Influence of cash transfer strategy on family based care of orphaned and vulnerable children: a case of Meru North District, Eastern Province, Kenya

Abstract

Many households today are hosting orphans and vulnerable children mainly orphaned due to rampage of HI V IAIDS besides other causes. Poverty has made caring of orphans by relatives a tall undertaking and has resulted to their rejection and neglect, hence live in vulnerable and abject poverty. National Social protection programmes targeting the vulnerable group have not been effective.

The Kenya Government adopted a new approach by investing in a cash transfer programme which is being implemented in some selected districts, Meru North district being one of them targeting poor households hosting orphan and vulnerable children. The programme is referred to as the Orphan and Vulnerable Children Cash Transfer (OVC-CT) Programme.

A disconnect however exist between the money paid to a household and the impact the cash transfer strategy it has on meeting the orphans' basic needs with respect to its practicability, effectiveness, and the welfare consequences. The purpose of study to assess the influence of the cash transfer strategy on family based care of orphans and vulnerable children. Hence, this led to the need of undertaking a study on an assessment of cash transfer on family based care of orphans and vulnerable children in Meru North.

The objectives of the study are to establish practicability of using cash transfer on family based care of orphaned and vulnerable children in accessing basic needs, effectiveness of the cash transfer as social protection strategy and the welfare consequences of the cash transfer. The research design used in this study is descriptive survey design .

The study concludes that use of cash transfer is practical and effective mode of intervening in poor households hosting orphans and vulnerable children. Also the consequences of using cash transfer are that the households can diversify its use. The study recommends that an effective social monitoring strategy should be put in place to enhance the practicability and welfare consequences of the cash transfer. Also periodic training for caregivers is important to capacity build the caregivers on proper use of the cash transfer money.