"In this new work on the geography of poverty, David Rain dispels the notion that relentless human mobility is a byproduct of western technological advances like superhighways and airports. Every year, after the rainy season ends in the arid West African Sahel, hundreds of thousands of men and women leave their villages to work in the informal economies of West African cities.

These migrants, called masu cin rani in Hausa, or "those who eat the dry season," travel after their crops are harvested in order to conserve household food supplies and earn money, which is funneled back to their villages of origin. These "eaters" come from all walks of life, though they are more commonly poor and live by their wits."--BOOK JACKET.

"This book focuses on the activities of the seasonal migrants, persisting as they have through colonial and postcolonial changes and constituting an important response to uncertainty in the region. Based on a combination of survey-interviews and geographic analyses, the book regards the migrants as practical people who are simply making the best of what has been dealt to them.

It will challenge laypeople as well as scholars and policymakers to consider how people respond to global changes in the next century, especially for the billions who are labeled "poor.""--BOOK JACKET.