Migration and Rural-Urban Linkages in Ethiopia

in providing information about jobs, education and business opportunities to their kin.Marriage is also found to be among the mechanisms that link the urban and the ruralareas as most of the migrants from Kembata, Hadiya, Gamo and Gurage prefer to marrywithin their ethnic groups. There are also times when long-term migrants, notably fromGurage have two wives and maintain two households, one in the rural and the other inurban areas. Long-term male migrants from SNNPR, particularly Gurage, who are nowliving in Kolfe and Shashemene often return to their birthplaces during the Meskelholiday in September. Migrants from the SNNPR also have strong social networksthrough which they meet and help one another. For instance, the self-help associationsformed by the long-term female and male migrants from Wolayita and Kembata living inBishate Sefer, Shashemene, are exemplary in organising joint trips to celebrate Meskelwith their relatives in rural areas, contributing cash in times of emergencies andaccompanying bereaved migrants for funerals. Kembata and Wolayita long-term migrantshave associations, the Wolayita one called ‘Wolayita Giorgis’. Migrants in Bishate Sefer,Shashemene, were found to have business linkages with their home areas, where by theybring and send goods for sale.Rural-rural linkages are found to be very important for residents of the Haya Gasha ruralcommunity in Imdibir. Most of the male and female adult inhabitants have stronglinkages with rural areas such as Agena, Arkena, Bole and Kosse to buy plough oxen,cows and cereal crops as well as to sell chat. Marriage between Haya Gasha ruralcommunity and these rural areas is also very common.Links of livestock exchange, farming and marriage between migrants in Turufe Kechemeand Yetmen, and neighbouring rural areas are common. Local traders often buy productsfor resale from nearby towns. A few rural migrants work as carpenters or daily labourersin nearby small towns. Some women find work in urban areas preparing alcoholic drinksand assisting construction labour work. There are also links between some rural migrantsof Turufe Kecheme and Yetmen with the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, and othersecondary cities such as Shashemene, Nazareth, Ziway, Bichena and Dejen. Some of thewomen migrants from Yetmen often move or travel to their nearby zonal or weredacapitals to buy goods, particularly ‘fashionable’ dresses and seek spouses.The majority of the urban poor households view wereda towns, sub-wereda towns andother rural villages as important places to maximise the opportunities for theirlivelihoods. Addis Ababa, the regional state capital and zonal towns follow this. Reasonsfor the importance of small towns include the availability of consumer goods, health andeducation services as well as employment in construction work, and services such assmall bars and restaurants. On the other hand, most of the rural poor households in thecase study areas consider their immediate wereda towns as important centres foraccessing educational and health services as well as for buying and selling goods andsupplies.The majority of the migrants are under the age of thirty. Due to the presence of circularmigrations between Gamo and the two urban sites (Kolfe and Shashemene), adult andlong-term migrants also attract young boys from their respective areas of origin to join75