1. Presentation to IDS – Unicef (ROSA) Conference
IDS, UK
9 June 2014
Agazi Tiumelissan and Alula Pankhurst
Beyond Urban Relocation:
Expectations and Concerns of Children and
Caregivers in Four Young Lives Sites in Ethiopia
Session A1: Wellbeing and Multidimensional Poverty Presentation: 4

2. Outline
• Introduction: changing context
• Sites, samples, methods
• Knowledge about relocation plans
• Knowledge of other relocatees
• Expectations about relocation
• Anticipation of changes after relocation
• Conclusion
• Policy implications

3. Introduction
Young Lives
• Longitudinal study; four countries
• Quant 4 rounds and qual 4 rounds
• Sub studies: OVC, school survey, child labour,
relocation
• Ethics: anonymity (sites and names)
• Rationale for relocation sub-study
• Two papers and briefs already published
http://www.younglives-ethiopia.org/publications

4. Changing urban context
• Large-scale urban redevelopment program
underway in major Ethiopian cities.
• Removal of ‘slum’ areas
• Making way for government and private
investment
• Condominium low cost housing projects in
theory for those displaced and low income
• Some in same areas most in suburbs

5. Some Young Lives urban sites at risk
• Young lives site selection pro-poor criteria
• 2 of the 3 sites in the capital city in areas
destined for destruction; 1 in the outskirt
• 1 site in Hawasa, capital of Southern Region
likewise

6. Aims of the study
• Better understanding of context prior to
relocation as “baseline” to comprehend
changes later
- Home environment
- Neighbourhood
- Community networks
• Knowledge and views about the relocation
• Concerns, fears, hopes, aspirations
• Views about moving to condominiums

7. Study design
• Four sites in two cities
• 3 due for demolition
• 1 “control” site in Addis
• Full sample quant survey of Young Lives
households and older and younger cohort
children
• Qual sub-sample protocols with caregivers and
children
• Interviews and discussions with officials,
community leaders, caregivers and children

8. Fieldwork
• Carried out February 2012
• 12 quant researchers using PDAs
• Total 918 quant interviews
• in the four sites (over 100 children and
caregivers per site)
• 158 qual in-depth interviews (20 children and
caregivers per site)
• 28 group discussions with children, caregivers
and community leaders (7 per site)
• Additional interviews with cases already moved
to condominiums

9. Research papers
• 1) Home, neighborhood and support networks.
• 2) Views about prospective move to
condominium housing
• 3) Attitudes and aspirations about the impending
relocation

10. Knowledge about relocation plan (1)
Different rationales for relocation
• Urban development
• Investment
• Condominium housing
• Even control site small-scale road and investment
• Bertukan ‘to make the city clean and green’ ‘sold by
lease’;
• Mendirin ‘investors’;
• Leku ‘high rise buildings’

11. Knowledge about relocation plan (2)
Information about relocation
• Overall almost 1/2 children and caregivers heard that
the area is due to be demolished
• highest Menderin over 80% for both
• Some heard it from kebele official and others from
different sources (parents, friends, at school)
• In Bertukan one caregiver heard about it before 10
years while another heard before 16 years
• In Bertukan registration was going on regarding type of
house ownership and condition and desired housing

12. Knowledge about relocation plan (3)
Information about relocation
• In Bertukan one girl:
I knew about relocation last Sunday when I read the letter
my mother brought from Kebele after attending a meeting’.
• In Bertukan one caregiver:
‘People from the Kebele came recently going door to door
asking three groups of questions – about house ownership,
the condition of our houses, and finally what kind of house
we would want, but they did not say when relocation might
happen’.

