Livelihood
Women, Youth and Resilience Project Final Evaluation Outcome Harvesting: Understanding Changes in livelihoods, Gender Based Violence (GBV) and Government Accountability for Gender Equality.
The project was implemented by CARE International in Austria, Care International in Uganda, and two local partners, the Community Empowerment for Rural Development (CEFORD) and THRIVEGulu between 2021 and 2024 and is being followed up by a similar five-year project called the Gender Equality and Resilience Project (GEAR) to be implemented in Uganda and Rwanda. This is important to note as the findings from this final evaluation have implications for the programming of GEAR.
The main objective of this final evaluation is to assess effectiveness, impact and sustainability of the WAYREP project. It offers an understanding of the extent to which WAYREP achieved its stated objectives and it answers the five evaluation questions set out in the Evaluation Matrix (see Annex 2). The evaluation results will inform the programming of GEAR, WAYREP’s follow on program in Uganda and Rwanda.
The project successfully met its planned objectives, expected results, and indicators, demonstrated through the results below.
1.1: Enhanced Sustainable and Dignified Livelihood for Women and Youth
Over the five years, WAYREP significantly increased the average weekly income (49.6%) and by the end of the project, income gains surpassed the national average (Finding A). The increase in income was closely tied to an increase in confidence and self-reliance. While various groups of beneficiaries (e.g., refugees, youth, older beneficiaries, GBV survivors) experienced increases in their confidence, it was young women who experienced more significant gains in their self-confidence. These wins stemmed from their membership to savings groups and their newfound ability to earn an income (Finding H).
Although income gains were seen across beneficiary groups, gender and youth disparities were observed; men reported higher average earnings across Income Generating Activities (IGAs) compared to women
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(Finding C) and younger beneficiaries in the 15-19 age group reported heightened engagement in income generation activities, compared to beneficiaries in the 20-30 age bracket (Finding B). While young people appear to have experienced more significant wins in participation, their average weekly income was lower than older beneficiaries (Finding D). Younger adults (20-30) were also less likely to develop business plans compared to older participants (31-45) (Finding E).
Specific differences were observed in Omugo Settlement in terms of income earning opportunities. Overall, in Omugo Settlement beneficiaries participated less in savings groups (Finding F) and were able to save less money compared to their peers in Arua City, Gulu City and Omugo Sub County. This is important, as the lower savings values have the risk of limiting refugees' ability to access capital to grow their businesses (Finding I). That said, South Sudanese refugees in Omugo settlement experienced unique wins from their increased economic status and improved their relationships with the host community. This is significant as it highlights the project's positive impact on social cohesion, particularly in locations where relationships between the refugee and host community relationships were strained (Finding F).
The final evaluation found that financial management practices and savings habits improved across all four locations. While most savings groups still preferred traditional savings systems that included a locked box kept in a member’s house, in Gulu and Arua City savers were experimenting with mobile savings that offered increased security, flexibility and accountability (Finding G). This points to the potential for greater exploration of mobile savings systems in GEAR, WAYREP’s follow on program, especially in locations which have already started to adopt this practice.
1.2: Evidence of WAYREP Achieving Reduced Acceptance for Gender Based Violence in Communities
The final evaluation found a decrease in experience of GBV from 28% at baseline (2021) to 20.7% at endline (2024) and a similar rejection of intimate partner violence (IPV), from 71.6% at baseline, to 77.1% at endline (Finding J). The project's strong focus on economic empowerment (Section 1.1 above) had a positive effect on the confidence and self-resilience of women and young (Finding H) which intern contributed to a positive shift in social norms and facilitated a reduction in the acceptability of violence (Finding K).
1.3: Evidence of WAYREP Providing Enhanced Support to GBV Survivors
The increase in GBV reporting (Finding L) suggests that survivors felt more comfortable coming forward, due to the project's efforts to raise awareness and improve survivors access to support. Beneficiaries reported there was now more support available for survivors of violence (Finding L) and improved access to mechanisms for expressing dissatisfaction with inappropriate treatment by local authorities or service providers (Finding M). The findings suggest that the project empowered survivors to seek help and enabled them to hold service providers to account (Finding L, M).
