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To inform the next version of the United States Agency for International Development Tanzania Mission (USAID/Tanzania) Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) (2020–2025), the Mission contracted Data for Development to conduct a youth assessment to identify opportunities for a more strategic engagement of youth in shaping Tanzania’s journey to self-reliance. This youth assessment aims to capture youth (15–35 years old) goals, priorities, challenges (including short-term impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19] pandemic), and assets to identify effective programs, organizations, geographic gaps, and partnerships supporting youth to reach their full potential.
The purpose of the assessment was to answer five research questions:
What are the Government of Tanzania (GOT) policies, strategies, and interventions related to young adults ages 15–35? How do these respond to the needs and aspirations of the youth?
What are the current ongoing youth-focused interventions of development partners (DPs), civil society organizations (CSOs), and the private sector? How do these respond to the needs and aspirations of youth? Where are the gaps in available efforts or in their geographic coverage?
What are the enabling factors and barriers for youth in developing life skills and accessing health, education,1 and other services, and what could be considered as an opportunity?
What are the existing economic opportunities for youth and their potential for growth? What are the barriers to youth employment (including mobility, accessibility, and skills match)? What entrepreneurial activities or available job opportunities are youth most interested in pursuing?
How do youth engage in civic activities, including political participation? What are the motivations, opportunities, and barriers (economic, legal, technological, or other) for young adults’ civic and political engagement/participation?
The assessment used a Positive Youth Development (PYD) lens to better understand the status, aspirations, and challenges of Tanzanian youth in their journey from adolescence to adulthood, a transition that includes starting a productive working life, developing a healthy lifestyle, and exercising citizenship. This overview presents assessment findings that emerged from interviews and telephone and Internet- based surveys conducted between March and July 2020. The assessment consisted of a desk review, 28 key informant interviews (KIIs), a telephone survey with 250 youth, and an Internet-based survey with 92 youth entrepreneurs, CSOs working with youth, higher-learning institutions, and employers.
Overall, the assessment affirms that young people in Tanzania (ages 15–35) envision self-sufficiency achieved through economic independence and the ability to provide for and support their families through employment, self-employment, and entrepreneurship. Tanzanian youth increasingly recognize that formal- sector jobs are rare and out of reach, and they need to build their own pathway to self-reliance through self-employment and entrepreneurship. The results of the assessment provide insights into different youth cohorts, including vulnerable youth and their experiences accessing education and health services, starting families, finding employment, running businesses, spending their free time, feeling safe/unsafe, and engaging civically and politically.
The study of assessing youth participation in decision making for economic development was conducted in the Urban West Region of Zanzibar. The objectives of the study were to investigate youth involvement in the decision making process in the economic programs in Zanzibar; to examine the factors that constrain youth participation in the economic development of Zanzibar; and to analyse existing government policies on youth participation in the economic development of Zanzibar. A quantitative research method was adapted to collect and analyse primary data from respondents. Data was collected from 181 respondents using a structural questionnaire. Data was statistically analysed by using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) and was represented in the form of frequencies and tabulations. The key findings revealed that youths are neither participating nor involved in decision making in economic development programs as a majority. On the other hand, 105 (58%) of respondents said that youths are not involved in decision making. 71 (40%) of respondents said that lack of information accessibility is a challenge to youth participation in decision making. And lastly, the majority 96 (53%) of respondents also said that a low level of education is a hindering factor for youth participation. The findings also revealed that the majority of the respondents 149 (82%) agreed that the participation of youths will influence an effective outcome in economic development; 96 (53%) of the respondents agreed that, low level of education is the major factor that hinders youth participation in economic development programs; and the majority of respondents 59 (33%) disagreed that policies do not address youth participation in decision making. The study recommends that, the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar should invest much on youth for sustainability economic development programs so as to avoid joblessness in the nation that results in substance abuse, the Urban West Region of Zanzibar should use the allocated funds to mobilise and sensitise youth participation in economic development projects that directly affect their lives and the existing national youth policy should be reviewed to consider the participation of youths in decision making for the economic development programs in Zanzibar.
Keywords: Youth participation; decision making, economic development.
