Browsing by Author "Mbwambo, Jonathan S."

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Credit characteristics and business performance: a survey of women owned microenterprises in Tanzania
(Asian Business Consortium | ABR, 2014) Salia, Paul J.; Mbwambo, Jonathan S.
This article provides assessment of the effects of four credit characteristics including size, interest rate, repayment period and borrowing experience on business performance. The article makes use of survey data collected from 217 women microcredit clients from Arusha, Dar es Salaam and Mwanza regions in Tanzania. Bivariate correlation analysis was used to find out specific effect of each of those four credit characteristics on three business performance measures namely total sales revenue, net profit and business net worth. The combined effect of all four credit characteristics on business performance was estimated by a multiple linear regression model. The findings revealed that size of credit was positively correlated with total sales revenue and business net worth at significant level. Interest rate was negatively correlated with all three measures of business performance at significant level. It was also found out that repayment period was positively correlated with all three business performance indicators at significant level. Furthermore, the study established that borrowing experience was positively correlated with total sales revenue at significant level but not with other two indicators. The model accounted for 25% of sales revenue, 9% of net profit and 28% of business net worth.
Does microcredit make any difference on borrowers’ businesses? evidences from a survey of women owned microenterprises in Tanzania
(International Journal of Social Sciences and Entrepreneurship, 2014) Salia, Paul J.; Mbwambo, Jonathan S.
The objective of this paper is to examine whether participation in microcredit has any effect on the performance of women owned microenterprises in Tanzania. To that end, the article utilized survey data collected by use of questionnaire from a total 217 borrowers and 183 non-borrowers in three major cities in Tanzania including Arusha, Dar es Salaam and Mwanza. The study found out that businesses of borrowers were performing significantly better than those of non-borrowers on total sales revenue and business net worth. Although mean net profit for borrowers was higher than non-borrowers, the difference was not statistically significant. The paper concludes that microcredit is a useful tool to alleviate poverty among women through income generation resulting from their involvement in microenterprise activities. It further calls for consorted efforts by responsible government agencies and commercial banks to scale up outreach of microcredit services to women through, among other initiatives, provision of financial and technical support to member- based savings and credit associations.
Gender and adaptation practices to the effects of climate change in Bahi and Kondoa Districts Dodoma Region, Tanzania
(Canadian Center of Science and Education, 2012) Swai, Okuli W.; Mbwambo, Jonathan S.; Magayane, Flavianus T.
Climate change has different effects between men and women, but disaggregated data by gender to realize specific adaptation practices undertaken by men and women in Tanzania are scarce. To fill part of the information gap, this study analyzed adaptation practices to the effects of climate change by gender in Bahi and Kondoa Districts Dodoma region, Tanzania. The study also analyzed perception of climate change and identified elements influencing adaptation practices. A sample of 360 respondents, 12 focus groups of discussants and 78 key informants were consulted. Analysis involved descriptive statistics for quantitative data and content analysis for qualitative data. Results showed that women were more devoted to adaptation practices that enabled them to adapt to or reduce hunger/food, water and firewood shortages while men were more devoted to adaptation practices that enabled them to adapt to or reduce effects of climate change on crops, livestock and environment. The corrected Rao-Scott chi-square (χ c2 ) test showed significant association between adaptation practices implemented by respondents and sex, revealing that undertaken adaptation practices varied by sex. Respondents perceived climate change and managed to identify adaptation practices undertaken to manage climate change effects. The findings can be used to improve/formulate appropriate adaptation practices to manage climate change problems in agriculture sector. The study recommends systematic collection of in-depth information of this kind at the community level in other areas of Dodoma Region, Tanzania and the LDCs in order for the policy makers to design and implement appropriate interventions to manage climate change problems.
Inter-annual anomaly and seasonal variability of rainfall and temperature in selected Semi-arid Areas of Tanzania
(2012) Kabote, Samwel J.; Mamiro, Delphina; Synnevåg, Gry; Urassa, Justin K.; Mattee, Amon Z.; Mbwambo, Jonathan S.; Nombo, Carolyne I.; Masolwa, Leah W.; Chingonikaya, Emanuel E.
