Articles & Special Issues Asset Building Financial Inclusion

Faith-Based Institutions as Project Implementers: An Innovative Economic Empowerment Intervention for Care and Support of Aids-Orphaned and Vulnerable Children in Rural Uganda

Prior studies have illustrated the relationship between asset-ownership and adolescents’ health and educational outcomes (Sherer et al., 2004; Zhan & Sherraden, 2003; Booysen & Van Der Berg, 2005). None of these studies, however, focused on care and support for adolescents through economic empowerment models—specifically microfinance-related models— implemented by a faith-based institution. Thus, this paper examines the efficacy and feasibility of an economic empowerment intervention implemented by a faith-based organization in rural Uganda. More specifically, the study aims to estimate the effects of the intervention on educational performance and aspirations, sexual risk-taking, and monetary savings behavior among orphaned and vulnerable children.

Project: SEED-Uganda

Citation

Ssewamala, F., & Ismayilova, L. (2008). Faith-based institutions as project implementers: An innovative economic empowerment intervention for care and support of AIDS-orphaned and vulnerable children in rural Uganda. In P. Joshi, S. Hawkins, & J. Novey (Eds.), Innovations in effective compassion: Compendium of research papers for the White House FBO Conference (pp. 213–235). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.