The Unattainable Targets from Poverty Reduction Policy Strategy to Rural Grassroots: The Zanzibar Experience

Abstract

Now a day several global initiatives like the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and follow up with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been put in place aimed at combating various global issues including extreme poverty face by Third world. The MDGs target one and two of the goal one aimed at overcoming the income poverty and hunger respectively, by 2015. Yet its achievement in many developing countries is not attained including Zanzibar. Thus, the study attempts to determine and elaborate on the mismatch between the established targets in poverty alleviation programs in Zanzibar particularly in MDGs target one and two of the goal one. The paper argued that despite the poverty reduction strategy introduced by the government of Zanzibar, the escalating rate of poverty in the country particularly at the rural grassroots is still very alarming. Within this context, this paper among other things examines the strategic failure and some challenges and barriers in reducing the rate of poverty in the country. It proceeds by showing some performance trends that realized since the establishment of the poverty reduction initiatives. The paper concludes that proper grassroots participation may assist and actively play significant role in the poverty reduction initiatives.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n2s1p273