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Are Cash Transfers a Silver Bullet? Evidence from the Zambian Child Grant

Author

Listed:
  • Sudhanshu Handa
  • David Seidenfeld
  • Benjamin Davis
  • Gelson Tembo
  • Zambia Cash Transfer Evaluation Team

Abstract

We document the broad impacts of the Zambian Government’s Child Support Grant , including on consumption, livelihood strengthening, material welfare of children, young child feeding, investment in assets, productive activities and housing after two years, making this one of the first studies to demonstrate both protective and productive impacts of a national unconditional cash transfer programme. However impacts in areas such as child nutritional status and schooling depend on initial conditions of the household, suggesting that cash alone is not enough to solve all constraints faced by these poor, rural households.

Suggested Citation

  • Sudhanshu Handa & David Seidenfeld & Benjamin Davis & Gelson Tembo & Zambia Cash Transfer Evaluation Team, 2014. "Are Cash Transfers a Silver Bullet? Evidence from the Zambian Child Grant," Papers inwopa731, Innocenti Working Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucf:inwopa:inwopa731
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jere R. Behrman & John Hoddinott, 2005. "Programme Evaluation with Unobserved Heterogeneity and Selective Implementation: The Mexican PROGRESA Impact on Child Nutrition," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 67(4), pages 547-569, August.
    2. Sudhanshu Handa & Benjamin Davis, 2006. "The Experience of Conditional Cash Transfers in Latin America and the Caribbean," Working Papers 06-07, Agricultural and Development Economics Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO - ESA).
    3. Handa, Sudhanshu & Peterman, Amber & Davis, Benjamin & Stampini, Marco, 2009. "Opening Up Pandora's Box: The Effect of Gender Targeting and Conditionality on Household Spending Behavior in Mexico's Progresa Program," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(6), pages 1129-1142, June.
    4. Sudhanshu Handa & Benjamin Davis, 2006. "The Experience of Conditional Cash Transfers in Latin America and the Caribbean," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 24(5), pages 513-536, September.
    5. Armando Barrientos & David Hulme, 2008. "Social Protection for the Poor and Poorest in Developing Countries: Reflections on a Quiet Revolution," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series 3008, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    6. Sarah Baird & Craig McIntosh & Berk Özler, 2011. "Cash or Condition? Evidence from a Cash Transfer Experiment," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 126(4), pages 1709-1753.
    7. Katia Covarrubias & Benjamin Davis & Paul Winters, 2012. "From protection to production: productive impacts of the Malawi Social Cash Transfer scheme," Journal of Development Effectiveness, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 4(1), pages 50-77, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Silvio Daidone & Sudhanshu Handa & Benjamin Davis & Mike Park & Robert D. Osei & Isaac Osei-Akoto, 2015. "Social Networks and Risk Management in Ghana’s Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty Programme," Papers inwopa781, Innocenti Working Papers.
    2. Brugh, Kristen & Angeles, Gustavo & Mvula, Peter & Tsoka, Maxton & Handa, Sudhanshu, 2018. "Impacts of the Malawi social cash transfer program on household food and nutrition security," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 19-32.
    3. Handa, Sudhanshu & Peterman, Amber & Huang, Carolyn & Halpern, Carolyn & Pettifor, Audrey & Thirumurthy, Harsha, 2015. "Impact of the Kenya Cash Transfer for Orphans and Vulnerable Children on early pregnancy and marriage of adolescent girls," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 36-45.

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    Keywords

    cash transfers; zambia;

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