The Experiences from Tigray Social Cash Transfer Pilot Program Sofia Mohamed October 2014

1. The Experiences from Tigray Social Cash Transfer Pilot Program Sofia Mohamed October 2014

2. Enhancing Resilience of Older People through Community Based Social Cash Transfer Initiative - In this Presentation……: • Objective Social Cash Transfer as one of Social Protection mechanisms • Experiences of Tigray Social Cash Transfer Pilot Program • Key Findings from the Pilot Project • Summary and Concluding Remarks • The Way Forward/Sustainability

3. Objectives of the Cash Transfer Program • Reduce poverty, hunger and starvation in all households which are extremely poor and at the same time labour constrained • Increase school enrolment and attendance and improve the health and nutrition of children living in target group households • Generate information on the feasibility, cost-effectiveness and impact of a social cash transfer scheme administered by the local administration

4. The Pilot Cash Transfer Program- experience …. • It was initiated by Tigray Regional State and has been implemented with the support of development actors (UNICEF, HelpAge, IrishAid, etc…) • Operational in two Woredas located in urban -AbiAdi town - 3 tabias and rural - Hintalo-Wajiratworeda - 8 tabias of 23 Tabias

5. Institutional structure of the pilot program

6. Effectiveness of Targeting … Targeting process at Tabia level by CCC • Community Care Coalition (CCC) at ‘’Tabia’’ level ranks the households • The CCC presents the list of households selected in a Tabia meeting • The ‘’Tabia’’ meeting also ensures that the SCT pilot programme and the targeting process were as transparent as possible. • CCC and social workers, monitor the process and report their findings to the Woreda Office of Labor • Social Affairs makes its own verification process in order to reduce inclusion and exclusion errors. So far no major complaints on targeting.

7. Grievance handling mechanisms: • There has been already established grievance hearing mechanism that fully involved • the beneficiaries • community members as well as • government stakeholders. • It has handled complains with respect or against the target groups and the criteria that have been listed on the documents. • This arrangement needs to be adopted and be replicated in other regions.

8. Determinants of the Cash Distribution Norms … • Basic HH grant = 155 ETB Child grant • Child enrolled in school = 35 ETB • Child do not enrolled in school =25 ETB • Child with disability enrolled in school= 50 ETB • Child with disability do not enrolled in school= 40 ETB • Adult with disability =50 ETB

9. Utilization of the Cash … Impact on school enrollment • 48% of the members of beneficiary households are children under 18 years of age. These children do not only benefit in terms of better nutrition but also in terms of meeting their school requirements like exercise books, pencils, clothing and soap. Social cash transfer program in the pilot Tabia are leading to higher school enrolment rates, less school drop-outs and Child labor by removing demand-side barriers to education, reducing the need for families to rely on harmful coping strategies.

10. Utilization of the Cash Transfer … • Reduced Hunger and Meeting Basic Needs: At household level, the transfer improved beneficiaries’ capacity to meet their basic needs (food, soap etc….) • The incidence of begging on the streets has been significantly reduced since the start of the pilot program. • Restoration of dignity , being more ‘presentable’ , allowed them to interact more with others, • Some invest part of the transfer in seed, getting a field ploughed by neighbors, or starting in engaging in income generating activities • More over additional money influxes every month for the targeted tabias

11. What older persons saying about the program? • I used to send my granddaughter to collect wood from very far place so as to have something to eat by selling the fire wood, but now thanks to God I have frequently collect my payment each month around 230 birr, with that money on my second payment I bought a uniform to my granddaughter with all school materials, and send her to school but in each payment month I used to buy soap, salt, sugar and spices and most of the money spends for consumption W/o TibletsGebre, Age 77

12. HK had no one who can take care of her even close relatives, two of her sons died in the war front and recently her husband died ‘’ I had been living the worst life specially since the death of my husband,… I am now receiving my payment every month which I can buy wheat and other basic necessities such as soap, salt and oil.

13. What did children living with their grandparent say about the program? • “I am not starving anymore because my grandmother prepares a food everyday especially in the morning when I eat breakfast I liked to go to school frequently’’ (Axumawit G/kidan F, Age,12, grade 6th, TabiaBahritseba) • “I am happy now…before, I was not eating in the afternoon and sometimes in the evening. Now due to the cash that my grandfather used to collect from the program I am able to eat three times a day. I and my grandfather are able to eat good food sometimes like meat and porage in the morning (SesenMirach, F, Age14, grade 8th TabiaBahritseba)” • “Now whenever I ask for pen and exercise book at any time my grand mom immediately buy for me so that I do not have to worry about that’’ (Tsega G/medhin F, Age 16, grade 10th TabiaBahritseba)

14. The Way Forward / Sustainability ……. • The experience of the Cash Transfer Pilot Program shows that it is feasible to provide cash transfers to households as a method of social protection for people in difficult circumstance. • Soft conditionality like getting children to school can easily get acceptance by the community. • The challenge to get social cash transfers on a comprehensive and national / regional scale lies on creating political commitment and budget allocations proportional to National GDP. • Value of the cash transfers: Based on our review and FGD, (both beneficiaries and implementers), there is a need to increase the amount of the cash transfer. While the transfer does reduce hunger, starvation and increasing school attendance; it is imperative that the value is reassessed annually, as the current benefit level seems insufficient for target groups to meet cost of inflation and combat extreme level of poverty. Still affordability by Gov is under question?

15. Way forward……. • Sustainability: Among the most critical questions is issue of the financial sustainability of the programme, beyond the pilot stage. • Institutional Capacity- This will include rearrangement of the organizational structures/ mandates of M/B oLSA and relevant service providers, strengthening of staff capacity ( by quality and number) at district and community levels- Para-Social Workers ?