Rural Public Infrastructures and Livelihood Outcomes: The Case of Rural Households in Kersa District, Jimma Zone

Abstract

Public infrastructures such as roads, agricultural extension services, electricity, ICT,protected water sources, irrigation,formal education centers, and formal health centersare essential for economy and society to operate properly. They have irreplaceable role in the improvement of rural people‟s livelihood outcomes. The general objective ofthis studyis to examine the possible effect of rural public infrastructures on the rural households‟ livelihood outcomes. The empirical assessments elsewhere in Ethiopia and the circumstances on the rural livelihood in association with public infrastructures have conferred the paucity of sociological research. The assumptions of activity theory deployed to carry out the analysis of concepts, facts and themes. This study used the pragmatist research philosophy that advocates ontological and epistemological mixes in an effort to minimize the gaps noted on the empirical knowledge. Accordingly, the research strategy employs the triangulation of quantitative and qualitative approaches. As mirror to the methodological triangulation, the analysis has followed a convergent design that combines descriptive and inferential techniques with the themes emerging through qualitative explorations. Cross-tabulation descriptive statistics and binary and multinomial logistic regression were employed.Consequently, the findings of the research revealed that public infrastructures have a significant influence on selected livelihood bases, livelihood diversification strategies, and components of livelihood outcomes. Specifically, there were significant associations whereby households who have an access to assumed infrastructures did more likely improve their livelihood assets, engage in mixed livelihood diversification strategies, feel as a livelihood outcomes components (food security, job opportunities, adequate house, contacting and consulting formal health professionals) are being improved and feel as a social capital such as (respecting each other, trusting each other and helping each other) are decreasing than households who don‟t haveaccess to respective rural public infrastructures. Thus, by including cultural elements of local people, responsible bodies should increase the required resources for the purpose of upgrading and managing public infrastructures particularly on all-weather roads.