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Sudhanshu Handa, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Monica Lambon-Quayefio
Amber Peterman, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Adria Molotsky, American Institutes for Research
Frank Otchere, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Peter Mvula, University of Malawi
Maxton Tsoka, University of Malawi
Jacob de Hoop, World Bank
Gustavo Angeles, National Institute of Public Health (INSP), Mexico and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Kelly Kilburn, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Annamaria Milazzo, World Bank Group
As state sponsored social safety nets are expanding in Africa and globally, evidence on the inter-generational impact of programs on can help guide investment and program design decisions. This paper examines the effects of Malawi’s flagship unconditional cash transfer program on safe transitions to adulthood among youth in ultra-poor households. The evaluation is a cluster-randomized control trial implemented over three years in Salima and Mangochi districts and leverages rich panel data from youth interviews aged 13 to 19 at baseline with same-sex enumerators. Findings across indices of six domains show that household-receipt of bi-monthly transfers improved youth outcomes in all but one domain (time use and labor force participation). Improvements range from 0.089 – 0..296 standard deviations in comparison to the control group, and accrue in domains thought to be more proximally connected to income (e.g. education, physical health), as well as domains of mental health and emotional wellbeing, sexual and reproductive health, and HIV risk. Results have implications for similar program models in the region and beyond.
Keywords: Outcome and impact evaluations, Children and youth, Gender, Policy evaluation
Presented in Session 13. Enabling Children and Adolescents to Realize their Full Potential: What Works and What Does Not?