Receiving cash-assistance: through the eyes of beneficiaries
What is it like being on the receiving end of cash? In the eastern town of Kebribayah, Ethiopia, we spoke to three Somali refugee women at a distribution center to find out how they use their cash-assistance and what difference it makes to their lives.
The World Food Programme (WFP) is integrating cash to its food security and nutrition programmes to empower beneficiaries with choice. The second most populous nation of the African continent, Ethiopia has seen significant progress in human development over the past decades. However, almost one third of the population still do not have access to nutritious food throughout the year. WFP works hand-in-hand with Ethiopia’s ARRA (Agency for Refugees and Returnees Affairs) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to pilot a combined cash and food assistance activity in five refugee camps.
“Food is first”
Single mother of three, Ardo, came to the camp to collect her food and cash. She’s wearing a scarlet red robe that billows in the gentle wind. When asked how she prefers to use her assistance, Ardo replies that each month, she tries to save some cash to repay part of her accumulated debts, but more pressing needs mean she falls short of that ambition: “I spend it all in the first 20 days [of the month] on food — rice, spaghetti and sugar — and some on charcoal and water.”
WFP has found that when needs assessments and targeting are accurate, beneficiaries overwhelmingly use cash transfers to meet their food needs — which is the main intent of our cash assistance.
Nino, who also collects rations and cash for her loved ones, confirms this: “There’s no choice — food is first,” she points to the rations on the ground beside her. “I want my kids to grow up strong, so they need good food — that’s science.” Nino uses the cash to compliment the food basket which includes vegetable oil, corn-soy blend, salt and pulses. Whereas the Ethiopian food basket is standard, cash allows her to buy produce based on her family’s preferences — but within the restrictions of the local market. “I wish there was cheaper fruit available, but it doesn’t grow around here. I buy some greens from the market but it’s mostly pasta and rice.”
“Women know what the family needs”
Cash can have unique programmatic outcomes, such as gender empowerment, by providing women with access and control over household resources. Indeed, in refugee camps women are the primary food managers within their households (WFP, 2018 Community and Household survey).
“I hold the cash. After all, I’m the one coming to collect it,” explains Mariam proudly. “I keep it and I spend it. Women know what the family needs because the men are out looking for work every day and don’t realize how much food costs or which shop has the cheapest rice.”
Safety, Security and Empowerment
What about the risks of cash? According to our research, cash is not riskier than food; it simply requires different assurance methods.
In Ethiopia as in other countries where WFP does cash assistance, we implement risk mitigation measures based on the transfer amount and location. These include identity confirmation, monitoring systems, random spot-checks. To mitigate the risks for beneficiaries themselves, we make sure they have access to feedback mechanisms where they can express their grievances, such as misuse hotlines, and we communicate the possible risks of cash and how best to avoid them.
Cash is not a silver bullet to Ethiopia’s complex humanitarian situation — but it does have strategic advantages and can be a cost-efficient to achieve food security and nutritious outcomes. Most people are used to buying their own food and doing their weekly groceries, rather than receiving rations — in addition to strategic outcomes, cash puts beneficiaries at the center of aid and helps to restore a sense of normalcy into their everyday lives.
