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There are two discourses on the feasibility of pastoralists’ livelihoods. The first maintained that pastoralism is
still a feasible approach if suitable development ingenuities link rural households to markets. The second discloses the fact
that pastoral livelihoods are depressed and unviable due to political side-lining, drought, and inadequate institutional support
(markets and education). Consequently, poverty associated with the seasonal fluctuation of income (transient poverty)
remains intense among pastoralists. This study determined factors influencing transient poverty among pastoralists in
Simanjiro District, Tanzania. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design. Purposive and random sampling
techniques were employed to select representative samples. Data collection methods comprised household surveys with 100
Maasai pastoralists, 4 focused group discussions (FGDs), and 20 key informants interviews. The regression model was used
to determine the relationship between poverty and hypothesized-explanatory variables. The findings show that household
heads who had never been to school have a higher likelihood of being trapped in transient poverty (statistically significant at
p<0.05 in logistic regression). The herd size shows a significant effect on transient poverty i.e., the more the herd size the less
likelihood of households being trapped in transient poverty holding other factors constant. Geographical proximity (distance
to markets, water sources, and pasture fields) has a significant effect on transient poverty. The more the distance to markets,
water sources, and pasture fields the higher the likelihood of households being trapped in transient poverty holding other
factors constant. The poverty status of the household is highly associated with the level of physical access to markets, water
sources, and pasture fields. Theoretically, the study contributes at different levels. First, contributes to the role of educational
profile in transient poverty persistence, by showing how returns to education reduce transient poverty likelihood. Second,
contributes to the factors for transient poverty, by showing the effect of geographical proximity on transient poverty. Lastly,
contributes to the role of livelihoods diversification, by showing having multiple livelihoods strategies reduces transient
poverty. |
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