A Matter of Cash and Resilience: Lessons from a review of Oxfam's incentive-based volunteering programmes in Za'atari camp

Abstract

With limited job opportunities available to Syrian refugees living in Za’atari camp in Jordan, incentive-based volunteering (IBV) programmes remain one of the main sources of income for thousands of camp residents. A previous Effectiveness Review conducted by Oxfam on household income in Za’atari camp found that those engaged in IBV activities reported a 28% increase in their wealth between 2014 and 2018, as opposed to a 4% decline for those who were not engaged. Although IBV programmes are not a substitute for sustainable job opportunities, they play a vital role in injecting cash into the camp’s economy and improving the living conditions of Syrian refugees, and even more so during the lockdown due to COVID-19.