Disabled beggars in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

This study brings together qualitative and quantitative data to better understand the lives of people with disabilities who beg in Ethiopia. It sets out to provide an initial understanding of the lives of disabled beggars with particular emphasis on determining social and economic factors, and sequences of events or patterns of behaviour that are common to people with disabilities who now work as beggars. Chapter 3 provides an overview of the demographic characteristics of the survey respondents, including their education and vocational training levels and work history. Additional attention was directed to identifying possible areas of intervention that might sever the links between disability and poverty. The study yielded an intriguing set of results that identify: the complex set of issues with which disabled beggars grapple; a series of points where targeted intervention by governments, UN agencies, NGOs and disabled people's organizations could help break the on-going cycle of disability and poverty; and choices that lead some men and women with disabilities to beg. The study contains recommendations for policy, programming and areas for further research.