The Long-Term Impacts of Grants on Poverty: 9-Year Evidence from Uganda's Youth Opportunities Program
In 2008, Uganda granted hundreds of small groups $400/person to help members start individual skilledtrades. Four years on, an experimental evaluation found grants raised earnings by 38% (Blattman,Fiala, Martinez 2014). We return after 9 years to find these start-up grants acted more as a kick-startthan a lift out of poverty. Grantees' investment leveled off; controls eventually increased their incomesthrough business and casual labor; and so both groups converged in employment, earnings, and consumption.Grants had lasting impacts on assets, skilled work, and possibly child health, but had little effect onmortality, fertility, health or education.