Spatial diversity of households’ participation in poverty reduction programmes in Tanzania: a case of Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF)
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Date
2015
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Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
Most development policies emphasize on households‟ participation in poverty reduction
programmes to achieve poverty reduction outcomes. However, many studies argue that
most of the participatory programmes adopted in Tanzania are ineffective. One of the
major reasons for ineffectiveness is spatial diversity of households‟ participation in
poverty reduction programmes. Unfortunately, none of such studies have identified the
level and factors and effects of spatial diversity of household participation in poverty
reduction programmes. With this regard the study aimed to: identify levels of spatial
diversity on households‟ participation, examine the variation in spatial diversity of
household participation in poverty reduction programmes, identify factors influencing
spatial diversity of household participation and analyze influence of spatial diversity of
households‟ participation in poverty reduction. The study involved a sample of 480
households from three districts namely: Rungwe, Mvomero and Bahi. Descriptive and
inferential data analysis techniques were applied. The findings revealed that districts have
significant variations in terms of socio-economic, such as: income, education, household
size, services factors such as access to food, access to water, access to health services and
access to education and physical factors such as agglomeration cost advantage, land
resource, pasture, climate, distance to project area have showed a significant variation.
On the other hand very few aspects or socio-economic factors namely: income and
education, service factors such as: access to food, access to water, and access to health
services and physical factors such as land resource, pasture and distance to project area
were found to have a significant influence on households‟ participation in poverty
reduction programmes. Also the study findings revealed that households‟ participation in
poverty reduction programmes has significant influence on poverty reduction. Based on
the findings number of policy measures and actions were recommended. These include:
the need to change participatory system1 that accommodates vulnerable people whoiii
cannot afford to contribute cash, material and labour. It is recommended that poverty
reduction programmes must design integrated participatory strategies able to
accommodate spatial differences in terms of socio-economic, service and physical
factors. The study recommends that socio-economic, service and physical factors should
be taken into consideration when designing and implementing poverty reduction
programmes.
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Keywords
poverty reduction, household poverty, development policies, TASAF, Tanzania