Poverty
Conditions
Keywords
economic empowerment model,, orphaned children and youth,, Uganda,, sub-Saharan Africa
Brief summary
The overall goal of SUUBI-MAKA is to further develop and preliminarily examine a family economic empowerment intervention that creates economic opportunities (specifically Children Development Accounts) for families in Uganda who are caring for children orphaned due to the AIDS pandemic, and to lay groundwork for a bigger study with practice and policy implications for Sub-Saharan Africa.
Detailed description
The study has two specific aims (1) To conduct formative work in order to understand children and families´ ability and interest in participating in a family-level economic empowerment intervention focused on savings and family income generation, and their response to this family-focused economic empowerment approach alongside additional intervention components, including savings for youth education and adult mentorship. (2) Based on formative data (Aim #1), to adapt the intervention and examine issues related to feasibility and preliminary outcome on a small scale in order to prepare for a larger study. The intervention, SUUBI-MAKA, uses a novel approach by focusing on economic empowerment of families caring for children orphaned due to AIDS. The intervention has three key components (1) it promotes family-level income generating projects (micro-enterprises) which we believe will enhance economic stability, reduce poverty, and enhance protective family processes for youth orphaned by AIDS. (2) It promotes monetary savings for educational opportunities for AIDS-orphaned children. (3) It provides an adult mentor to children. The intervention will be evaluated via a two-group randomized trial. The two groups are SUUBI-MAKA or Usual care for orphaned children. The participating children will be nested within 20 primary schools that will be randomly assigned such that all children from a particular school receive the same intervention.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALSuubi-Maka ('Hope for Families')
Each child in the SUUBI-MAKA condition receive the usual care plus asset focused services, specifically: a matched Child Development Account (CDA); twelve 1-2 hour training sessions on career planning, setting short-term and long-term career goals, and how to save money; and monthly mentorship program with young adult peers (undergraduate students) on life options and how to avoid risk behaviors. In addition, participants receive a 2:1 match for their deposits into the account. Further, participants and their adult caregivers receive specific training on microenterprise development and specifically on how to start an income-generating project using up to 50% of the matched savings. The intervention is delivered over a period of 24 months.
OTHERUsual Care
Each child in the control condition receives the usual services for orphaned children (counseling, school lunches, and textbooks).
Sponsors
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Columbia University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
11 Years to 16 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
1. An AIDS-orphaned child, defined as a child who has lost one or both parents to AIDS; 2. Enrolled in the last two years of primary school (even though possibly not attending regularly); 3. Between the ages of 11 to 16 years; 4. Living within a family.
Exclusion criteria
1. Any youth below 11 years or above 16 years at the time of enrollment in the study; 2. Any youth not enrolled in the final two years of primary school; 3. Any youth who does not self-identify as an AIDS-orphan; 4. Any youth not being raised primarily within a family context at the start of the study.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Savings and asset-accumulation | 12-month post-intervention | Formal and informal savings, wealth/assets (e.g. livestock, type of housing), and attitudes toward saving |
| Educational outcomes | 12-month post-intervention | School enrollment, School attendance, School grades, Educational plans and aspirations |
| Sexual risk taking | 12-month post-intervention | Sexual risk taking behavior (onset of sexual intercourse, unprotected sexual intercourse), Intentions to engage in sexual risk behaviors, HIV knowledge |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mental health | 12-month post-intervention | Self-esteem, depression, hopelessness, helplessness |
| Social and family support | 12-month post-intervention | Child-caregiver relationship, family cohesion, family communication, family support |
Countries
Uganda
Outcome results
None listed