Indigenous Knowledge, Children and Families, Elderly, Gender, Peace and Conflict Studies, Disability, Migration, Drug addiction

East Africa (Ethiopia)

Wario Wako is a doctoral researcher at the University of Zurich, Department of Social Anthropology and Cultural Studies (ISEK). He is a part of a project entitled “Saving Brains? Applying Ethnography to Early Childhood Interventions in the Global South” under the supervision of Professor Gabriel Scheidecker. He is a senior lecturer and researcher at Jimma University, School of Social Work, Ethiopia. He secured his BA degree in social work from Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia) in 2017 and his MA in social work from Jimma University (Ethiopia) in 2020. Being an inspiring young researcher, Wario has served as principal investigator (PI) and co-investigator in various research projects and produced many research publications in reputable journals.

Research Project:

Saving Brains? Applying Ethnography to Early Childhood Interventions in the Global South

1. Wako, W., Chala, D. G., Gemede, N. J., & Ero, D. (2023). Indigenous Social Protection Mechanism: The Practices and Challenges of Buusaa-Gonofaa in the Borana Oromo, Southern Ethiopia. The Journal of Rural and Community Development, 18(4), 84–102.
2. Wario Wako, Firehiwot Jabessa, Hunde Doja, and Nega Jibat. (2022). Agents and Strategies of Children’s Socialization in the Gadaa System of Borana Oromo, Southern Ethiopia. Ethiopian Journal of Social Sciences and Language Studies, 9. (1), 101-112.
3. Wako, W. and Gebru, A. (2022). Growing up under corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the impacts on children’s socialization in Jimma City, Southwest Ethiopia. African Journal of Social Work, 12(5), 214-222
4. Wario Wako and Alemayehu Gebru (2021). Indigenous Elderly Care Practice in the GadaaSystem of Borana Oromo, Southern Ethiopia.
5. Wario Wako and Alemayehu Gebru (2020). Exploring the Role of Social Work in Correctional Setting: Jimma Zone Correctional Centre, Ethiopia. Ethiopian Journal of Social Sciences and Language Studies, 7 (2), 61-70.
6. Alemayehu Gebru and Wario Wako (2022). Walking the theories we talk: Utilizing African social work theories in African research. African Journal of Social Work, 12(4), 189-198.
7. Wario Wako, Obsitu Duba, and Nega Jibat. (2023). “It was a Grave Where a Person is Buried Alive”: Experiences of Oromo Political Prisoners under the Criminal Justice System of Ethiopia during the EPRDF. Ethiopian Journal of Social Sciences and Language StudiesVol. 10 .No.2, pp. 1 4 5 - 1 61.
8. Gebru, A. and Wako, W. (2021). Female university students lived experiences of COVID- 19 lockdown: the case of Jimma University, Southwest Ethiopia. Journal of Development Administration (JDA), 6(3), 97 - 105.
9. Fekede (PhD), A., Gemechu (PhD), P. D., Godesso (PhD), A., Firaol Tafese, Wako, wario, & Musa, B. (2024). Oromoo Concept of Peace: An Exploration of its Values and Guiding Mechanisms. Gadaa Journal, 7(1), 136-152.
10. Wako, W., Jabessa, F., Doja, H., & Jibat, N. (2023). Children’s Socialization in the Cultural Context of the Borana Oromo: Its Values and Features. East African Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 8(2), 69-78.
11. Gebru, A., Wako, W., Doja, H., & Taye, A. (2024). The Role of Community in Managing Crisis of COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia. International Journal of Emerging Issues in Social Science, Arts and Humanities (IJEISSAH), 2(2), 11-21.