Contribution of bodaboda business towards Poverty alleviation among youths in Tanzania: A case of Kirumba Ward; Ilemela District, Mwanza Region.
Bodaboda business has become a popular segment for creating employment for many young people, thus changing the face of rural-urban areas transport services in Tanzania. The contribution of young people in any country’s economic, social, cultural and environmental development is crucial. The study aimed at assessing the contribution of bodaboda business towards poverty alleviation among youth in Tanzania. The study had three research objectives as follows; first to examine the income of Bodaboda riders as they engage themselves in Bodaboda business. Secondly, to determine the contribution of bodaboda to other economic activities in Kirumba ward and lastly to identify the influence of the bodaboda ownership structure among youths in Kirumba Ward. The study adopted a quantitative approach. The study population was 784, where by 265 samples were selected using simple random sampling was used to select bodaboda riders who were provided with questionnaires. Data were analysed using SPSS using version 26. The study results found that all the predictors significantly influence poverty alleviation. The findings revealed a positive and significant relationship between bodaboda income, the contribution of bodaboda to other business activities and the influence of bodaboda ownership on poverty alleviation. The study concluded that bodaboda businesses improve the welfare of riders and, hence, poverty alleviation. Further research is needed to understand the underlying causes of gender distribution and work towards a more balanced participation in the bodaboda industry, as it was found that no women were involved in this business industry in Kirumba.
Keywords: Bodaboda business, Income, other economic activities, ownership structure, Kirumba Ward
