Migration and Rural-Urban Linkages in Ethiopia

false banana) and maize. Similarly, Kembata migrants take millet, pepper, oil and barleywhen they visit their families and relatives in Kembata. In return, they bring banana,baskets, bula, butter and bamboo mats from their rural homes.MarriageMarriage is one of the mechanisms that link urban and rural areas. This is especially truein the case of long-term inhabitants who came to Kolfe and Shashemene on a permanentbasis in search of a better life in town. Most of the migrants from Kembata, Hadiya,Gamo and Gurage prefer to marry within their ethnic groups. Hence, long-term malemigrants from these groups bring their spouses from their home areas. There are timeswhere a long-term migrant, notably from Gurage (both Muslim and Orthodox Christians),can have two wives and maintain two households, one in the rural and the other in urbanareas. According to some respondents, a migrant from Gurage culture usually marries awife at home to keep his land and look after his property.Iddir and self-help groupsMost of the long-term migrants have established strong social networks. Ethnic-basediddir (burial associations) are very strong and bring migrants together in times of needand mutual assistance. For instance, in Serategna Sefer in Shashemene, the long-termresidents of the sefer have formed Sodo Iddir and Sebat-bet Iddir for migrantsspecifically from the Gurage areas, and they help each other in both good and bad times.The cash contributions they make differ from one group to another. Similarly, long-termfemale and male migrants from Wolayita and Kembata living in Bishate Sefer,Shashemene, have also formed self-help associations to organise joint trips to celebrateMeskel with their relatives in rural areas. If a relative living in a rural area facesdifficulties a migrant living in Shashemene or Kolfe is supposed to visit or send cash tosolve the problem back at home. In case such family support is beyond the capacity of amigrant, the association members might contribute cash and assist the migrant to helphis/her kin in the rural areas.The Gamo and Gurage migrants in Kolfe also have similar sub-ethnic-based self-helpassociations and iddir and they help each other during crises and happy times likeweddings. The iddir contributions can range from 5-10 birr per month. If a migrant dies,friends and associates from the same place of origin take the body of the deceased to beburied in their homeland. We also learnt that some migrants from Gamo and Guragecontinue to maintain their membership and make contributions to their rural iddir, even ifthey have left their home areas for a long period of time. They make arrangements withthe leadership of rural iddir or delegate their family members to contribute cash and noncashcontributions on their behalf. Similarly, the long-term migrants from Kembata andWolayita, have formed ethnic-based associations. For instance, the Kembata association,which is called ‘Kembata family association’, was established to support Kembata intimes of crisis such as death and also other social happenings such as weddings. Wolayita49