Additional Broll Ethiopia Youth / Migration

Each year, rural areas lose a promising share of their workforce, as youth leave their homes and migrate to cities or move abroad in search of a better future. The risks, unknown. The distress induced by poverty and a lack of employment opportunities push many youth around the world to search for jobs elsewhere. By addressing the links between distress migration and rural development, FAO is making a difference in Ethiopia. 

Each year, rural areas lose a promising share of their workforce, as youth leave their homes and migrate to cities or move abroad in search of a better future. The risks, unknown. The distress induced by poverty and a lack of employment opportunities push many youth around the world to search for jobs elsewhere. By addressing the links between distress migration and rural development, FAO is making a difference in Ethiopia. A project on youth mobility, food security and rural poverty reduction - in collaboration with the government and rural stakeholders - is striving to reduce the number of people migrating from rural areas out of distress.

Total Number of Migrants: 12,115,263

National Youth Out Migration Rate: 15%

With funding from the Italian Development Cooperation, the project was launched in 2015 to 

provide motivated youth in regions of high distress migration with profitable alternatives. The aim is to promote innovative pathways for youth employment and entrepreneurship in rural 

areas -and the impact is already being felt.

Over 350 youth in Ethiopia have now received the necessary training and equipment to launch a local agricultural activity. Animal fattening, sheep and goat rearing, dairy, poultry and egg production, beekeeping, as well as horticulture and fishing, are amongst the initiatives aimed at turning potential migrants into successful entrepreneurs. The pilot initiatives involve 152 youth in 11 groups in the Amhara region and 200 youth in 20 groups in the Oromia region.

FAO also works with the Government to ensure safe mobility, by increasing incentives for regular 

and orderly migration. 

Creating rural employment opportunities is benefitting both participants and their families. 

By promoting agricultural enterprises in migration-prone areas, young entrepreneurs are given the choice to remain in their communities. 

For more information: http://www.fao.org/rural-employment/work-areas/migration/rym-project/en/

SHOTLIST

1. Sheep feeding

2. Site of sheep production youth group in Oromia region

3. SOT: Fatuma Adem Abdulahi – Beneficiary of Sheep rearing project - (Oromo):

From the training I learned how to raise and care for sheep and learned about their gestation period. We sell the sheep selectively and are able to save money in the bank. We gradually improve through this project by saving money. 

4. Various of sheep grazing

5. Veterinary with sheep

6. SOT Wondwossen Desalew – Head of Agriculture Office, Kalu District, Amhara Region (Amharic):

This is a good option to prevent youth migration. We will build on what we’ve learned and scale up the project in other areas. We are doing great work that’s motivating youth and community members, inspiring them to work in their area of origin. 

7. Various of beneficiaries of animal fattening project with cattle

8. Cattle drinking from a pond

9. SOT Mohamed Seid – Beneficiary of Animal fattening project (Amharic)

Yes, I thought about migrating before the project started here. I was about to leave. I didn’t want to remain a burden on my family. I wanted to have income to support myself and become independent, but this project was started and kept me from leaving. 

10. Detail of cattle head

11. Cattle in cowshed

12. Mohamed stroking and measuring cow size

13. Various of Mohamed discussing data with co-beneficiary in the cowshed

14. Various of cow, sheep, chicks, youths in vegetable garden

15. Various of beneficiaries of Sheep rearing project in Oromia Region

16. SOT Fatuma Adem Abdulahi – Beneficiary of Sheep rearing project - (Oromo):

I like my cooperative. It is free from loan and debt. There is no interest to pay from our income, so we can save money.

17. Wide shot of landscape with a dirt road

18. Detail of feet walking through a vegetable plot

19. Young people walking through a vegetable plot

20. Beneficiary of chicken production project walking up to her child and embracing him

SOT: Amiat Ahmed – Beneficiary of Chicken production project (Amharic)

I have a cute son. I don’t want to leave him, but I cannot say huge life challenge cannot drive young people to migrate. If I should leave for migration again I’ll do it the legal way. There are legal ways to migrate.

21. Amiat Ahmed with her child

22. Wide shot of Amiat’s home with her and her child on the doorstep

23. Beneficiary of horticulture project in her home with her daughter

24. SOT Radi Seid – Beneficiary of Horticulture project (Amharic)

My daughter wasn’t happy when I was living away from her.  She didn’t have her mother’s love, but now she has my love. I send her to school in the morning and she finds me at home when she returns. She is happy now. 

25. CU Radi’s daughter

26. Detail of schoolbooks 

27. Wide shot of Radi and her doughter coming out of their home

ENDS