This study considers the poverty and growth experience in six villages in Ethiopia from 1989-1995. It focuses on the linkages among economic reform, growth, and changes in poverty. This study also stresses the impact of shocks on households and the need for social protection measures in a poverty reduction strategy. This book is part of a series of studies completed under the Poverty Dynamics in Africa Initiative designed to make use of the vastly improved household survey data in Africa. This series intends to enhance understanding of poverty trends in the region, and to frame more successful poverty-reducing policies for the future.