1.4: Evidence of WAYREP Achieving Increased Accountability by the Government of Uganda to Implement Relevant Frameworks for Women and Girls’ Protection and Rights
Women and girls across all four locations reported increased capacity to advocate for their rights (Finding N). The project had a strong contribution to this result and motivated and supported the Government of Ugandan (GoU) and key religious and cultural leaders to implement or strengthen frameworks to protect women's and girls' rights (Finding O). These changes intern created a more enabling environment for women and girls in Uganda and provided a supportive legal framework for them to advocate for their rights Read More...
The main objective of this final evaluation is to assess effectiveness, impact and sustainability of the WAYREP project. It offers an understanding of the extent to which WAYREP achieved its stated objectives and it answers the five evaluation questions set out in the Evaluation Matrix (see Annex 2). The evaluation results will inform the programming of GEAR, WAYREP’s follow on program in Uganda and Rwanda.
The project successfully met its planned objectives, expected results, and indicators, demonstrated through the results below.
1.1: Enhanced Sustainable and Dignified Livelihood for Women and Youth
Over the five years, WAYREP significantly increased the average weekly income (49.6%) and by the end of the project, income gains surpassed the national average (Finding A). The increase in income was closely tied to an increase in confidence and self-reliance. While various groups of beneficiaries (e.g., refugees, youth, older beneficiaries, GBV survivors) experienced increases in their confidence, it was young women who experienced more significant gains in their self-confidence. These wins stemmed from their membership to savings groups and their newfound ability to earn an income (Finding H).
Although income gains were seen across beneficiary groups, gender and youth disparities were observed; men reported higher average earnings across Income Generating Activities (IGAs) compared to women
11
(Finding C) and younger beneficiaries in the 15-19 age group reported heightened engagement in income generation activities, compared to beneficiaries in the 20-30 age bracket (Finding B). While young people appear to have experienced more significant wins in participation, their average weekly income was lower than older beneficiaries (Finding D). Younger adults (20-30) were also less likely to develop business plans compared to older participants (31-45) (Finding E).
Specific differences were observed in Omugo Settlement in terms of income earning opportunities. Overall, in Omugo Settlement beneficiaries participated less in savings groups (Finding F) and were able to save less money compared to their peers in Arua City, Gulu City and Omugo Sub County. This is important, as the lower savings values have the risk of limiting refugees' ability to access capital to grow their businesses (Finding I). That said, South Sudanese refugees in Omugo settlement experienced unique wins from their increased economic status and improved their relationships with the host community. This is significant as it highlights the project's positive impact on social cohesion, particularly in locations where relationships between the refugee and host community relationships were strained (Finding F).
The final evaluation found that financial management practices and savings habits improved across all four locations. While most savings groups still preferred traditional savings systems that included a locked box kept in a member’s house, in Gulu and Arua City savers were experimenting with mobile savings that offered increased security, flexibility and accountability (Finding G). This points to the potential for greater exploration of mobile savings systems in GEAR, WAYREP’s follow on program, especially in locations which have already started to adopt this practice.
1.2: Evidence of WAYREP Achieving Reduced Acceptance for Gender Based Violence in Communities
The final evaluation found a decrease in experience of GBV from 28% at baseline (2021) to 20.7% at endline (2024) and a similar rejection of intimate partner violence (IPV), from 71.6% at baseline, to 77.1% at endline (Finding J). The project's strong focus on economic empowerment (Section 1.1 above) had a positive effect on the confidence and self-resilience of women and young (Finding H) which intern contributed to a positive shift in social norms and facilitated a reduction in the acceptability of violence (Finding K).
1.3: Evidence of WAYREP Providing Enhanced Support to GBV Survivors
The increase in GBV reporting (Finding L) suggests that survivors felt more comfortable coming forward, due to the project's efforts to raise awareness and improve survivors access to support. Beneficiaries reported there was now more support available for survivors of violence (Finding L) and improved access to mechanisms for expressing dissatisfaction with inappropriate treatment by local authorities or service providers (Finding M). The findings suggest that the project empowered survivors to seek help and enabled them to hold service providers to account (Finding L, M).
