Exploring participatory communication implemented to improve the livelihood of rural Ethiopia

The study aimed to explore how participatory communication can be used as an instrument for interventions enhancing agricultural production to improve the livelihoods of rural people, specifically examining the nature of participatory approaches in the Ethiopian agricultural sector. With the loss of faith in prior top-down approaches, stakeholders have increasingly tried participatory communication. An exploratory qualitative design using focus group discussions and in-depth interviews was applied; data were transcribed, coded, and thematically analyzed. Findings indicate that, if properly implemented, participatory communication is considered instrumental by development agents and agricultural experts for mobilizing communities. However, current routines constrain agents and experts from using participatory approaches; farmers are not given sufficient time due to limited interaction and communication on agricultural issues, and there is no ongoing, programmed, frequent contact between farmers and development agents. Communication between development agents and higher-level experts remains primarily top-down, with provincial and regional experts relying on monthly paper reports rather than regular field visits. There is no practical obligation grounded in consensus that ensures farmers, development agents, and experts perform duties on time with maximum effort, and no dialogical sessions are available for community discussion. The study suggests multilevel, inclusive interventions in rural agriculture.

Hailemesekel Zewedie Gebeyehu, Yohannes Shiferaw Jira