Decision Making in Rural-Urban Migration and Its Implication to the Place of Origin: A Case Study of Beggars from Samre, South Tigray, Ethiopia.
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Date
2007-07
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
While embarking their research in rural-urban migration, researchers assume that rural out
migrants move with the aim of involving in productive sector or getting better social
amenities. However, the issue of migrants, who are involved in unproductive sectors such as
begging, is overstated. I have developed curiosity to undertake the research after observing
many peasants begging in Addis Ababa. I have emphasized on the beggars coming from
Tigray with the intension of getting rapport. The research method is dominantly based on
qualitative analysis, where the idea, perception and view of many stakeholders is wisely
explored. Different instruments such as in-depth interview (with 25 migrant beggars, who
were found through snowball sampling), focused group discussion (with returnee beggars,
non-migrants, elders, model farmers and migrants' family), observation, and key informant
interview (with Tabia, wereda and regional officials) are widely employed. The data
generated from these entities were triangulated and analyzed in descriptive form. The major
causes for the out migration of peasants from Samre woreda were mainly resulted due to
push factors such as landlessness, small land holding, and credit overdue. Moreover, the
social network in Addis Ababa along with the existing channel of information has also
expedited migration. The migrants are involved in begging at the expense of psychological
pressures (costs), just to solve their immediate problems and diversify income portfolio. They
have collected meager amount of money, which they invested in agricultural inputs, paying
credits, and buying consumption goods and clothes. The expectation and the actual earning
of migrants are incomparable. The results indicate that the existing trend of migration has
forced young student to dropout their education and exposed to the life of streets.
Furthermore, it is creating suspicion among the rural inhabitants at the place of origin in
that returnee migrants can disseminate communicable diseases such as HIVIAlDS,
Tuberculosis, and Typhoid. The people have explained their reservation on the religious
services given by the returnee clergymen and Dicons. Moreover, there is a growing concern
that the migrants may return with new doctrine and beliefs, which progressively may erode
the legend religions in the area. Finally yet importantly, the new generation is inheriting the
culture of begging.
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Keywords
Rural-Urban Migration