Short-Term Impacts of a Pay-it-Forward Livestock Transfer and Training Program in Nepal

摘要

This study evaluates the short-term (1.5 year) impacts of a multifaceted livestock transfer and training program in rural Nepal using a randomized control trial (RCT). The program seeks to reduce poverty through group formation, livestock transfers (two doe goats), technical trainings, and values-based training. Values-based training encourages beneficiaries to "pay it forward" (PIF) by providing technical training and the first-born female offspring of their received goats to another individual in their community. We ask three questions: (i) what are the short-term impacts of the program? (ii) Are all program components necessary to achieve impact? (iii) Is the PIF mechanism effective at spreading impacts?Despite the popularity of livestock transfer and training programs as anti-poverty interventions, until recently there was little empirical evidence of their effectiveness. Banerjee et al. (2015) evaluate the impact of the BRAC Graduation program, an intensive asset transfer and training program, in six countries. After three years the BRAC program has positive impacts on expenditure, food security, assets, finance, time use, income, and mental health. Women's empowerment initiallyincreases, but the effect dissipates over time. Spillover effects are not detected. The BRAC program is distinct from the program evaluated here in several important ways. First, the size of the transfer is two to four times larger. Second, beneficiaries received regular food or cash transfers for up to a year. Third, beneficiaries were not expected to transfer program benefits on to others.