Influence Of Cash Transfer Grants On School Retention Of Child Beneficiaries:a Case Study Of Orphans And Vulnerable Children In Eldoret West Sub County, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

Abstract

Most of vulnerability of Children world over has continued to increase. A vulnerable child is one who is living in circumstances with high risks and whose prospects for continued growth and development are seriously threatened. The main purpose of the study was to investigate influence of cash transfer on school retention a case study of orphans and vulnerable children in Eldoret West Sub County, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. The research was guided by the following objectives: to establish how provision of scholastic materials through cash transfer influence school retention of learners in Eldoret west Sub County, to determine how household wellbeing through cash transfer influence school retention of learners in Eldoret west Sub County, to establish the influence of food consumption, food security and school transport as a result of Cash transfer grant for orphans and vulnerable children on school retention of learners in Eldoret west Sub County, to establish the influence of re enrollment as a results of cash transfer grant on school retention of learners in Eldoret west Sub County. The study adopted a descriptive survey design and draws a sample of 322 respondents from a population of 2000 based on Krejcie and Morgan (1970) schedule. The researcher targeted household heads who are the direct beneficiaries of the OVC- CT grant in Eldoret West Sub County, Eldoret West Sub County children’s officers, head teachers and class teachers. Data were collected using questionnaires and interview schedules. The researcher ensured the validity of data by carrying out a pilot study in Kapsabet County. For reliability, the researcher adopted Cronbach’s coefficient 0.70 Alpha which enhanced the identification of the dispensable variables and deleted variables. Data were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively with help of SPSS software version 21. Inferential statistics were tested using Pearson method of correlations (a measure of relations between variables) which involves determining the extent of the relationship between variables (arrange of 0 to 1). Tables were used to summarize responses for further analysis and to facilitate comparison. The finding of the study was used to make recommendation on influence of orphans and vulnerable children cash transfer grant on school retention. From study findings it is shown that provision of scholastic materials through cash transfer grant have a positive correlation to school retention of learners, there was a positive relationship between household wellbeing of learners as results of cash transfer grant and school retention of learners, there was a moderate positive correlation between provision of food consumption, food security and school transport due to cash transfer and school retention of child beneficiaries and there was a strong positive correlation between Re-enrollment of children as results of cash transfer grant and school retention of OVC. The study concluded that through the availability of cash transfer grant learners in Eldoret west Sub County are able to be retained in school because they can receive scholastic materials such as buying textbooks, writing books and pens to the child, paying school fees buying school uniforms for the children. Further the study concluded that cash transfer grant in the sub county has enhanced the food consumption, food security and school transport of OVC which at end improve retentions of learners in school. The study recommended that the guardians should always that they avail scholastic materials such as buying textbooks, writing books and pens to the child, paying school fees buying school uniforms for the children when they receive cash transfer grants. Guardians should ensure that they avail household wellbeing such as adequate meals for the children, good house for the accommodation of the children’s provision of best health care to the children provisions of best diet and nutrition to the children.