Hearing the village call?

Bright city lights? Not really. But migration continues apace worldwide, for many reasons. Much of it is internal, rather than between countries. In Bangladesh (photo) and Senegal, the capital cities continue to attract numerous migrants from rural areas. We interviewed a number of them in Dhaka and Dakar. Few have put down roots there; most hope to return to their villages.

City life presents many challenges. But that's only part of the story. We also listened to farmers who have chosen to stay in the countryside. In both Bangladesh and Senegal, they see good reasons to do so. However, more business opportunities are required to increase the attractiveness of rural life for the young generation in farming communities. Which is a daily focus of our Foundation's activities. 

The results of our interviews are now available as a paper. We've written it with the help of a human rights campaigner. Here's "Back to the village? Motivations for leaving and prospects for return". Let us know what you think.