Rural Development in Ethiopia and Communication Demand Analysis on Rural Development between China and Ethiopia

　　In recent decades, China has provided growing-level foreign aid to African countries. For Ethiopia, the aid includes three aspects: infrastructure building, food aid and agricultural aid. Agricultural aid had played important role to promote agricultural development in African countries, which contribute bilateral relationship between China and these countries. However, some agricultural aid could not adapt to local conditions. One reason for the inadaptability is the shortage in the empirical research in rural areas of African countries, which hinders the understanding of challenges confronted by rural areas in African countries and how these challenges impact on the effect of China’s aid to African countries. In the transition of rural areas of Ethiopia, marketization has significantly transformed the daily life of rural Ethiopians. However, the pulling effect of industrialization and urbanization for rural development has not happened, which has caused many difficulties for rural development. Only an integrated field research approach could help us understand these challenges and difficulties and provide solutions.

　　Under this background, the Institute of Sociology cooperates with three distinguished universities of Ethiopia: Addis Ababa Universtiy, Hawassa University and Haramaya University, to conduct field studies in three rural villages in Ethiopia with their help and support. Through dada collection and household interviews, this project is to accumulate research experiences of rural studies in African countries and provide basis for more field studies in Africa in the future. Meanwhile, under the “One Belt, One Road” strategy, the primary data collected by this project may help to understand current challenges and identify topics for future cooperation, which will play important role for policy making. We have completed the first case study, which is Mugoru Kebely (village) of Kambibit Woreda (County), Semien Shewa Zone, Oromia Region. It locates about 80 km northeast to Addis Ababa, and five km away from Sheno township of Kambibit Woreda. We interviewed 17 farmers’ households in Mugoru Kebely, and also conducted interview in local government offices, schools, clinic, church and agricultural extension office. Through these interviews, we have collected primary data and finish our research report. The field work of two additional case studies will be conducted in October of 2019.