SEME: Reducing Poverty and Improving Education in Côte d’Ivoire
Soutenir Les Enfant à la Maison et à l'École / Supporting Children at Home and at School with Economic and Education Interventions
Over the next century the largest increase in the world population will take place in Africa. This fast-rising population will bring major challenges but also significant economic opportunities. Côte d’Ivoire (CIV) ranks 170 of 189 countries in the Human Development Index and is also the largest producer of cocoa in the world. In rural cocoa-
producing communities, poverty is rampant and has reached levels as high as 61.2% (Fonds Monetaire International, 2009), with many households surviving on $1-2 a day (Côte d’Ivoire, 2015). Cocoa accounts for 74% of total income for the average cocoa-growing household in Cote d’Ivoire, creating a great reliance on the crop. The pressure to produce cocoa often means it is a family affair—it is estimated that 1.3 million school-aged children (out of a population of 3.7 million) are working in cocoa production (Tulane University, 2015), largely concentrated in rural areas. At the same time, the government is committed to expanding educational access through universal basic education for all children ages 6-16. Yet educational quality and learning outcomes are very low, especially in cocoa growing regions. The lack of quality and relevant education can also push children out of school and into family farming. In this study, we apply a two-pronged approach to address both poverty and educational outcomes, testing individually and in combination two interventions: cash transfers (CT) and educational-quality improvement. With this integrated approach to poverty-alleviation and education, we aim to maximize the impact interventions on child development, learning, and labor participation, and multiply the magnitude of possibility for rural children in CIV.
Collaborators: (Co-PI), (Co-PI), Dr. Fabrice Tanoh
Implementing Partners: ,
Funding: