From Protection to Production
©FAO/Giulio Napolitano


The programme

The Cash Transfer for Orphan and Vulnerable Children (OVC) in Kenya is a cash transfer programme that started in 2004 and currently covers around 150,000 households. The programme objectives include improving access to education, reducing child mortality and morbidity rates, improving food security and encouraging birth registration. Care takers of OVC receive 48 USD every two months.

The evaluation

The evaluation is composed of both quantitative and qualitative approaches. For the quantitative component information was collected in three rounds—2007, 2009, 2011—and includes a total of 1,543 beneficiary households and 755 non-beneficiary households.

Qualitative data collection and research occurred in two districts--Owendo (Nyanza Province) and Kangundo (Eastern Province) in 2011.

Key findings

Increased food consumption.
Helped in the accumulation of productive assets (especially ownership of small livestock).
Improved formation of nonfarm enterprise (especially for females).
Increased flexibility for families labour allocation decisions, particularly geographically isolated.
Reduced child labor.

Local economy
Local economy income multiplier of 1.08.

Increased levels of social capital and associated risk sharing arrangements and economic collaboration.
Contributed to increased self-esteem and increased ability to engage in community and religious activities.
Increased female decision-making power.

Journal Articles

Background material