Youth Participation in Development Financing and Its Implications for Community Security in Mtwara Region, Tanzania

Nassibu Richard Mwaifunga
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Department of Political Science and Public Administration
The Open University of Tanzania
Email: nassibu.academics@yahoo.com

Abstract: This study examines the effect of youth participation in the Youth Development Fund (YDF) on community security in Mtwara Region, Tanzania, using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. Quantitative data were collected from 486 youth beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries across five Local Government Authorities using structured questionnaires, while qualitative evidence was generated through 35 Key Informant Interviews and five Focus Group Discussions. Quantitative analysis involved descriptive statistics, Principal Component Analysis for index construction, and Ordinary Least Squares regression, complemented by thematic analysis to contextualize statistical findings. The results reveal a statistically significant positive relationship between youth participation in development financing and community security outcomes (β = 0.412, p <0.001). Youths with higher levels of access to and participation in YDF activities reported reduced involvement in delinquent behaviour, improved livelihoods, and enhanced trust and social cohesion within their communities. Qualitative findings corroborate these results by highlighting reduced petty crime, strengthened collective responsibility, and improved relations between youth and local authorities in areas with active YDF engagement. The study concludes that youth development financing, when combined with meaningful participation and institutional support, functions as an indirect peacebuilding mechanism and provides empirical evidence on the development–security nexus at the sub-national level in Tanzania.