ILLEGAL MIGRATION AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING: ROUTES THAT TAKE ETHIOPIANS FROM FALSE PROMISES TO MISERY AND TRAGEDY

Abstract

Ethiopia, a nation of more than eighty ethnic groups and a similar number of languages, some of them having no written form, has a great heritage of orature. Reflections on historical events and legends as well as expressions on religious, political, social and cultural life of the people dominate this vast treasure of oral literature. Though the Anywaa (Anuak) people, living in the Gambella Region of Ethiopia, are a small ethnic group in the country, their oral literature is very vast. Their social gatherings like ‘Achonga’ and ‘Wimaach’ are occasions for oral performance. Even their conversations are packed with proverbs related to occupations, like farming, hunting and fishing. This study concentrates on some of their proverbs related to animals. These proverbs represent the culture of the concerned society and, most importantly, they influence the day-to-day life of the people. Moreover, the samples of oral sayings selected for the study are typical as they serve the pedagogic, etiological, and entertainment functions of the genre.