Social Effects of Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic on Local Artisan Livelihood in Iringa District, Tanzania

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the social effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the livelihood of local artisans in Iringa District, Tanzania. Specifically, the study examined poor social networking, business training during COVID-19, and the loss of cultural practices. The study used a qualitative and quantitative research approach with a sample size of 41 respondents who are victims of COVID-19 in five craft markets and 10 key informants. The study employed interviews with a semi-structured checklist guide to elicit information from the sampled population; also, qualitative data were thematically analysed, and quantitative data were analysed using SPSS version 25. The study findings revealed that the social effects of COVID-19 on local artisans’ livelihoods were less social networking, a lack of access to business training, and a loss of cultural practices. Finally, recommendations are made from the findings, which revealed that among the social effects of COVID-19 on local artisans’ livelihoods were poor social networking, which reduced the number of customers due to a lack of interactions and the emergence of social distancing, a lack of business training, and a loss of cultural practices. Local artisans who depend on selling their products in the craft markets to tourists in different seasons are highly affected due to governmental restrictions in Tanzania, like in other countries, which make them dependent on getting movements and interactions between themselves and their customers. Therefore, the government, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and community members should establish various trainings on how to practice domestic tourism and be the first customers of arts and crafts markets to make the livelihood of local artisans sustainable even in hard times like COVID-19.