RESETTLEMENT AND ITS CONTRIBUTION TO THE CASE OF GECHI WOREDA CHATE RESETTLEMENT SITE, ILU ABA BORA ZONE, OROMIA REGIONAL STATE RESETTLEMENT AND ITS CONTRIBUTION TO LIVELIHOOD IMPROVEMENT:

Abstract

Abstract Resettlement program is one of the development strategy designed and implemented by the existing government in Ethiopia. Gechi Woreda is one of Woreda in Ilu Aba Bora Zone in Oromia Regional State, in which resettlement program was undertaken to improve the living conditions of the settlers. The study was conducted to assess Contribution of Resettlement on the Livelihood Improvement in Gechi Woreda, at Chate Resettlement Site. To convey information, both primary and secondary data were used. A total of 171 sample respondents were sampled to fill questionnaires by using simple random sampling technique and interviewees were purposely selected from concerned bodies those have detail ideas on the issue. The collected data were analyzed using frequency, percentages and mean and finally each data were interpreted qualitatively. All settlers were voluntarily settled, 56.2% of the populations are educated, 76.02% and 45.6% were respectively used firewood and animal residuals before resettlement where 58.47%, 52.63%, and 23.39% were users of firewood, animal residuals and solar energy respectively after resettlement. It was found that, 88.3% of the respondents had access to credit service after resettlement, 67.3% of population in the study areas were living in house made of mud walls and tin roofed, 56.1% were users of hand water pump, mean land holding of settlers were 2.91 hectares per household, the average income of the settlers reached 3564.80 in birr per month after the program and mean production per hectare on the basis of before resettlement was 8.83 quintal per hectare after resettlement. Finally recommendations were given: family size of the settlers should be in consideration by the stakeholders, relationship among settlers and local communities should be encouraged, the efforts of the government bodies and families are must in order to increase educational level of settlers, adopting different types of livelihood strategies, use of different ways of savings should be cultured.