13. Resettlement promises…
Resettlement promises
• A little less than half the caregivers said promises were
made
• Promises include: mainly replacement of housing and
monetary compensation,
• less about access to electricity, water, health care and
education
• Those living in rented house or who are debal (sub-
renters) are afraid of the prospect of relocation

14. Knowledge about timing of relocation
Timing of relocation
• Less than a fifth of caregivers said they know when
relocation happens
• About 30% said it would happen after a year
• Site differences
• Bertukan: skepticism: repeated mention, ongoing
development, area not suitable river
• Menderin: expected since local development stopped,
neighbouring areas already destroyed
• Leku: less likely as resistance and allegations of land
corruption cases, land for relocation not settled, conflict
• Duba: some for road considered likely soon

15. Knowledge of other relocated people (1)
Residence of relocated people
• Almost half of the caregivers know other people who
are relocated (high in Bertukan and Menderin)
• Most said they are living in condominiums in the
outskirts; less in condominiums in same area
• Others said in kebele housing
• Other options very few (private rental, other urban
areas)

16. Knowledge of other relocated people (2)
Change of life of relocated people
• >50% of children and about 44% of caregivers said the
change is positive
• Less than a fifth said the change was mainly positive
and negative in some ways.
• Improvement in housing and other services
• But most are not happy over loss or breakup of social
ties and especially work opportunities in areas in
outskirts of city.

17. Knowledge of other relocated people (3)
Change of life of relocated people
• In Bertukan people relocated due to the expansion of a
primary school, relocated together in Kebele house,
good condition
• In Bertukan one older girl:
• ‘three families who moved to condominium housing in
the same neighbourhood said ‘they did not like living
up in the sky’.
• Older boy
• ‘Relocatees unhappy about loss of social ties but
women like being near vegetable market’.

18. Knowledge of other relocated people (4)
Change of life of relocated people
• In Leku an older boy said:
‘I know families who were relocated due to the
construction of a fuel station. They were provided with
good houses. But it is very far from town and they have a
problem of electricity and water’.
• Other children and caregivers mentioned people liked the
improvement in housing and some of the services, but not
the disruption of social ties and lack of working
opportunities and distance from the centre.

19. Anticipation of problems in moving
• Finding a place to live, mentioned by more than half
caregivers and children
• Cost of moving and practicalities was also mentioned
• Small house, theft, property damage
• An older cohort girl in Betukan said
We might face difficulties to find a house to live in. Even when a
place is found moving by itself is very tough. If we are given a
small house we will face difficulty as we have many things.’
• But another older cohort girl said
‘There will be no problem at all while moving. There cannot be a
greater problem than the current living area.’
• An older cohort boy:
‘Kebele houses in the inner city are good, but on the outskirts
housing is very difficult. A house rented from individuals is worse
and we cannot afford it.’

20. Anticipation of problems in new area (1)
• Adapting to the new area, finding friends and helpers,
establishing relations with neighbours, finding work in
new area
• One elderly caregiver in Bertukan said:
‘though I signed the willingness form to leave the area,
honestly speaking, I would prefer dying before I leave
this neighbourhood at my age.’
• Qual: housing, temporary shelter, infrastructure and
services (esp. in Leku), education, cost of living, social
disarticulation, separation from family and access to work

21. Anticipation of problems in new area (2)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Percent
Problems
Anticipated problems (children)
Bertukan
Menderin
Leku

22. Anticipation of problems in new area (3)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Percent
Problems
Anticipated problems (children)
Bertukan
Menderin
Leku

23. Anticipation of problems in new area (4)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Percent
Problems
Anticipated problems (caregivers)
Bertukan
Menderin
Leku

24. Anticipation of problems in new area (5)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Percent
Problems
Anticipated problems (caregivers)
Bertu
kan
Men
derin

25. Anticipation of problems in new area (6)
• Transport cost and availability,
• access to education,
• water and health care
• Places to play
• housing, infrastructure and services, education, cost of
living, social disarticulation and access to work
• One caregiver in Bertukan
‘Working conditions are going to be difficult especially for the poor.
Most people here lead a hand to mouth kind of life; they buy
something and sell it at a price that is a bit higher. This is the
way they survive.’

26. Anticipation of problems in new area (7)
• Another caregiver from the same site said: ‘For our kind
of life, Bertukan is the best. We survive! I don’t think I
can survive anywhere else. It would be good if they
redevelop this area and put us back here. I do not think
that we will have a better life anywhere. Here we have
the means, we have something to do. If we go
somewhere else and try to come work here, our
earnings will be gone for transport.’
• Another caregiver in same site said: ‘Here if we do not
have injera, we borrow from our neighbours and we do
not sleep on an empty stomach. But if we are moved to
a place we do not know with new people, it worries me
very much. For me to be relocated to another area, out
of Bertukan is like losing my life, dying. People who
have been living together should be given the honour to
bury each other when they pass away’.

