BACKGROUND

Forca a Crianca e Comunidade (FCC) is a five-year cooperative agreement implemented by World Education and designed to provide education, social and economic strengthening to orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Manica, Sofala and Zambezia. Food Security Innovations Lab, part of the BASIS-AMA consortium implemented by UC Davis in conjunction with other US-based universities, is completing a prospective independent impact evaluation of the FCC activity.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

FCC intervention communities were selected randomly and paired with similar nearby control communities in which FCC was not implemented. Both intervention and control control communities participated in a baseline survey assessing a selection of key economic, educational and health/HIV-related indicators. When endline survey data is collected from the same intervention and control communities, it will be possible to determine whether there were improvements directly attributable to the FCC program. 

EXPECTED RESULTS/IMPACTS

Baseline data collection was completed in 2017 and end-line data collection will be complete by the end of 2019. Preliminary findings will be shared with IHO on December 4, 2019 and complete findings and final report are expected in the first part of 2020. The communities studied in the evaluation included two districts which were directly affected by cyclone Idai, and the researchers have applied for additional funding through USAID/Washington as well as other donors to include additional future survey rounds assessing whether the FCC program beneficiary families or communities had improved resilience during cyclone recovery. The research team has also applied for continued funding from non-USAID donors to gather additional data from HIV clinical records and complete individual-level analyses of student grade progression directly attributable to the FCC program.