1.4: Evidence of WAYREP Achieving Increased Accountability by the Government of Uganda to Implement Relevant Frameworks for Women and Girls’ Protection and Rights
Women and girls across all four locations reported increased capacity to advocate for their rights (Finding N). The project had a strong contribution to this result and motivated and supported the Government of Ugandan (GoU) and key religious and cultural leaders to implement or strengthen frameworks to protect women's and girls' rights (Finding O). These changes intern created a more enabling environment for women and girls in Uganda and provided a supportive legal framework for them to advocate for their rights Read More...
Qualitative Monitoring Improvement Initiative Pilot for the SHOUHARDO III Program in Bangladesh
Strengthening Household Abilities to Respond to Development Opportunities (SHOUHARDO) III was a five-year multisectoral and integrated program implemented by CARE Bangladesh between 2015 and 2020 and funded by USAID and the Government of Bangladesh. The objective of the program was to improve the lives and livelihoods of 549,000 people living in poor and extreme poor communities in eight districts in the Deep Haor and Remote Char region of northern Bangladesh. The program focused on community-based asset development and women’s empowerment, building the capacity of local government and community-service organizations, increasing resilience to frequent shocks and stressors, and improving nutrition and health outcomes for mothers and children under two-years of age. SHOUHARDO III was extended for two years (2020 to 2022) and a second extension phase (SHOUHARDO III Plus) was funded for an additional two years (2022 to 2024). During this period the program will focus on engaging with and linking local service providers with the government and the private sector. Read More...
SISTEMATIZACIÓN DE LA ESTRATEGIA DE MEDIOS DE VIDA Y EMPRENDIMIENTOS CON MUJERES REFUGIADAS Y MIGRANTES
El Proyecto “Alma Llanera”, para el logro de sus objetivos, puso en marcha cinco (05) procedimientos: evaluación inicial, regularización de estatus migratorio/validación de grados títulos, fortalecimiento de capacidades en emprendimiento/empleabilidad, seguimiento (inclusión laboral/desarrollo de emprendimientos) y evaluación de salida. Parte de estos procedimientos han pasado por una reestructuración con el fin de encaminar los esfuerzos que respondan a las condiciones causadas por la pandemia (COVID – 19). Read More...
Feed the Future Ethiopia Livelihoods for Resilience (L4R) Learning Activity
This report presents the baseline resilience analysis of the USAID Feed the Future (FTF) Livelihoods for Resilience (L4R) activity in Ethiopia. The overarching goal of L4R is to increase economic growth and resilience in Ethiopia by enhancing livelihood opportunities for chronically food-insecure households in targeted woredas. The objective of this report is to provide insight into the extent to which L4R activities improve key household resilience outcomes and strengthen the resilience capacities of food-insecure and vulnerable households in the project areas. The impact evaluation (IE) baseline study provides estimates against which to monitor and assess the progress and effectiveness of L4R activities during implementation and after the activity is completed. Given that the ending of the IE will occur one year after the L4R activities have ended, the final results will also be able to measure the sustainability of the project’s impact.
The L4R impact evaluation seeks to answer eight research questions. This baseline study gathers data that answers some of the research questions now; other questions will be addressed in subsequent recurrent monitoring surveys and the endline report. Read More...
The L4R impact evaluation seeks to answer eight research questions. This baseline study gathers data that answers some of the research questions now; other questions will be addressed in subsequent recurrent monitoring surveys and the endline report. Read More...
Impact Evaluation of the Strengthen PSNP4 Institutions and Resilience (SPIR) Development Food Security Activity (DFSA)
The Strengthen PSNP4 Institutions and Resilience (SPIR) Development Food Security Activity (DFSA) in Ethiopia is a five-year project (2016-2021) supporting implementation of the fourth phase of the Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP4) as well as providing complementary livelihood, nutrition, gender and climate resilience activities to strengthen the program and expand its impacts. The main objectives of SPIR are to enhance livelihoods, increase resilience to shocks, and improve food security and nutrition for rural households vulnerable to food insecurity. Activities under SPIR are organized into four Purposes: 1) livelihoods, 2) nutrition, 3) women’s and youth empowerment, and 4) climate resilience. Across these Purposes, SPIR provides community-level programming, training of government staff involved in public service delivery at the woreda (district) and kebele (subdistrict) level, and targeted livelihood transfers. Read More...
