CHALLENGES OF SHOE SHINERS AND THEIR OPINION TOWARDS FORMING COOPERATIVES IN HAWASSA CITY, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

This thesis explores the challenges faced by shoe shiners and their opinion on forming cooperatives in Hawassa City, Ethiopia. The research adopts a mixed-methods approach with a concurrent embedded design. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to ensure the representation of all sub-cities. The quantitative data was collected from 299 shoe shiners through structured questionnaire survey and 5- point Likert scale questionnaires. The qualitative data from 14 interviewees enriched the quantitative data. Data analysis was performed using statistical software for social sciences (SPSS-27), applying both descriptive and inferential statistics. The finding revealed significant disparities in the distribution of sex and age among sample respondents, with a noticeable dominance of young male participants, particularly in the 18–25 age brackets, which account for 74.6% of the sample. Furthermore, the educational levels among participants predominantly range from illiteracy to primary education. Factors contributing to shoe shiners' engagement in the job are working to be self-reliant, assisting their parents, having no one to support them, being forced to work by guardians, and the demand for shoe shiners. The result shows that shoe shiners have a low to moderate degree of knowledge, with a mean knowledge score of 3.18, but they have a good attitude towards creating cooperatives, with a mean attitude score of 3.59. Regression analysis showed that knowledge regarding cooperatives was a significant predictor, with a one-unit increase in knowledge associated with a 2.34 times higher likelihood of having a favorable view towards creating cooperatives. Younger shoe shiners showed higher odds ratios compared to older ones, suggesting that younger individuals were more likely to have a positive opinion of forming cooperatives. The study recommends various actions to promote cooperative formation among shoe shiners in Hawassa City, such as establishing a cooperative support center, and developing supportive policies and infrastructure to lawfully operate their businesses in the city and accessing different credit and financial services.