INVESTING WHERE IT COUNTS:BUILDING SOCIAL, HEALTH AND ECONOMIC ASSETS FOR VULNERABLE

ADOLESCENT GIRLS.

Mercy Nzioki

NOPE 6TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PEER EDUCATION, SEXUALITY, HIV & AIDS 2014

OUTLINE

• Background• Why the study• Study Aim• Project Description• Methodology• Data collection• Results• Way Forward

Background

• In Sub-Saharan Africa, health behaviors are often influenced by economic needs and capabilities.

• Economic strengthening programs have had positive health outcomes.

• Social, human and economic assets are important for girls as they make the transition to adulthood.

Asset Building Framework

Social + Health + Economic Assets-girls need all three

Assets are a store of value

ASSETS REDUCE VULNERABILITYASSETS EXPAND OPPORTUN

STUDY AIM

• The project seeks to understand social, economic, and health effects of participating in safe spaces, financial education and savings program on girls.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION 1. Safe Spaces Model to build

girls social, human and economic assets. Groups of 20-25 girls, ages 10-19 (two segments of groups(10-14/15-19)

2. Girls within groups open individual savings accounts

3. Mentors above age of 18 in each group facilitate group meetings and deliver financial education and health training, parents meetings & fun days

4. Benefits: ID, homebank, t-shirt, friends

Financial Education Curriculum

Financial Education Curriculum

RH curriculum

METHODS• At baseline:1,473 girls were interviewed in Kenya

and 1,564 girls in Uganda. – 82% of Kenyan girls (n=1,210) and 74% of Ugandan girls

(n=1,159) were re-interviewed at endline.

• FGDs and in-depth interviews were conducted with program participant’s parents, mentors, and project staff. – 185 girls (10 -14yrs) and 154 girls (15- 19yrs) participated

in FGDs regarding their feelings about the program, savings accounts, and practical applications of information learned.

RESULTS :Savings ActivityTotal Girls Reached Across the Life of the Program: 11,914

K-Rep Bank (Nov 2012)

Faulu

(Oct 2012)

FINCA – Uganda (Nov 2012)

Finance Trust (Nov 2012)

Total # of Accounts

1201 1384 2121 5,158

Total Value of Portfolio

1,132,561 Ksh($13,483)

550,107 Ksh($6,549)

43,790,287 Ush($17,516)

146,196,513 Ush($58,479)

Average Deposit Size

36 Ksh($0.43)

60 Ksh($0.71)

9,074 Ush($3.63)

10,813 Ush($4.33)

Average # of Deposits per Month

2.2 1.7 2.1 2.1

Average Withdrawal Size

1356 Ksh($16.14)

399 Ksh($4.75)

49,862 Ush($19.95)

50,672 Ush($20.27)

Average # of Withdrawals in past six months

0.7 1.3 1.5 2.1

Common sources of cash

Kenya Uganda

Mother 78% 80%

Father 55% 54%

Other Relatives 38% 36%

Own Savings 18% 20%

Casual Job 8% 9%

Steady Job 3% 3%

Increase in Girls Using own Savings as Source of Cash

KenyaUganda

FINCA* Comparison0%5%

10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%50%

Baseline Endline Follow-up

Faulu* Comparison0%5%

10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%50%

Baseline Endline Follow-up

Savings Alone is Potentially Risky• Girls with accounts

only (and no group) were more likely to be robbed and harassed by men and boys

• Girls need a combination of financial and non-financial services

Economic+Social+Health Assets =Reduced Risks

• Able to refuse sexual advances linked to financial gifts

• Less dependent on men financially• Having an emergency fund to meet needs

Able to refuse sexual advances

• What attracted me is that saving is very helpful because it minimizes chances of boys taking advantage of us in the disguise of giving us money thus protect us from acquiring HIV especially from those who come with such intentions. Ugandan girl, age 10-14, Katwe.

• Sometimes a boy can tell you, “let me hold your hand then I will give you 50 bob”…you then tell them, “I have more than that 50 bob you want to give me”. Kenyan girl, age 10-14, Kawangware.

Less dependent on men• Personally I joined because at times I can be having a

problem and my mother might not be having money at the time then I can be able to help myself out instead of seeking help from a boy who will later you ask for his money you don’t have it at the end of it all he might resort to raping you instead. Ugandan girl, age 10-14, Katwe.

• Now they fear me, in most cases what takes us more to these boys is money, now when they see that I have my own money they will not come to me telling me that I will give you 1000 because I will tell them that I have it, don’t even bother. Ugandan girl, age 15-19, Lugazi.

Emergency fund

• My mum was sick and my dad did not have money so we went and withdrew my money and cleared my mum’s hospital bill. It feels good. Kenyan girl, age 10-14, Kibera.

• I can now be able to buy things like sanitary towels on my own without asking for money. Kenyan girl, age 15-19, Kibera.

• I can use my saving to pay school fees if mum doesn’t have enough. Kenyan girl, age 10-14, Kibera.

Program Expansion

• 2 year project Expansion in Kenya to four new cites (Nakuru, Kisumu, Thika and Kariobangi)

• Study to understand effects of economic assets on sexual behavior and exploitation .We anticipate 6,000 – 8,000 new girls to join the program between these five sites.

• Adolescent Girls Initiative – Kenya (AGI-K) Randomized control trial in Nairobi Slums and Wajir to examine the best combination of interventions in education, health, wealth creation and violence prevention

Recommendations

• Girls can save, but they need a financial product with flexible Know your Customer Policy (KYC) requirements.

• Combine both financial and non-financial services to build social, health and economic assets.

• Safe spaces model - using mentors who are young women from the same community (instead of peer educators).

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