Final Project End-line assessment of Shelter, NFI, Hygiene, SRHR and Livelihood Support for Disaster-Affected Populations in Afghanistan 2018-2020
The Emergency Shelter, NFI, Hygiene, SRHR and Livelihood Support for Disaster-Affected Populations in Afghanistan 2018-2020 Project aims to provide emergency assistance to the identified beneficiaries settled in Kabul, Parwan, Kapisa, Balkh, Ghazni, Khost and Paktya provinces of Afghanistan. The interventions covered under this project included Shelter, NFI, WASH, Livelihoods and SRHR needs of the women, men, boys and girls affected by disasters. The sample of 352 households for this end line evaluation was structured as according to the proportion beneficiaries per the different project outputs The two main output blocks of hygiene/SRHR on the one hand and different forms of cash and NFI support on the other are well captured in the end line survey. In addition to the quantitative approach, 8 FGDs, 7 KIIs and 3 IDIs conducted were conducted with the project beneficiaries, stakeholders and the GAC project team.
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Emergency Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Nutrition for Crisis Affected Communities in East Darfur and South Darfur, Sudan, 2017-2019
The project under evaluation was a two-year project implemented in one locality in South Darfur and three localities in East Darfur during the years 2017 and 2019. The Project was implemented by CIS in partnership with two local organizations and in cooperation with the State institutions.
The intervention activities are tailored to address urgent lifesaving needs of the vulnerable communities through improving communities’ access to WASH facilities and nutrition services. Where, the two components are expected to complement each other and the resultant outcomes are expected to reflect on the improvement of maternal and child health in particular.
The ccomparison of the actual implementation with the planned showed that the types of the activities implemented conform to the planned and that planned outputs are almost completed in accordance with the plan in quantitative and qualitative terms. while the number of beneficiaries reached exceeded the target by about 30%.
As immediate outcomes, IDPs and refugees’ camps expressed improvement in their access to safe drinking water, where 98.6% indicated obtaining water from protected sources. They also revealed satisfaction with availability of water by 65% of the HHs and the water distance has been cut to about 320 m in SD and to 106 m in ED, with an average water distance of 213 meter.
Evident progress has been made along communities’ access to and use of latrines, including women, where, 89.3% and 86.1% of target community members indicated their access to and regular use of latrines. The created hygiene awareness has induced the required positive changes in hygiene and sanitation attitude and practices among communities.
In overall, the treatment of malnutrition reached 80% of the cases and for both girls and boys the cure rate is 75% also for both sexes and the Number of MAM cases treated ranges between 10 to 15 daily, while number of PLW treated ranged between 4 to 7 women daily.
Ultimately, The WASH and nutrition interventions the project delivered so far have addressed emergency humanitarian needs of the IDPs and host communities, without which their lives would have been at great risk. The inadequate unsafe water sources are now more accessible, clean and healthy. The personal hygiene and environment has much improved due to increased awareness and positive change in attitude and practices. VSLAs have added a new livelihood means for women and their families by starting to save and becoming economically active and contributing to households’ budget.
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The intervention activities are tailored to address urgent lifesaving needs of the vulnerable communities through improving communities’ access to WASH facilities and nutrition services. Where, the two components are expected to complement each other and the resultant outcomes are expected to reflect on the improvement of maternal and child health in particular.
The ccomparison of the actual implementation with the planned showed that the types of the activities implemented conform to the planned and that planned outputs are almost completed in accordance with the plan in quantitative and qualitative terms. while the number of beneficiaries reached exceeded the target by about 30%.
As immediate outcomes, IDPs and refugees’ camps expressed improvement in their access to safe drinking water, where 98.6% indicated obtaining water from protected sources. They also revealed satisfaction with availability of water by 65% of the HHs and the water distance has been cut to about 320 m in SD and to 106 m in ED, with an average water distance of 213 meter.
Evident progress has been made along communities’ access to and use of latrines, including women, where, 89.3% and 86.1% of target community members indicated their access to and regular use of latrines. The created hygiene awareness has induced the required positive changes in hygiene and sanitation attitude and practices among communities.
