Haleluya Tesfaye Kicks Off IFPRI-Ethiopia Seminar Series with Insightful Research on Rural Poverty
On November 29, 2024, Haleluya Tesfaye, a Research Officer at IFPRI’s Ethiopia office, made the first presentation on the IFPRI-Ethiopia Internal Seminar Series with an impactful presentation titled "Economic Lives of the Poor in Rural Ethiopia." Her research utilized panel household datasets from the Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) and Feed the Future (FtF) surveys conducted between 2010 and 2021. Through these rich datasets, Haleluya examined the well-being and economic behaviors of rural Ethiopian households, shedding light on the challenges faced by the country’s poorest populations.
The study employed two approaches to identify poor households. First, it categorized households in the bottom 10% of the consumption expenditure distribution as poor, a group representing 10% of the population in both PSNP and FtF datasets. Second, it used the national poverty line to classify households with annual total expenditures below this threshold as poor. By analyzing these groups, Haleluya’s presentation offered valuable insights into the dynamics of poverty, exploring its persistence, the impact of social protection programs, and the coping strategies adopted by rural households.
Haleluya’s presentation sparked lively discussions among her colleagues, who appreciated her rigorous methodology and thoughtful analysis. The session highlighted the importance of evidence-based research in informing policies that address rural poverty and improve livelihoods. It was mentioned by participants that it's a good start for IFPRI-Ethiopia team to share ideas between colleagues and reinforce its commitment to advancing knowledge and fostering collaboration on Ethiopia's most pressing development challenges.