GETTING SMART IN THE FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY
In South Sudan, we’ve just finished trialing a new cash transfer project with a technological twist…
Cash transfer programming – giving people cash rather than goods – has been one of the most successful recent developments in providing humanitarian aid. It’s an effective and dignifying way to support people in need.
By giving cash, Tearfund and our partners put the decision-making back into the hands of those we serve. Cash is given to people who need and will benefit from it the most. But in Juba, South Sudan, instead of coins and notes, people have been given digital smart cards. These are pre-loaded with the local currency and can be used to buy food, goods, and to access services.
We tested how this smart card technology can be used in remote areas to provide vulnerable families with access to food and other vital items they need to live.
Good choices
Violent clashes between warring parties began in Juba in December 2013 and soon spread to other parts of the country. The conflict forced many people to flee their homes. Drought and extreme weather conditions make farming difficult, leaving millions malnourished. Such challenging conditions are hardest on children, people with disabilities, and pregnant or new mothers.
“When Tearfund came here, I was registered and given a smart card. This has helped to change my life.”
- Grace
We piloted the program with 500 families, providing them with $120 per month. They could choose to either use their smart cards to obtain cash or to buy food and other items from local Tearfund-contracted vendors. Or a mix of the two.
Take up was high. By the second month, more than 80 percent of those who were offered the service were using it.
One of them was Joyce, who says, “When I registered in Tearfund’s project I was pregnant. But there was not enough food for my family. I like the smart card because it keeps the money safe. When I gave birth to my baby I was not able to go to the shop. But my money on the card was safe and meant I could buy milk for my baby.”
Out of danger
Grace is another woman who has benefited from the project. Her husband passed away a few years ago. She says the smart cards have been invaluable.
“I don’t have anyone helping me and my children, and we often didn’t have enough food in the house. I used to go to the bush to collect firewood and sell in the market, using the money to buy food. Sometimes I met people with guns in the bush and they stopped me getting any wood, so we went hungry that day. When Tearfund came here, I was registered and given a smart card. This has helped to change my life. I no longer need to go to the forest to collect and sell firewood.”
Paola Castiati, Tearfund’s Global Cash Specialist, says of this groundbreaking initiative, “I have run a number of projects in South Sudan, but none of them have given the same positive feedback from beneficiaries as this. The smart cards make their lives easier – they feel less exposed, more confident and less stressed. They feel like they can live again.”
PLEASE PRAY:
Father God,
Thank you for technology. We know that it is not always used for good, but we thank you for the way that smart cards for cash programming are helping to fight poverty. May this pilot program in South Sudan be a catalyst for setting up more projects in the toughest, most fragile places on Earth. Lord, you are the restorer of life. Help us all to be your hands and feet on earth today, giving of ourselves to each other. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
