How Does Nepal’s Child Grant Work for Dalit Children and Their Families? A mixed-methods assessment of programme delivery and impact in Bajura and Saptari

Organization(s): ODI, UNICEF
Author: Anita Ghimire, Jessica Hagen-Zanker, Richard Mallett
Regions: Asia, Global South
Year: 2015
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This study examines the delivery and impact of Nepal’s Child Grant, so as to identify implementation barriers and recommend ways to improve effectiveness. The cash transfer is targeted at all households with children aged up to five years in the Karnali zone and at poor Dalit households in the rest of the country. Its objective is to improve children’s nutrition. The Grant covers up to two children per household, with a transfer level of NRS 200 ($1.95) per child per month. Dalit households are eligible if they meet the wealth criterion, which is based on food security and land ownership. The focus of this study is specifically on how the Grant works for Dalit households.

The analysis is based on mixed-methods research conducted in late 2014/early 2015, using a survey of 2,000 Dalit households and more than 70 in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. The two districts selected – Bajura in the Far-Western Mountains and Saptari in the Eastern Terai – have a high share of Dalit households compared with the national average.