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The shortage of entrepreneurial mind sets and innovative behaviour among youth have lowered youth engage in effective and productive entrepreneurial activities, thus hindering sustainable development of not only the youths but also the country at large. Youths aged 15 – 24 represent a significant and growing portion of the population around the globe, hence, helping them to acquire entrepreneurial mind sets and innovative behaviour will engage them in agricultural activities and reduce rural urban migration problem. The main objective of the paper is to identify the ways to foster entrepreneurial mind sets and innovative behaviour to rural youths in Mtwara region, Tanzania. Specifically, the study aimed at identifying the benefits of entrepreneurship to youths in Mtwara region; to identify the constraints facing youths in adopting entrepreneurial mind sets and innovative behaviour and propose strategies on how youths can adopt entrepreneurial mind sets and innovative behaviour. The study employed exploratory research design. In-depth
interview focus group discussions were conducted with a total of 36 participants. The interviews were built around various themes including the benefits of entrepreneurship to youths, the constraints facing youths in adopting entrepreneurial mind sets and innovative behaviour; and the strategies on how to overcome the identified constraints. Qualitative thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The findings reveal numerous constraints categorized as cognitive, normative, and regulatory. To overcome the identified constraints, various strategies were proposed, including, family involvement in shaping and inculcating entrepreneurial mind sets and innovative behaviour from childhood, the social influence on the issues of culture, traditions and beliefs should also be looked at, regulations, laws, rules set by government and institutions should inculcate and foster youths’ entrepreneurial mind-sets |
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