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Developing Educational and Vocational Aspirations through International Child Sponsorship: Evidence from Kenya, Indonesia, and Mexico

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  • Ross, Phillip H.
  • Glewwe, Paul
  • Prudencio, Daniel
  • Wydick, Bruce

Abstract

The role of aspirations in facilitating movement out of poverty is a subject of increasing research in development economics. Previous work (Wydick, Glewwe, and Rutledge, 2013 and 2017) finds positive impacts from international child sponsorship on educational attainment, employment, and adult income. This paper seeks to ascertain whether the positive impact of child sponsorship on educational outcomes may occur through elevating aspirations among sponsored children. Using an age-eligibility rule applied during program rollout to identify causal effects, we study whether international child sponsorship increases educational and vocational aspirations among a sample of 2,022 children in Kenya, Indonesia, and Mexico. While effects are heterogeneous and strongest in Kenya, we find that over the three countries sponsorship increased indices of self-esteem (0.25σ), optimism (0.26σ), aspirations (0.29σ) and expected grade of completed education (0.43 years). We find that sponsorship increases actual grade completion by 0.56 among children at the time of the survey. Mediation analysis suggests that the impact of sponsorship on aspirations is likely to act as a channel for higher levels of grade completion.

Suggested Citation

  • Ross, Phillip H. & Glewwe, Paul & Prudencio, Daniel & Wydick, Bruce, 2019. "Developing Educational and Vocational Aspirations through International Child Sponsorship: Evidence from Kenya, Indonesia, and Mexico," Miscellaneous Publications 302342, University of Minnesota, Department of Applied Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:umaemp:302342
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.302342
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    Cited by:

    1. Muller, Noël & Fruttero,Anna & Calvo-Gonzalez,Oscar & De Hoop,Jacobus Joost, 2024. "Policies for Aspirations and Opportunities," Policy Research Working Paper Series 192482, The World Bank.
    2. Ross, Phillip H., 2019. "Occupation aspirations, education investment, and cognitive outcomes: Evidence from Indian adolescents," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 1-1.
    3. Cecchi, Francesco & Garcia, Adriana & Lensink, Robert & Wydick, Bruce, 2022. "Aspirational hope, dairy farming practices, and milk production: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial in Bolivia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    4. So Yoon Ahn & Youjin Hahn & Semee Yoon, 2021. "Can New Learning Opportunities Reshape Gender Attitudes for Girls?: Field Evidence from Tanzania," Working Papers 2021-046, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    5. repec:wbk:wbrwps:10267 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. González-Jiménez, Víctor, 2022. "Social status and motivated beliefs," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 211(C).
    7. Tabe-Ojong, Martin Paul Jr. & Nshakira-Rukundo, Emmanuel, 2021. "Religiosity and parental educational aspirations for children in Kenya," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 23(C).
    8. Stephen Smith, 2018. "Development Economics Meets the Challenges of Lagging U.S. Areas: Applications to Education, Health and Nutrition, Behavior, and Infrastructure," Working Papers 2018-7, The George Washington University, Institute for International Economic Policy.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • O22 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Development Planning and Policy - - - Project Analysis
    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles

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