Rising to Urban Opportunities

Low income earners in cities of the developing world are often in hot pursuit for suistainable livelihoods. The paths they use in their quest are as intriguing as they are startling. This book describes how internally displaced people from Northern Uganda managed to acquire 'space' in 'Acholi Quarter'; on the fringes of Kampala city and eked a living from their environment. It provides an insight into the minds of a people gripped with the 'opportunities' that the city avails, yet seemingly deprived of the ability to seize them fully. The book analyses the ways that immigrants use to succeed in utilizing opportunities in Kampala. Among these are the skills that they bring with them as they migrate, social capital,financial capital, artifacts, to reinforce their ability to become a political constituency that burgains for security of tenure and their capacity to benefit from the physical environment. It is a must read for all development practitioners, urban managers and planners, economic entrepreneurs and donors to realize that developing skills that immigrants and refugees have is the beginning of ensuring sustainable livelihoods and social stability in their new 'home'