Poverty and child deprivations of basic needs in Newala district.

Child poverty in Tanzania exists in alarming rate, in some areas are too high and in others areas are low. Children have been deprived of water, shelter, healthy and education thus cannot attain their full potentials. The study was conducted at Newala District. Participants of the study were household head in which 290 households were involved in the district. Data were collected through questionnaire to each household head. Quantitative data were subjected to calculation and reported in percentages. This research measured the children’s deprivation of basic needs in Newala District. The items measured are water, shelter, health and education. Some items were left out due to various reasons including costs, example Nutrition. Social characteristics of household indicate 94. I percent of population in the district are peasants and are mostly poor. Also demographically most households are headed by men (65%) compare to those headed by women (35%). Findings from the study revealed that almost all children in the district suffer from more than one deprivation (94%). The children in Newala District mostly severely deprived from water (76%), and shelter services (27%) and least deprivation from health (9%) and education (19%) which seems to be improved to some extent compare to other indicators, Also the findings show that there is significant relation between occupations and income level as well as income and water accessibility in the district, so to say children from poor families are more deprived than children from well-off families. Thus poverty is driving force of child poverty in Newala District. From the findings of the study, several recommendations were suggested. First, Government should regard children deprivation as public issues and not private one, second Central governments should formulate policy and programme that may focus on children only, third special program should be launched by Central government to ensure that all children access to quality basic needs etc.