Cash Transfers and Human Development Outcomes: Tackling Child Poverty in Zimbabwe

Child poverty is a phenomenon of concern in Zimbabwe. Exacerbated by an escalating population of orphans and other vulnerable children, child poverty has been a major blow to the development of children. Its effect manifests in deprivation of basic necessities among children. There are several efforts being made by the government and other independent civil bodies to improve the general welfare and development of children countrywide. Among the recent programmes to alleviate child poverty are the household income support interventions in form of Cash Transfers. This research paper is an inquiry into the effectiveness of cash transfers in improving children human development outcomes in the context of fighting child poverty in Zimbabwe. Access to food, health and education services is the dimensions of analysis. Two cash pilot projects are being focused on: the NAP 2 and the Manicaland OVC Pilot Cash Transfer Programmes. An analysis of the Information drawn from the programmes formulation and implementation documents together with semi- structured interviews from children and caregiver beneficiaries suggests the potential for income support to be instrumental in child poverty alleviation. However, there are inherent design and practical limitations to the approach. Coupled by socio-economic household resource allocation challenges, the amount of disbursements were generally smaller to cater for the often gendered and aged based requirements of children. This makes cash transfers inadequate to be used as a stand-alone intervention to improving the general welfare of children. A more comprehensive approach focusing more on the ends and flexible to use several means is required in order to have an impact on the development of children.