How pastoralist youth learn for improved livelihoods in Ethiopia

A paper prepared by Kaleb Kelemu and colleagues for the 13th International Conference on Education and Development “Learning for sustainable futures: making the connections” focused on “Understanding how rural youth learn knowledge and skills for improved livelihoods: comparing case studies of mixed farming and pastoralist communities in Ethiopia” (14pp). It went beyond the usual focus of the ‘Education for All’ agenda on formal education and looked at learning that takes place outside schools and training institutions. The paper discusses ethnographic research conducted in pastoralist and mixed-farming communities and analyses policy implications in the areas of agricultural skill development and adult basic education. Findings revealed that, for rural youth in both contexts, informal learning was the dominant mode of learning and that even so-called ‘illiterate’ young people had learned to use mobile phones and do calculations in the market through interaction with their peers and adapting their own learning strategies. The authors explore how educational policy could take account of and build on young people’s everyday learning and their aspirations for enhanced rural livelihoods. They reflect on how new partnerships between agricultural and educational policymakers and researchers could point the way towards a broader conception of learning within sustainable development.

Posted on 15 October 2024 in Pastoral Research & Innovation, Pastoralism & Services, Pastoralism, Gender & Youth, Pastoralist Livelihoods & Nutrition