27. Opportunities in the new area (1)
In degree of importance for children and their caregivers
• Improved sanitation (three-fourth of children and two-
third of caregivers)
• improved housing (three-fourth of children and a little
less than two-third of caregivers)
• Less pollution, better environment for upbringing
children, safer environment/less crime and improved
water access
• Better health facility and better education
• New work opportunity came last

28. Opportunities in the new area (2)
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Percent
Opportunities
Opportunities in the new area (children)
Bertukan Menderin Leku

29. Opportunities in the new area (3)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Percent
Opportunities
Opportunities in new area (caregivers)
Bertukan Menderin Leku

30. Opportunities in the new area (4)
• One younger cohort girl in Bertukan:
‘The house is going to be clean there will be good
drainage system for liquid waste disposal and there
will also be a toilet for each family.
• One care giver in same site said:
‘Although I do not think there will be better work
opportunities than in Bertukan, I will be happy even
if I move out of Addis Ababa. There will definitely be
clean air, better health and education’.
She added ‘I will be able to raise my children in a better
way, in a way I always wanted to, in a place free from
addiction. And for me, I will be able to breathe clean
air and live longer.’

31. Aspiration for the future (1)
• Most of the children >60% hopeful for a
positive change
• Slightly lower among caregivers >50%
• Higher proportion in Bertukan and Menderin
(the range higher for caregivers)
• About a fifth said mostly positive and some
negative

32. Aspiration for the future (2)
• An older cohort boy in Bertukan said: ‘If we
move to a bigger house, I will get a place to
study and maybe even my own room, and I will
get better results in school’
• Another older cohort boy in Menderin said that
he appreciated the prospect of having his own
room to himself.
• A caregiver from Bertukan said: ‘ with
improved housing they would not be facing the
problems of fleas and other parasites’.

33. Overall expectation about changes
• Environment, sanitation and safety likely to improve
• Most anticipate improvements
• However, in Leku some more pessimistic
• Housing, sanitation, water and kitchens improvements
• Concerns with services:
• schooling, health care and transport
Social relations
• Work opportunities
• Views on differential adaptation: age, gender, disability.

34. Conclusions (1)
• Knowledge about relocation limited
• Expectations to outskirts not the centre
• Lack of clarity and transparency about timing
and process
• Children and caregivers generally optimistic:
cleaner safer environment, better housing,
sanitation
• Concerns: finding a place to live, work
opportunities, social disarticulation

35. Conclusions (2)
• Relocation is welcomed by most though some
especially elderly do not want to move
• Children and caregivers concerned about water,
education, health services leisure and places for
children to play.
• Availability and cost of transport to schools and
former work places.
• Breakup of social institutions, relations with
neighbours and friends.

36. Policy implications (1)
• Reserving a given proportion of land for
condominium and alternative housing
• Housing ownership for all eligible
• Greater transparency in the planning of
urban development
• Carrying out relocated in stages rather then
large scale massive displacement all at once

37. Policy implications (2)
• Infrastructure in the new areas: water,
electricity, water, health, education
• Linkages between housing services and
employment opportunities
• Spaces for kindergarten, space for children
to play, for youth activities, open and green
spaces

38. Policy implications (3)
• Where relocation is inevitable looking for
ways to move families, relatives, neighbours
and closely knit groups together
• Planning the process in stages and informing
people for preparation in good time.
• Involving those likely to be affected in
decision making and rehousing processes.

39. Related paper & policy brief
Below are the links to the full paper and the
policy brief respectively.
• http://www.younglives.org.uk/files/working-
papers/wp126_beyond-urban-relocation
• http://www.younglives.org.uk/files/policy-
papers/beyond-urban-relocation-expectations-and-
concerns-of-children-and-caregivers