In overall, the treatment of malnutrition reached 80% of the cases and for both girls and boys the cure rate is 75% also for both sexes and the Number of MAM cases treated ranges between 10 to 15 daily, while number of PLW treated ranged between 4 to 7 women daily.
Ultimately, The WASH and nutrition interventions the project delivered so far have addressed emergency humanitarian needs of the IDPs and host communities, without which their lives would have been at great risk. The inadequate unsafe water sources are now more accessible, clean and healthy. The personal hygiene and environment has much improved due to increased awareness and positive change in attitude and practices. VSLAs have added a new livelihood means for women and their families by starting to save and becoming economically active and contributing to households’ budget.
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Mid-Term Strategic Review of the Livelihoods for Resilience Activity
CARE commissioned a Mid-Term Strategic Review (MTSR) of the Livelihoods for Resilience Activity to formulate recommendations for the remaining life of the project to increase effectiveness in achieving sustainable impact. The Livelihoods for Resilience Activity is being implemented in 27 Woredas in the three regions of Tigray, Amhara, and Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples and is just over the midway point in its five-year life from December 5, 2016, through December 3, 2021. The purpose of the Livelihoods for Resilience Activity is to reduce food insecurity and increase resilience for 97,900 chronically food insecure households that are enrolled in the fourth cycle of the Government of Ethiopia’s Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP4), enabling them to graduate with resilience from the PSNP4.
The MTSR for the Livelihoods for Resilience Activity was a formative evaluation exercise intended to provide guidance on ways to improve the effectiveness of the program in achieving intended impact.
Relative to the four global learning questions for the MTSR (see page 4), the MTSR found that the model that the Livelihoods for Resilience Activity is implementing is effective for achieving graduation with resilience, but because frontline delivery is constrained by the number of staff, their technical capacities and the degree of supervision and support that they receive, interventions are not always going deeply enough to ensure behavioral change. The program is empowering women both economically and socially through the VESA platform, but there are significant variations between regions; and outside of the VESA, there is some evidence to suggest that women’s empowerment has not yet been well incorporated, especially in value chain participation and MFI linkages. Progress is certainly being made in transferring ideas and knowledge to PSNP counterparts, but that has not yet translated into practice mainly because of resource constraints. Key approaches that need to be added or strengthened in the coming two years include expanding frontline delivery capacities, expanding efforts to ensure that strategies and approaches are well understood by implementation staff at all levels in all partners, ensuring that women’s empowerment is included in all approaches by all partners, and looking for new ways to facilitate access to jobs, either through self-employment or wage employment, for youth from PSNP households.
The Livelihoods for Resilience Activity is already doing some very nice work in starting to achieve sustainable impact. The project has strong potential to be recognized as a “great” project if it can make some adjustments.
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The MTSR for the Livelihoods for Resilience Activity was a formative evaluation exercise intended to provide guidance on ways to improve the effectiveness of the program in achieving intended impact.
Relative to the four global learning questions for the MTSR (see page 4), the MTSR found that the model that the Livelihoods for Resilience Activity is implementing is effective for achieving graduation with resilience, but because frontline delivery is constrained by the number of staff, their technical capacities and the degree of supervision and support that they receive, interventions are not always going deeply enough to ensure behavioral change. The program is empowering women both economically and socially through the VESA platform, but there are significant variations between regions; and outside of the VESA, there is some evidence to suggest that women’s empowerment has not yet been well incorporated, especially in value chain participation and MFI linkages. Progress is certainly being made in transferring ideas and knowledge to PSNP counterparts, but that has not yet translated into practice mainly because of resource constraints. Key approaches that need to be added or strengthened in the coming two years include expanding frontline delivery capacities, expanding efforts to ensure that strategies and approaches are well understood by implementation staff at all levels in all partners, ensuring that women’s empowerment is included in all approaches by all partners, and looking for new ways to facilitate access to jobs, either through self-employment or wage employment, for youth from PSNP households.
The Livelihoods for Resilience Activity is already doing some very nice work in starting to achieve sustainable impact. The project has strong potential to be recognized as a “great” project if it can make some adjustments.
Read More...