The Returns to Microenterprise Support among the Ultrapoor: A Field Experiment in Postwar Uganda

A-Tier
Journal: American Economic Journal: Applied Economics
Year: 2016
Volume: 8
Issue: 2
Pages: 35-64

Authors (5)

Christopher Blattman (University of Chicago) Eric P. Green (not in RePEc) Julian Jamison (not in RePEc) M. Christian Lehmann (Universidade de Brasília) Jeannie Annan (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

0.804 = (α=2.01 / 5 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We show that extremely poor, war-affected women in northern Uganda have high returns to a package of $150 cash, five days of business skills training, and ongoing supervision. Sixteen months after grants, participants doubled their microenterprise ownership and incomes, mainly from petty trading. We also show these ultrapoor have too little social capital, but that group bonds, informal insurance, and cooperative activities could be induced and had positive returns. When the control group received cash and training 20 months later, we varied supervision, which represented half of the program costs. A year later, supervision increased business survival but not consumption. (JEL I38, J16, J23, J24, L26, O15, Z13)

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aejapp:v:8:y:2016:i:2:p:35-64
Journal Field
General
Author Count
5
Added to Database
2026-01-24