Final Evaluation of the Project of Community Savings for Girls, Children, Young Men and Women
An evaluation of the Community Savings Project financed by Red Nose Day and implemented by Oxfam and local partners in El Salvador and Guatemala.
This is an evaluation of the Final Assessment of the Community Savings Project for Girls, Boys, Young Men and Women financed by Red Nose Day and implemented by Oxfam and local partners. This program was operating in Guatemala and El Salvador from August 1, 2015 until July 31, 2016 and this assessment covers the work done between 2015 and 2016. The evaluation was implemented using a mixed quantitative and qualitative approach. Findings from a baseline and an end line were compared to assess changes over time.
The assessment was conducted by INGAFTA, a local evaluation firm, through a competitive process, and reflects the findings that were reported and
validated by stakeholders. The three expected results of the project were: 1) 2,000 rural women, girls, boys, and youth (men and women) to be organized into 150 community savings groups; (2) 300 rural youth to develop entrepreneurial ideas for income generation in their localities ; and (3) to strengthen personal skills and organizational capacities of 50% of the participants in this project. Among the main findings are: The project contributed to reduce the socioeconomic vulnerability of participants, it generated new dynamics to access savings and credits, it helped participants to identify market opportunities for entrepreneurship initiatives, and it generated capacity to exercise their rights and responsibilities. One of the innovations implemented in the project was the development of a Saving for Change manual to implement this methodology with youth.