Working Paper: NBER ID: w24999
Authors: Christopher Blattman; Nathan Fiala; Sebastian Martinez
Abstract: In 2008, Uganda granted hundreds of small groups $400/person to help members start individual skilled trades. Four years on, an experimental evaluation found grants raised earnings by 38% (Blattman, Fiala, Martinez 2014). We return after 9 years to find these start-up grants acted more as a kick-start than a lift out of poverty. Grantees' investment leveled off; controls eventually increased their incomes through business and casual labor; and so both groups converged in employment, earnings, and consumption. Grants had lasting impacts on assets, skilled work, and possibly child health, but had little effect on mortality, fertility, health or education.
Keywords: Poverty; Cash Grants; Youth Opportunities Program; Uganda; Randomized Controlled Trial
JEL Codes: C93; D13; J24; O12
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Youth Opportunities Program (YOP) grants (I24) | average earnings (J31) |
| Youth Opportunities Program (YOP) grants (I24) | hours worked in skilled trades (J24) |
| Youth Opportunities Program (YOP) grants (I24) | engagement in skilled trades (J24) |
| control group efforts and savings (C92) | convergence in income and employment (F62) |
| Youth Opportunities Program (YOP) grants (I24) | household assets (D14) |
| Youth Opportunities Program (YOP) grants (I24) | long-term poverty alleviation (I32) |