The main aim of the study is to present the state of child labour and factors behind this citing one
of the most prevalent areas for child labour in Tanzania known as Njombe. Njombe district which is
predominantly a rural area is one of the most prevalent areas of child labour in Tanzania. A survey of 300
household heads that were randomly selected from accessible four villages in Igima ward in Njombe district
confirmed this phenomenon. Chi-square statistic analysis on the relationship between household poverty and
child labour showed that household poverty was the factor which forced children to engage in economic
activities. Major finding emanating from this study is that child labour is a reflection of poverty and therefore
tackling poverty will have a positive impact on child labour. This suggests that policies such as a ban on child
labour in rural areas could have an adverse effect as child labour decisions are more likely a response to poverty
and subsistence requirements.