Policies

Cash Plus Program for Youth Well-being

Context and Issue

Addressing the needs of adolescents within households benefitting from the United Republic of Tanzania's Productive Social Safety Net (PSSN) program is a priority. To this end, the "Ujana Salama" initiative, meaning 'Safe Youth' in Swahili, has been introduced. Implemented by the Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF) with technical support from the Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACAIDS) and UNICEF Tanzania, this program aims to provide comprehensive support to adolescents through cash assistance and additional services.

Solution

The 'plus' component of the Ujana Salama program offers in-person training, mentoring, grants, and healthcare services to eligible adolescents. The impact evaluation focuses on assessing the differential effects of the integrated program, which includes both the cash plus intervention targeting adolescents, compared to the PSSN alone.

Key Insights

Employing a mixed methods approach, the evaluation comprises baseline (2017), Round 2 (2018), Round 3 (2019), and Round 4 (2021) surveys. The Round 3 survey provides valuable insights into the impact of the Ujana Salama program on participating adolescents. Analyzing outcomes at different stages of program implementation offers a comprehensive understanding of the program's effectiveness in addressing the needs of vulnerable youth. The program's notable achievement was the beneficiaries' increased entrepreneurial attitudes and self-esteem.

Analysis

While the Ujana Salama program represents a promising approach to supporting adolescents in Tanzania, further analysis is required to assess its long-term impact and scalability. Continued monitoring and evaluation efforts will be essential to refine program interventions and maximize their benefits for participants. Ongoing stakeholder collaboration and dissemination of findings will contribute to evidence-based policymaking and program development in adolescent support and social safety nets.