[ Migration internationale des petits métiers: Cas des cordonniers ambulants à Lomé ]
Volume 53, Issue 2, March 2021, Pages 137–148
Koku Avougla1, Komi N’Kere2, and Komla Uwolowudu Amegna3
1 Département de Géographie, Laboratoire Pôle de Recherche et d’Expertise sur la Dynamique des Espaces et des Sociétés (PREDES), Université de Kara, Togo
2 Maître de Conférences, département de Géographie, Université de Lomé, Togo
3 Département de géographie, Université de Kara, Togo
Original language: French
Copyright © 2021 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
International migrations are of great economic and social importance in Africa and affect millions of people every year. However, the lack of statistical data makes it impossible to assess the real extent of the phenomenon and to determine the main characteristics of these migrants. The aim of this article is to determine the socio-demographic characteristics of the itinerant shoemakers in the city of Lomé and the impact of this profession. The methodological approach used was based on documentary research, participant observation and field surveys of a sample of 123 itinerant shoemakers in the Togolese capital. The results of the investigation underline that the target population is mainly from the West African sub-region: Ghanaian nationality (46.30%) followed by Burkinabé (19.50%) while Beninese and Ivorians are much less represented. The respondents are all male and are mainly young adults (66.60% are between 25 and 39 years old). The respondents have a low level of education (52% primary school, 17.10% uneducated). They work more than 10 hours a day and sleep in bus stations (23.90%) or, at best, in overcrowded housing (44.50%). In spite of these uncomfortable living conditions, the job is quite remunerative as more than half of them claim to earn at least 35,000 FCFA per month and 65.90% are already doing some work in their home countries.
Author Keywords: International migration, small trades, itinerant shoemakers, Lomé (Togo).
Volume 53, Issue 2, March 2021, Pages 137–148
Koku Avougla1, Komi N’Kere2, and Komla Uwolowudu Amegna3
1 Département de Géographie, Laboratoire Pôle de Recherche et d’Expertise sur la Dynamique des Espaces et des Sociétés (PREDES), Université de Kara, Togo
2 Maître de Conférences, département de Géographie, Université de Lomé, Togo
3 Département de géographie, Université de Kara, Togo
Original language: French
Copyright © 2021 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
International migrations are of great economic and social importance in Africa and affect millions of people every year. However, the lack of statistical data makes it impossible to assess the real extent of the phenomenon and to determine the main characteristics of these migrants. The aim of this article is to determine the socio-demographic characteristics of the itinerant shoemakers in the city of Lomé and the impact of this profession. The methodological approach used was based on documentary research, participant observation and field surveys of a sample of 123 itinerant shoemakers in the Togolese capital. The results of the investigation underline that the target population is mainly from the West African sub-region: Ghanaian nationality (46.30%) followed by Burkinabé (19.50%) while Beninese and Ivorians are much less represented. The respondents are all male and are mainly young adults (66.60% are between 25 and 39 years old). The respondents have a low level of education (52% primary school, 17.10% uneducated). They work more than 10 hours a day and sleep in bus stations (23.90%) or, at best, in overcrowded housing (44.50%). In spite of these uncomfortable living conditions, the job is quite remunerative as more than half of them claim to earn at least 35,000 FCFA per month and 65.90% are already doing some work in their home countries.
Author Keywords: International migration, small trades, itinerant shoemakers, Lomé (Togo).
Abstract: (french)
Les migrations internationales revêtent une grande importance économique et sociale en Afrique et concernent des millions de personnes chaque année. Toutefois, le manque de données statistiques ne permet pas d’évaluer l’ampleur réelle du phénomène et de déterminer les principales caractéristiques de ces migrants. Le but de cet article est de déterminer les caractéristiques socio-démographiques des cordonniers ambulants dans la ville de Lomé de même que les retombées de leur métier. La démarche méthodologique utilisée s’est basée sur la recherche documentaire, l’observation participante et sur les enquêtes de terrain auprès d’un échantillon de 123 cordonniers ambulants dans la capitale togolaise. Les résultats de l’investigation soulignent que la population cible est originaire principalement de la sous-région ouest africaine: la nationalité ghanéenne (46,30%) suivie des burkinabé (19,50%) alors que les béninois et les ivoiriens sont très moins représentés. Les enquêtés sont tous de sexe masculin et sont composés essentiellement des jeunes adultes (66,60% ont entre 25 et 39 ans). Les personnes interrogées ont un niveau d’instruction faible (52% de niveau primaire, 17,10% de non instruits). Ils travaillent plus de 10 heures par jour et dorment dans les gares routières (23,90%) ou dans le meilleur des cas, dans des logements surpeuplés (44,50%). Malgré ces conditions de vie non confortables, le métier est assez rémunérateur étant donné que plus de la moitié affirme gagner au moins 35000 FCFA par mois et 65,90% ont déjà fait des réalisations dans leurs pays de départ.
Author Keywords: Migration internationale, petits métiers, cordonniers ambulants, Lomé (Togo).
How to Cite this Article
Koku Avougla, Komi N’Kere, and Komla Uwolowudu Amegna, “International migration of small trades: Case of the itinerant shoemakers in Lomé,” International Journal of Innovation and Scientific Research, vol. 53, no. 2, pp. 137–148, March 2021.
