DETERMINANTS, OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF TEMPORARY RURAL-RURAL WAGE LABOR MIGRATION: EVIDENCE FROM MIGRANT SENDING HOUSEHOLD IN ALEFA WOREDA, ETHIOPIA.

Abstract

The primary aim of this study is to investigate the determinants, opportunities and challenges of temporary rural-rural labor migration by taking evidence from casual ruralrural wage labor migrant sending households in Alefa wereda to other rural areas. In order

to carry out this study, both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed. Data were

gathered

mainly through household survey, focus group discussions, key informant interviews and collection of secondary sources. For the survey, 250 households were selected with stratified random sampling technique. One-way ANOVA, chi-square and binary logistic regressions were used for quantitative data analyses. Qualitative data analyses were employed to supplement quantitative data analyses. The result of this study reveals that, most of the migrants from Alefa wereda to Quara are youth males. It is found that temporary rural-rural labor migration is a household’s decision with poor access of key livelihood assets such as land, livestock and access to irrigable water. The result also indicates that Livestock size of household, farm size of the household, access to water for irrigation and total independent family members are statistically significant factors that determine migration decision at household level. The findings also indicate that rural destination areas like Quara provide casual wage employment opportunities for migrants. There opportunities are important for livelihood security of migrant sending households. However the study shows that migrants encountered problems during stay at destination during stay the form health related problem, scarcity of drink water, poor housing, poor Nutrition, theft, breaching agreement and conflict. These problems of that temporary casual wage labor migrants encountered at the destination are transferred to migrant households through migrants and forming the translocal vulnerability of migrant sending households. Based on the results, recommendations to concerned bodies are made.