Effects of Household Size on Cash Transfer Utilization for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Rural Ghana

Abstract

Ghana’s Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) program was implemented in 2008 to provide social protection to vulnerable groups, such as orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). This qualitative study explored how household size influenced the extent to which the basic needs of OVC were met. A purposive sampling method was used to recruit 21 households caring for OVC. In-depth interviews were conducted with 21 caregivers and 10 OVC, to gather data for the study. The findings indicated that household size influenced spending decisions of caregivers, although the cash transfer was conditional. Additionally, it was found that the cash received by caregivers was used to benefit all children in the households, both beneficiary and non-beneficiary. Based on the findings, we conclude that cash transfers will have the intended impact on beneficiaries if traditional family living systems and practices are taken into consideration in the design and implementation of national social protection programs.