Migration and Rural-Urban Linkages in Ethiopia

Figure 3: The network of a migrant from the southTradeCash/materialInfoMMigrantAssoc'nMarriageSocialTransfers of information and cash/material resourcesLong and short-term migrants are instrumental in providing information about jobs,education and business opportunities to their children, and young unmarried women andmen. The earlier migrants often attract relatives to join them and work with them forsometime.In both Kolfe and Shashemene sites, most of the male migrants from the south (Gamo,Gurage, Dorze, Kembata, Hadiya, Wolayita) revealed that they often transfer informationand sometimes resources as gifts once a year during Meskel or Arefa holidays. They oftensend cash, clothes, shoes, household utensils, farm implements, kerosene, shoes, soap,salt and other consumer goods to their close relatives in rural areas in order to assistthem, and help them cope with financial difficulties and crises. However, many of thefemale married respondents stated that they are financial constrained and sometimes findit hard to fulfil these expectations since they do not have control over the family income.Thus it seems easier for male migrants and unmarried female migrants to meet suchholiday obligations..The transfer of material resources is sometimes reciprocal. For instance, Wolayitamigrants in Shashemene take clothes, salt, sugar, spices and onions when they go back totheir home areas. The migrants return with butter, cheese, potato, bula (a flour made from48