Outcomes of Rural-out Migration as Livelihood Strategy to the Rural People: The Case of Iringa and Njombe regions, Tanzania

Abstract

This study assessed whether rural-out migration as a livelihood strategy enhanced livelihoods of rural households in Iringa and Njombe  regions in Tanzania. Specifically, the study tried to examine what were the outcomes of rural-out migration and remittances from it to  household assets. The study used cross-sectional data involving 272 migrant and non-migrant households which were analyzed purely  descriptively to generate the information sought out of it. Findings revealed that out of 272 households, 93(34%) had out-migrants. On the outcomes of migration to the households’ assets, migration did not have any significance to the households; instead it had more  detrimental outcomes, including withdrawal of productive human resource/labour from the migrant households; family abandonment;  erosion of social morals; spread of HIV/AIDS; increasing number of vulnerable children; and school drop-out. The main conclusion from  these findings is that unlike what many other studies had found (in other countries), out-migration did not have better outcomes to the  livelihoods of rural households in the studied districts. The policy implication of these findings is that unless rural livelihoods are  improved, ruralout migration will continue, as rural dwellers continue searching for ‘greener pastures.’ As this continues, poverty is  perpetuated. Consequently, not only will this affect urban and other economically vibrant areas where migrants continue flocking to by  saturating these destinations’ capacity to handle the migrants, it will also affect poor rural areas negatively by draining their energetic  and productive human resource.