CHILD RULAR- URBAN MIGRATION: A CASE STUDY IN KUCHA WOREDA GOMO ZONE SNNPR ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Child rural-urban migration is tied with economic and non-economic factors. Thus, this study aimed to examine the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of migrants and migrant sending families; to identify the push and pull factors of migration and to assess the perceptions of migrant sending families towards child migration. A total of 178 participants in the study were selected by applying simple random sampling technique and purposively. In order to attain the proposed objectives instruments like questionnaire, key informants interview and FGDs were employed. To analyze the collected data both quantitative and qualitative methods were used. More specifically, quantitative data analyzed by using descriptive statistics with the help of the software Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20 and Microsoft office Excel 2007 whereas the qualitative data analyzed by narration(discussion).That of study specifically aims to review cause and consequences of rural-urban migration in Ethiopia. Environmental backwardness in the study area that ,Shortage of infrastructure, Family size, lower agricultural productivity, inadequate social services, demographic pressure, land shortages in rural areas were identified as the major push factors of migration. Although “push” factors predominate, there are some significant “pull” factors that attract rural children to urban areas like extreme poverty, lack of youth employment opportunities, inaccessibility of infrastructures like road and general secondary school, shortage of land, large family size and missed information about jobs, its payments and life styles at destination found to be the major push factors for migration. On the other hand, presence of better job opportunities in informal sectors, an ambition of migrants to live a better life and the influence of preceding migrants for instance migrants wearing styles, hair styles, walking and talking styles, mobile phones, bags etc. to be identified as the major pull factors for migration. The study area found to be important for child rural-urban migration. Also the study reveals that about 164(51.25)percent of migrants were found between the age ranges of 16and 18 years and the rate of migration was high in both sexes and the proportion of male migrant‟s slightly higher than females and females migrated in their earlier ages than males. Moreover, the vast majority of migrants were single and literate. However the study was also revealed that the majority of participants in the study area have positive perceptions towards child-rural-urban migration because by the belief that migrants would get different opportunities at destinations.