Behind the research: Dorte Thorsen

Over the course of the last 10 years, the Migrating out of Poverty consortium has drawn on the enthusiasm and expertise of many people across the globe. This blog series focuses on the people behind the research, who have kindly shared personal reflections and learning from their experience of working with the consortium.

Dorte has led the programme’s work on gender analysis and qualitative research for five years, working with partners across the consortium to integrate questions about gender dynamics in migration from research design, to analysis, to developing evidence-based material for policy-making and programming.

During this time she has also worked with partners in Bangladesh, Singapore, Ethiopia, Ghana, Senegal and Zimbabwe to understand the different processes of social change that lead to new categories of migrants and, in turn, the social changes generated by the absence of migrants, remittances and return migrants. For the past three years, she has led the Gender and Generations theme, focusing on bringing new angles to the study of migration by looking the impact on family relations, empowerment and equality issues in rural areas of four African countries.

I have truly appreciated working with long-time and new partners across the consortium, developing working relationships that thrived on the sharing of insights from all the research sites.  

Together we have learned a lot about how people deal with absence, and sometimes loss, and about the diverse ways that remittances can change everyday lives and social positions not only of migrants but also of the people back home. We are now sharing our findings with policy makers and civil society in each country as well as international organisations.

The Migrating out of Poverty programme has been a true team effort, and we appreciate the role each individual has played in producing and disseminating the research.

Thank you for all your hard work with the Migrating out of Poverty programme, Dorte!

Behind the research: Alemu Tesfaye

Over the course of the last 10 years, the Migrating out of Poverty consortium has drawn on the enthusiasm and expertise of many people across the globe.

This blog series focuses on the people behind the research, who have kindly shared personal reflections and learning from their experience of working with the consortium. 

Alemu has been working with the Migrating out of Poverty programme since 2017, and is currently working as a Knowledge and ICT Manager at OSSREA, in Ethiopia. Alemu has focused on synthesising research on themes of gender and generations, migration industry, and income and remittances.

When I joined the team as a research communications officer, I had little knowledge of migration and migration research. I learnt a lot about formal and informal means of migration, routes of migration, the gender dynamics of migration and its impact on the household. 

It has added to my experience as a communications officer, boosting my CV and giving me confidence to engage more in the issues of migration and migration research. 

I am proud of being part of this programme, and for being able to produce communication products such as infographics and animated videos, synthesising complex research findings and presenting them in a way that is easy to understand. 

The Migrating out of Poverty programme has been a true team effort, and we appreciate the role each individual has played in producing and disseminating the research.

Thank you for all your hard work with the Migrating out of Poverty programme, Alemu!

Behind the research: Loren Landau

Over the course of the last 10 years, the Migrating out of Poverty consortium has drawn on the enthusiasm and expertise of many people across the globe. This blog series focuses on the people behind the research, who have kindly shared personal reflections and learning from their experience of working with the consortium.

Loren Landau is a Senior Researcher at the African Centre for Migration & Society (ACMS) at Wits University in Johannesburg, and was Director between 2006 to 2014 when the programme was in its early stages.

ACMS was one of the founding members of the consortium.  As an emerging research centre, this was an opportunity to partner with progressive scholars and institutions across the global south. In doing so, it offered a unique opportunity to shape research and policy agendas at multiple scales. By working through productive tensions, the consortium became stronger, the ACMS was able to expand its scope and ambitions, while I gained perspective and insight. 

Whether through my work on local government or overseeing broader questions of labour migration, urbanisation, and the migration industry, the consortium’s successes and shortcomings served as an intense education. Beyond generating empirical insights and knowledge, I – and the consortium –helped lay foundations for ever more critical and constructive consideration of partnerships, in engagement, and in the politics of research beyond the wealthy west. 

It has encouraged me to more deeply explore the formal and informal means of migration management at multiple levels while shifting how I work. Many now speak about south-south partnerships as the future of research. With Migrating out of Poverty we were able to forge and formalise those partnerships more than a decade ago.

The Migrating out of Poverty programme has been a true team effort, and we appreciate the role each individual has played in producing and disseminating the research.

Thank you for all your hard work with the Migrating out of Poverty programme, Loren!

Behind the research: Mohammad Jalal Uddin Sikder

Over the course of the last 10 years, the Migrating out of Poverty consortium has drawn on the enthusiasm and expertise of many people across the globe. This blog series focuses on the people behind the research, who have kindly shared personal reflections and learning from their experience of working with the consortium.

Mohammad Jalal Uddin Sikder serves as an Associate Professor at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB), and worked with the consortium between 2013 and 2016. During this time, he worked on the policy processes theme, focusing on a study of ‘Cross-border movement of the Rohingyas from Burma: Exclusion, vulnerability and survival strategies’. Mohammad also conducted research on ‘Gendered practices of remittance use and the shaping of youth aspiration: A case of Bangladesh’, under the gender and generations research theme. 

