Transnational families in urban areas of Ethiopia: understanding the lived experiences of children left behind

Abstract

Despite a huge flow of international labor migration, sub-Saharan Africa has not been given due consideration in the transnational families literature. There is a considerable flow of international labor migration from Ethiopia to economically prosperous countries. This study aims to explore and understand the lived experiences and life tapestry of children left-behind by one or both parents in Addis Ababa and Adama City, Ethiopia. The study was informed by the "new social studies of childhood" theory, which considers children as active in constructing their lives and those around them. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 25 children who experienced parental migration. The findings revealed that parental migration has many significant effects in shaping and permeating children's lives and identities—their emotions, education, and living arrangements. Despite children's spatio-temporal separation, smartphones were found to play a prominent role in fostering parent-child relationships. Parental migration affected children's aspirations, specifically to be reunited with their migrant parent(s). This study contributes by expanding our understanding of children left-behind in Ethiopia and identifies social work services that need attention. In the existing policies related to children in Ethiopia, children left-behind must be considered as a segment of the population that requires earnest attention. Current and previous volumes are available at: https://ajsw.africasocialwork.net HOW TO REFERENCE USING ASWDNET STYLEEliyas T. Faye M. & Ashenafi H. (2024). Transnational families in urban areas of Ethiopia: understanding the lived experiences of children left behind. African Journal of Social Work, 14(6), 303-310. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajsw.v14i6.1