Education Commons^™

Safe And Smart Savings For Vulnerable Girls In Kenya And Uganda: The Evolving Model, Lessons Learned, And Recommendations, Karen Austrian, Eunice N. Muthengi, Angela Wambugu, Dennitah Ghati, Elizabeth Kariuki

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

To make a healthy and safe transition to adulthood—completing school, remaining HIV negative, avoiding unwanted pregnancies, and finding a meaningful livelihood—adolescent girls require a combination of social, health, and economic assets. The Population Council and partners designed, implemented, and evaluated Safe and Smart Savings Products for Vulnerable Adolescent Girls—a three-part program to build assets through weekly group meetings led by female community mentors. The program included group meetings, financial and basic health education, and a formal savings account. This brief provides a description of the program model and how it evolved from the pilot to the rollout phases from Kenya …