaam.
- Bachelor of Arts degree in land use, planning and environmental studies from the University of Dar es Salaam.
Learn more about the work led by Opportuna Kweka