A multifaceted program causes lasting progress for the very poor: Evidence from six countries

We present results from six randomized control trials of an integrated approach to improve livelihoods among the very poor. The approach combines the transfer of a productive asset with consumption support, training, and coaching plus savings encouragement and health education and/or services. Resul...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Banerjee, Abhijit, Goldberg, Nathanael, Karlan, Dean S., Osei, Robert, Pariente, William, Shapiro, Jeremy, Thuysbaert, Bram, Udry, Christopher, Duflo, Esther
Other Authors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Economics
Format: Article
Language:en_US
Published: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2015
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/97047
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6105-617X
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9923-6088
Description
Summary:We present results from six randomized control trials of an integrated approach to improve livelihoods among the very poor. The approach combines the transfer of a productive asset with consumption support, training, and coaching plus savings encouragement and health education and/or services. Results from the implementation of the same basic program, adapted to a wide variety of geographic and institutional contexts and with multiple implementing partners, show statistically significant cost-effective impacts on consumption (fueled mostly by increases in self-employment income) and psychosocial status of the targeted households. The impact on the poor households lasted at least a year after all implementation ended. It is possible to make sustainable improvements in the economic status of the poor with a relatively short-term intervention.