Articles
Formal and informal foundations of trust in mutual help groups of Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania) Residents
Oxana Ivanchenko
Vostok/Oriens '2017, №1
This article focuses on mutual help practices which are quite common in the largest economic center of Tanzania – Dar es Salaam. The main aim is to discover the basis of mutual trust of the members of such communities to each other, to leaders of their organizations and to such institutions as a whole. The article is based on the field research which took place in September 2013 and at the end of September – beginning of October 2015 mainly in two districts of Dar es Salaam – Gongo la Mboto and Mbagala – and which was made possible by the grant No. 13-31-01284 of the Russian Foundation for Humanities. Both of these areas are uswahilini (Swahili for "Quarter for the Africans"), meaning traditional African quarters, and they are often described as informal settlements. In uswahilini districts, mutual help practices are especially popular due to the lack of sufficient support of the citizens from the state, difficult living conditions, the lack of "official" work, etc.
Keywords: Tanzania, Dar es Salaam, mutual help groups, uswahilini, trust, poverty
Pages: С. 121–130
