Evaluation of a savings and micro-credit program for vulnerable young women in Nairobi

Abstract

Tap and Reposition Youth (TRY) was a four-year initiative undertaken by the Population Council and K-Rep Development Agency to reduce adolescents’ vulnerabilities to adverse social and reproductive health outcomes by improving livelihoods options. The project targeted out-of-school adolescent girls and young women aged 16–22 residing in low-income and slum areas of Nairobi. TRY used a modified group-based micro-finance model to extend integrated savings, credit, business support, and mentoring to out-of-school adolescents and young women. A longitudinal study of participants was conducted with a matched comparison group identified through cross-sectional community-based studies, undertaken at baseline and endline to enable an assessment of changes associated with the project. This report states that 326 participants and their controls were interviewed at baseline and 222 pairs were interviewed at endline. The results suggest that rigorous micro-finance models may be appropriate for a subset of girls, especially those who are older and less vulnerable. The impact on noneconomic indicators is less clear. Additional experimentation and adaptation is required to develop livelihoods models that acknowledge and respond to the particular situation of adolescent girls.