SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF PRODUCTIVE SAFETY NET PROGRAM IN MENZ MAMA MIDIR WOREDA, AMHARA NATIONAL REGIONAL STATE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the socio economic impact of productive safety net program (PSNP) in Menz Mama Midir Woreda of North Shewa Zone, Ethiopia. Evaluating the impact of the program has vital role in making the program more effective and the communities to benefit more from. To this effect, a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods was employed, such as household survey, semi-structured interview and focus group discussion (FGD). A cross sectional data were collected from randomly selected 120 households located in three Kebeles, namely Gurmign, Kewaryat and Kolomargefiya. Stratified random sampling was found crucial to consider the different subgroup of people, male and female headed households, who accurately represent the study population at large. To this end, various techniques of analysis such as descriptive statistics, and triangulating the data were also basis for the study results. The finding of the study revealed that PSNP programs have shown visible impact on improvement of educational and health status of the target population. The gross enrolments have shown considerable improvement and the number of students increased after intervention. In similar way, health situation of target area population have shown considerable improvement. The average distance to schools, human health and veterinary institutions, local markets, feeder roads, water points and means of transport have been reduced through PSNP public work project, access and utilization of these facilities contribute to the socioeconomic status of households in the community. The findings of this research also revealed that PSNP has brought significant improvement in households’ food consumption status and in protecting assets of the beneficiaries from depletion. The beneficiary households were able to narrow their food gap. Moreover, most PSNP beneficiary households reported that they were able to maintaining their assets, and creating additional assets. However, there were challenges like dependency attitudes, deteriorating of entrepreneur abilities in the community and labor market distortion that hinder the program to fully attain its objectives that concerned bodies need to provide due attention and address the needs of the poor.