The biggest lesson I have learned through my involvement in the programme is a theoretical understanding and explaining on migration, life choices, life chances, vulnerabilities, social inclusion  and exclusion and social resilience. These contribute to an understanding of the ways in which migration and remittances contribute to development and shape social actions and relations in Bangladesh. 

Attending the“Poverty Research Consortium Meeting”, organised by the African Centre for Migration & Society (ACMS) in March 2014 was the most important moment for me because I met the team and could share our knowledge. I learned a lot of enlightening information, particularly about research communications and planning strategies, very important aspects of the project. 

The Migrating out of Poverty programme has allowed me to build a very strong academic and research reputation in Bangladesh, and South Asia. Based on two research papers, I have already published two working papers, two book chapters to Routledge and two policy briefs. I have also received invitations to present research findings in national and international conferences, participated national and international TV talk shows and published comments to national and international newspapers and magazines.     

The Migrating out of Poverty programme has been a true team effort, and we appreciate the role each individual has played in producing and disseminating the research.

Thank you for all your hard work with the Migrating out of Poverty programme, Mohammad!

Behind the research: Benoît Tine

Over the course of the last 10 years, the Migrating out of Poverty consortium has drawn on the enthusiasm and expertise of many people across the globe. This blog series focuses on the people behind the research, who have kindly shared personal reflections and learning from their experience of working with the consortium.

Benoît has worked with the programme as a Researcher at Ziguinchor University (UASZ, Senegal) for two years. Benoît was the research lead on the gender and generations theme in Senegal, and a senior researcher on the migration industry theme.

"Migration, despite appearances, has visible and invisible consequences for households, which are forced to adapt to new situations. Social networks make it possible to experience marriage differently (e-conjugality); monogamy seems to have taken over and migrants, without forgetting their relatives, are more aware because "travelling" is a school of life. 

The Migrating out of Poverty research programme has enabled me to establish regular contacts with many researchers on several continents over a long period of time. Socialisation and comparing our research have made it possible to create a real dynamic, that is not about to stop, but is opening doors to a promising future."

The Migrating out of Poverty programme has been a true team effort, and we appreciate the role each individual has played in producing and disseminating the research.

Thank you for all your hard work with the Migrating out of Poverty programme, Benoît!

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En français

Au cours des 10 dernières années, le consortium 'Migrating out of Poverty' a utilisé l'enthousiasme et l'expertise de nombreuses personnes à travers le monde. Cette série de blogues se concentre sur les gens derrières la recherche, qui nous ont partagé des réflexions personelles et apprentissages de l'expérience de travail avec le programme. 

Benoît travaille avec le programme comme chercheur a l'UASZ (Sénégal) depuis deux ans. Benoît est chercheur en chef du projet genre et génération au Sénégal et chercheur senior dans le projet  sur l'industrie de la migration.

"La migration contrairement aux apparences entrainent des conséquences visibles et invisibles dans les ménages qui sont ainsi obligés de s’adapter à la nouvelle donne. Les réseaux sociaux permettent de vivre le mariage autrement (e-conjugalité); la monogamie semble avoir prendre le dessus et les migrants sans oublier leurs proches sont plus avertis parce que « voyager » est une école de la vie.

La recherche m’a permis d’entrer en relation de façon régulière, pendant une longue période avec des dizaines de chercheurs établis sur plusieurs continents. La socialisation, les  comparaisons de nos recherches,  ont permis de créer une véritable dynamique qui n’est pas prête de s’arrêter mais ouvre des portes sur des lendemains prometteurs."

Le programme 'Migrating out of Poverty' est un véritable travail d'équipe, et nous apprécions le rôle joué par chaque individuel dans la production et la diffusion de recherche. 

Merci pour votre travail acharné avec le programme 'Migrating out of Poverty', Benoît!

Behind the research: Thea de Gruchy

Over the course of the last 10 years, the Migrating out of Poverty consortium has drawn on the enthusiasm and expertise of many people across the globe. This blog series focuses on the people behind the research, who have kindly shared personal reflections and learning from their experience of working with the consortium.

Thea worked with the Migrating out of Poverty programme from 2015-2016 as part of her work with the African Centre for Migration and Society at the University of Witwatersrand, focusing on trafficking, gender and migration, and policy. Thea has just finished her PhD and will soon be starting a position at the ACMS as a postdoctoral researcher.

"The programme was the first research project I worked on after my Masters and was a critical step in deciding to undertake a PhD.   

The biggest lesson I learned from my involvement with the programme was the importance of collaboration across contexts. I'm most proud of bringing together researchers from Bangladesh, Singapore, South Africa and the UK, in Johannesburg in 2016."

