Child deprivation and the power of cash: evidence from Northern Uganda’s NUSAF3 Programme

Pomati, Marco ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3370-2709, Nandy, Shailen ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1066-9181, Angemi, Diego and Akampwera, Herbert 2025. Child deprivation and the power of cash: evidence from Northern Uganda’s NUSAF3 Programme. Child Indicators Research 10.1007/s12187-025-10315-w

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Abstract

This paper presents the first empirical analysis of the Northern Uganda Social Action Fund 3 (NUSAF3) using a Consensual Approach child deprivation index based on socially perceived necessities. Panel data on a sample of NUSAF3 beneficiaries shows that between 2016 and 2021, child deprivation declined significantly among beneficiaries, especially among those receiving cash transfers. These reductions outpaced those seen among recipients of enterprise grants or skillstraining, and exceeded national trends. The findings support growing evidence on the effectiveness of direct cash transfers in reducing poverty and show the potential of the Consensual Approach for effective poverty reduction assessment.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	In Press
Schools:	Schools > Social Sciences (Includes Criminology and Education)
Publisher:	Springer
ISSN:	1874-897X
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	7 January 2026
Date of Acceptance:	14 November 2025
Last Modified:	07 Jan 2026 15:30
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/183692

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