The Returns to Microenterprise Support among the Ultrapoor: A Field Experiment in Postwar Uganda

Christopher Blattman, Eric P. Green, Julian Jamison, M. Christian Lehmann and Jeannie Annan

American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 2016, vol. 8, issue 2, 35-64

Abstract: We show that extremely poor, war-affected women in northern Uganda have high returns to a package of $150 cash, five days of business skills training, and ongoing supervision. Sixteen months after grants, participants doubled their microenterprise ownership and incomes, mainly from petty trading. We also show these ultrapoor have too little social capital, but that group bonds, informal insurance, and cooperative activities could be induced and had positive returns. When the control group received cash and training 20 months later, we varied supervision, which represented half of the program costs. A year later, supervision increased business survival but not consumption. (JEL I38, J16, J23, J24, L26, O15, Z13)

JEL-codes: I38 J16 J23 J24 L26 O15 Z13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
Note: DOI: 10.1257/app.20150023
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (65)

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Working Paper: The Returns to Microenterprise Support Among the Ultra-Poor: A Field Experiment in Post-War Uganda (2015)
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