Kenya Youth Savings Impact Assessment

Principal Investigator: Fred Ssewamala, PhD

Project Team: Joseph Kieyah, PhD (KIPPRA), Githinji Njenga (KIPPRA)

Field Coordinator: Evah Mwangi

Research Collaborators: Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA), Kenya Post Office Bank, Save the Children (Kenya)

This study measures the impacts of a youth-focused monetary savings program, which includes seeded savings accounts registered at a financial institution in Kenya, on developmental outcomes, overall health and well-being, psychosocial outcomes, sexual risk-taking behavior, family stability outcomes, agricultural productivity and employment opportunities for girls and boys enrolled in public primary schools throughout Kenya. The study also measures the extent to which the youth-focused monetary savings program affects the enrolled youths’ family household finances. Research to date suggests that savings accounts for low-income youth may be a high-leverage tool to achieve both youth development and financial inclusion objectives.

Kenya Youth Savings Impact Assessment Publications

Johnson, L., Lee, Y., Njenga, G., Kieyah, J., Osei-Akoto, I., Rodriguez Orgales, C., Ssewamala, F. M., … Zou, L. (2018). School banking as a strategy for strengthening youth economic participation in developing countries: Lessons from YouthSave. Global Social Welfare, 5(4), 265-275. Springer

Kagotho, N., Bowen, N. K., Ssewamala, F. M., Vaughn, M. G., & Kirkbride, G. (2018). Cross-national validity of the Beck Hopelessness Scale for children and adolescents: findings from the YouthSave-Impact Study Kenya. International Journal of Culture and Mental Health, 1-13. Taylor & Francis Online

Kagotho, J., Nabunya, P., Ssewamala, F., Mwangi, E.N., & Njenga, F. (2017). The role of family financial socialization and financial management skills on youth saving behavior. Journal of Adolescence, 59, 134-138. PMID: 28628807 Science Direct

Kagotho, N., Patak-Pietrafesa, M., Ssewamala, F. M., & Kirkbride, G. (2018). Assessing the association between depression and savings for Kenyan youth using a validated child depression inventory measure. Journal of Adolescent Health, 62(1), S21-S28. Science Direct