In Angola young people and children represent a majority of the population. The United Nations Children’s Fund estimates that nearly four in ten under-fives suffer from stunting, hindering their cognitive development and setting them back in life. And under-five mortality is as much as 83 deaths per 1,000 live births, also according to UNICEF projections. In this context, social protection programmes for children such as cash transfers represent an important tool to foster child wellbeing, as well as a very first building-block towards inclusive social protection systems.
We are supporting UNICEF Angola and the Ministry of Social Action, Family and the Promotion of Women with the design and effective implementation of the country’s very first cash transfer, aimed at young children. The cash transfer will be a key component of Angola’s broader social protection system, as social protection programmes for children represent an important tool to foster child wellbeing, as well as a first building-block towards an inclusive social protection system.
The pilot cash transfer, which we started work on in 2017, is being implemented in the three provinces of Bie, Moxico and Uige. We developed the tools and materials necessary for the operational and technical components of the cash transfer design. The operational design includes registration mechanisms; assessing payment modality options; developing the operations manuals; and integrating the cash transfer into a MIS, among others. We will provide on-going technical assistance and operational support to the programme in the years ahead.
Angola’s first cash transfer will provide children with a good start in life, including improved nutrition and help address key risks that can have irreversible impacts.