Although climate variability and change are not new phenomena in semi-arid areas, their trends may change over time. Using data from Tanzania Meteorological Agency (TMA) during the interval 2003 -2011, this paper examined inter-annual anomaly (deviation from long term mean) and seasonal variability of rainfall and temperature in Iramba and Meatu Districts. Results showed no significant increase (P>0.05) of inter-annual rainfall variability. Nonetheless, a considerable shift of heavy rains was evident in Iramba District. In both districts there was a shift of months with the most rain. In addition, considerable rainfall and temperature variability were depicted by the trends in the; number of hot and cold years; number of dry and wet years as well as by trends in the number of rainy days in both districts. While temperature showed an increasing trend throughout April in both districts, rainfall showed a decreasing trend, which can increase evapo-transpiration and in turn reduces moisture for the crops, exacerbates poor pasture productivity for livestock, and leads to water scarcity for both crops and animals. Hence, adjustments in cropping and livestock production systems and institutional support are critical in order to buffer the impact of climate variability in semi-arid areas.
Issues and challenges for the development of the knowledge economy in Sub-Saharan Africa
(IISTE, 2019) Mbwambo, Jonathan S.
Africa and particularly Sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest tertiary gross enrolment ratio globally, significantly lower than South Asia. This low enrolment is happening at the time when the population of the region is growing at unprecedented rates creating a population age structure dominated by young people under the age of 25 years. Unfortunately, the high population growth rate is not corresponding to the level of adequate human capital required for economic growth. For the region to gain from its youthful population, there must be concerted efforts to enhance productivity through education and skills development. In other words, governments in the region must ensure that the growth in the youthful population must be such that they are capable of contributing to the economy through productive jobs. While higher education institutions in the continent, continue to fall short in number of students they enroll and the quality and relevance of training they offer. This paper argues that both the number, length and quality of schooling in Africa is responsible for low economic growth. The paper proposes that unless investment in higher education is enhanced, countries in the Sub Saharan Africa will not attain requisite economic growth commanded by knowledge in science, technology and innovation. The paper recommends that since higher education generally has a greater effect on development outcomes, there is a need for develop policies and strategies to ensure investment in higher education is given high priority.
Rain-fed farming system at a crossroads in Semi-Arid areas of Tanzania: what roles do climate variability and change play?
(IISTE, 2014) Kabote, Samwel J.; Mamiro, Delphina P.; Synnevåg, Gry; Urassa, Justin K.; Mattee, Amon Z.; Chingonika, Emanuel E.; Mbwambo, Jonathan S.; Nombo, Carolyne I.; Masolwa, Leah M.
Positive changes, like adopting drought resistant crop varieties, in the rain-fed farming system (RFFS) in response to climate variability and change enhance system’s ability to support people’s living as opposed to negative changes, like lack of pastures, which put the system at risk of failure in supporting the living. Using participatory rural appraisal (PRA) and household survey, this paper examined the roles of climate variability and change in triggering changes in RFFS. Specifically, the paper: (i) assessed dominant crop and livestock farming system; (ii) assessed the change element of crop and livestock production systems; and (iii) examined factors for the changes in RFFS. A random sample of 388 households was used. Qualitative data analysis was done through content analysis. Binary logistic regression was used to assess factors that explain changes on RFFS. The results showed that dominant crops were different in each village. Secondly, some changes in crop varieties and in livestock grazing arrangements were noted in response to climate variability and change. Unlike the hypothesis (P>0.05), the results demonstrated that warming (ß = -10.61, Wald = 36.26, P ≤ 0.001) showed highest significant impact on likelihood of adopting new crop varieties relative to other factors. Similarly, drought (ß = 2.16, Wald = 6.82, P ≤ 0.009) showed highest impact on the likelihood of changing a grazing place. Yet, the changes were constrained by factors like natural resources protective policies, failure of crop varieties to withstand warming and drought, and poor land use management. Therefore, the RFFS was at a crossroads with implications on system sustainability and livelihoods. The government and private interventions should support farmers and agro-pastoralists to manage risks related to the changes in RFFS in response to climate variability and change