The Migrating out of Poverty programme has been a true team effort, and we appreciate the role each individual has played in producing and disseminating the research.

Thank you for all your hard work with the Migrating out of Poverty programme, Thea!

Behind the research: Rozana Rashid

Over the course of the last 10 years, the Migrating out of Poverty consortium has drawn on the enthusiasm and expertise of many people across the globe. This blog series focuses on the people behind the research, who have kindly shared personal reflections and learning from their experience of working with the consortium.

Rozana is a Professor at the Department of International Relations, University of Dhaka who worked with Migrating out of Poverty between 2014 and 2016. During this time, she was the lead researcher on the study Gendered practices of remittance use and the shaping of youth aspirations: A case study of Bangladesh conducted under the Intra-Household-Dynamics research theme.

“The biggest lesson I learned through my involvement in Migrating out of Poverty is that migration brings significant transformation in the social and public discourses and practices. These may contribute not only to better understand the context, but also to make useful interventions so that all groups in the society benefit from migration, 
irrespective of their different abilities.   

Migrating out of Poverty has had a sustained and long-term impact on my academic and professional career as it provided me with the opportunity to develop my expertise on (previously unexplored) intra-household dynamics of migrant households. This later helped me write and publish two working papers, a book chapter and a policy brief and share the findings with academia, migration stakeholders and media in conferences and workshops at home and abroad.”

The Migrating out of Poverty programme has been a true team effort, and we appreciate the role each individual has played in producing and disseminating the research.

Thank you for all your hard work with the Migrating out of Poverty programme, Rozana!

Behind the research: Kudakwashe P. Vanyoro

Over the course of the last 10 years, the Migrating out of Poverty consortium has drawn on the enthusiasm and expertise of many people across the globe. This blog series focuses on the people behind the research, who have kindly shared personal reflections and learning from their experience of working with the consortium.

Kuda started out working with Migrating out of Poverty back in 2014 as a Communications Intern with the African Centre for Migration & Society (ACMS). He is now Research Communications Officer and studying for a PhD. In his 5 years with the programme he worked across almost all the research themes.

“The internship programme for me was just the stepping stone I needed to get into migration studies. I am now pursuing my PhD and academic career in migration studies, which would have not been possible without this opportunity. 

My proudest moment has been producing evidence to engage policy makers in South Africa for many years to come.”

The Migrating out of Poverty programme has been a true team effort, and we appreciate the role each individual has played in producing and disseminating the research.

Thank you for all your hard work with the Migrating out of Poverty programme, Kuda!

Behind the research: Anne-Meike Fechter

Over the course of the last 10 years, the Migrating out of Poverty consortium has drawn on the enthusiasm and expertise of many people across the globe. This blog series focuses on the people behind the research, who have kindly shared personal reflections and learning from their experience of working with the consortium.

Anne-Meike Fechter has worked for the Migrating out of Poverty programme since 2017, as a Reader in Anthropology at the University of Sussex, working on the theme of gender and generations, focusing on Ghana.

“The Migrating out of Poverty programme has been continuously shaping the way we teach on our Master’s course on ‘Migration and Global Development’. 

The biggest lesson I’ve learnt from the programme is that long-term policy changes that work for migrants require patience and persistence. It’s been a privilege to sharing insights from so many engaged researchers across countries.”

The Migrating out of Poverty programme has been a true team effort, and we appreciate the role each individual has played in producing and disseminating the research.

Thank you for all your hard work with the Migrating out of Poverty programme, Anne-Meike!

Behind the research: Adamnesh Bogale

Over the course of the last 10 years, the Migrating out of Poverty consortium has drawn on the enthusiasm and expertise of many people across the globe. This blog series focuses on the people behind the research, who have kindly shared personal reflections and learning from their experience of working with the consortium. 

Adamnesh, an Assistant Professor at the College of Social Sciences, School of Social Work at Addis Ababa University, has worked with Migrating out of Poverty for seven years as a partner researcher. Adamnesh has worked on cash transfers, rural out-migration and urban settlements, and gender and generational dynamics.

“Social forces are transforming how research gets done, and the programme has been investigating these social forces through the lens of migration. It has urged me become more agile, to investigate the new realities of migration, and re-investigate past realities.  

Working with the team in the Migrating out of Poverty programme enabled me to double check my thoughts as I work, and be detail-oriented, especially considering cultural differences the partner countries involved in the project.   

I am most proud of producing valuable materials for public knowledge, primarily for the profession, testing past theories and developing new ones to find answers to questions in migration and advance knowledge.” 

The Migrating out of Poverty programme has been a true team effort, and we appreciate the role each individual has played in producing and disseminating the research.

Thank you for all your hard work with the Migrating out of Poverty programme, Adamnesh!