Rural youth in northern Zambia: straddling the rural-urban divide
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Book chapter › Research › peer-review
Standard
Rural youth in northern Zambia: straddling the rural-urban divide. / Birch-Thomsen, Torben.
Young entrepreneurs in sub-Saharan Africa. ed. / Katherine Gough; Thilde Langevang. Abingdon, Oxon; New York, NY : Routledge, 2016. p. 146-158 10 (Routledge spaces of childhood and youth series).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Book chapter › Research › peer-review
Harvard
APA
Vancouver
Author
Bibtex
}
RIS
TY - CHAP
T1 - Rural youth in northern Zambia: straddling the rural-urban divide
AU - Birch-Thomsen, Torben
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - The Northern Province of Zambia – one of the poorest in the country – is physically and psychologically located far from the capital of Lusaka in the south.The province is dominated by vast areas of woodland (miombo) with inherentlylow soil fertility and a relatively low population density. The main source oflivelihood has traditionally been a subsistence-based shifting cultivation systemknown as chitemene (Strømgaard, 1985; Trapnell, 1943). Rural youth in theNorthern Province tend to have poor education opportunities and have generallyengaged in subsistence agriculture. As is widely reported for sub-SaharanAfrica, young people are increasingly turning their backs on agriculture, seeing it as an occupation that is back-breaking and only fit for old people (FAO, 2014).The aim of this chapter is to explore the livelihood strategies and aspirationsof young people living in a rural area of northern Zambia, in particular toexamine their decision to either stay in or leave their village. Their strategies areshown to fall into three categories: farming in the village, setting up a businessin the village (combined with farming), or migrating to set up a business elsewhere. The chapter shows how, contrary to the trend in much of sub-SaharanAfrica, many young people are choosing to stay in their rural villages and engagein farming. This is partly due to the availability of land and government programmes that have been introduced to stimulate agriculture. Increasingly,however, young people are not relying solely on farming, but are also engagingin nonfarm activities. Some young people are shown to be highly entrepreneurial,managing to set up and run businesses despite facing constant and changingchallenges. Whether they are based in the village or in the nearby small town,most youth engage in livelihood strategies that cross the rural–urban divide.
AB - The Northern Province of Zambia – one of the poorest in the country – is physically and psychologically located far from the capital of Lusaka in the south.The province is dominated by vast areas of woodland (miombo) with inherentlylow soil fertility and a relatively low population density. The main source oflivelihood has traditionally been a subsistence-based shifting cultivation systemknown as chitemene (Strømgaard, 1985; Trapnell, 1943). Rural youth in theNorthern Province tend to have poor education opportunities and have generallyengaged in subsistence agriculture. As is widely reported for sub-SaharanAfrica, young people are increasingly turning their backs on agriculture, seeing it as an occupation that is back-breaking and only fit for old people (FAO, 2014).The aim of this chapter is to explore the livelihood strategies and aspirationsof young people living in a rural area of northern Zambia, in particular toexamine their decision to either stay in or leave their village. Their strategies areshown to fall into three categories: farming in the village, setting up a businessin the village (combined with farming), or migrating to set up a business elsewhere. The chapter shows how, contrary to the trend in much of sub-SaharanAfrica, many young people are choosing to stay in their rural villages and engagein farming. This is partly due to the availability of land and government programmes that have been introduced to stimulate agriculture. Increasingly,however, young people are not relying solely on farming, but are also engagingin nonfarm activities. Some young people are shown to be highly entrepreneurial,managing to set up and run businesses despite facing constant and changingchallenges. Whether they are based in the village or in the nearby small town,most youth engage in livelihood strategies that cross the rural–urban divide.
UR - https://www.routledge.com/products/9781138844599
M3 - Book chapter
SN - 978-1-138-84459-9
T3 - Routledge spaces of childhood and youth series
SP - 146
EP - 158
BT - Young entrepreneurs in sub-Saharan Africa
A2 - Gough, Katherine
A2 - Langevang, Thilde
PB - Routledge
CY - Abingdon, Oxon; New York, NY
ER -
ID: 158576891