CGAP–Ford Foundation Graduation Pilot
Yemen

Name of project: Yemen CGAP–Ford Foundation Graduation Pilot
Project implementers: Social Fund for Development (SFD) and Social Welfare Fund (SWF)
Project partners: None
Location: 3 governates- 2 in South, 1 in North Yemen
Start date: 2010
No. of clients reached: Plan to reach 900 households
Research: Qualitative research by Brac Development Institute
Consumption support: Government cash transfer- 5,000YER (US$24)per month
Livelihoods: TBD
Financial service: Individual savings account at the post office
Additional services: TBD

SFD was established in 1997 in Yemen, as one of the measures to cushion the effects of the government’s reform programs on vulnerable groups, especially the poor. SFD seeks to reduce poverty by improving living conditions and providing income-generating opportunities for the poor. SWF is a government agency dedicated to alleviating poverty in Yemen.
The Yemen CGAP–Ford Foundation Graduation Pilot will test if the graduation model can help lead many of the poorest to sustainable livelihoods and out of chronic food insecurity.

Project status
The pilot will target 900 households considered to be among the poorest, but who have the potential to engage in economic activities.

A market assessment with a subsector analysis is currently being conducted and should provide a short list of suitable livelihood activities. Decisions on the asset transfer will be taken once the market study has been completed, but it is anticipated that the value of assets will be between $150 and $200.

Next steps include discussion with microfinance institutions working in the region to design an appropriate savings product for program participants and the development of a simple financial education module to provide basic lessons on saving and managing money.