understanding how youth spend their time and money: lessons from useful research tools

AIM YouthAdvancing Integrated Microfinance for Youth

Understanding How Youth Spend Their Time and Money: Lessons from Useful

Research Tools

Megan Gash of Freedom from Hunger

Agenda

1. Financial Diaries

2. Data analysis activity

3. Sample data from savings groups in Mali

Introduction

Freedom from Hunger Initiative

Advancing Integrated Microfinance for Youth (AIM Youth)

• Provide 37,000 young people (22,000 in Mali and 15,000 in Ecuador)

with financial services integrated with youth learner-centered financial

education

• Youth are ages 13-24 years

• Mali – NGOs: savings group program; MFIs: group savings accounts.

• Ecuador - cooperatives and credit unions: individual savings

accounts.

What are financial diaries?

• Frequent surveys on financial topics

• How differ from other research methods?

• More accurate because learn the “real story”

• More detail about lives of youth

• Strengths: can identify seasons of low and high income,

cash flow, when would need more loans, how use

different financial services, fluctuations in migration

Financial Diaries in the Youth Context

• Human subjects protection protocol: university, national statistics

office; parental and youth consent

• Budget; frequency

• Youth like speaking to youth (enumerators); building trust

• Incentives to participate: small gifts relevant to youth (300 FCFA

value: soap, tea, sugar, trinkets),

• Availability: nights and weekends; call day before to confirm

• Replacements for migration

• Hawthorne effect: learn about money management

• Attitude questions work well

Study DesignStudy design

• 72 respondents: 36 treatment, 36 control (matching demographics)

• 2 areas; 3 villages per area; 6 respondents per village (18 per area)

• Purposeful yet random selection; represent geography, age, gender

Survey design:

• Surveys filled with data from last survey; use same enumerators

• Every 3 weeks for 3 months; then once a month

Data analysis:

• Systematization, periodic receipt

• Analyst

Lessons Learned

• Labor intensive

• Cut costs: less frequent surveys, smaller sample

• Flexibility, gifts are important to parents

• Follow migrating youth?

• Control villages could learn about intervention

• Same enumerators, ICT data collection if possible

• Check data early and often

• Consider qualitative follow-up: extra insight, case studies

Data Analysis Activity

Data Analysis ActivityInstructions:1. Form groups of 2-3 people2. Review data tables on handout and discuss the

following questions (10 minutes total):

1. How do the outcomes change over time?2. What is helpful about knowing how the data

changes over time?

3. Plenary discussion of conclusions (5 mins)

Key Results

• Results for July 2011 – January 2012

• Mixture of descriptive and impact analysis

• Preliminary analysis; some questions unanswered

Key Results: Demographics

• Savings Group Participant Outcomes (treatment)

• 84% are 13-17 years old; 16% are 18-24

• 86% unmarried; 55% in school

• Food Security and Poverty Level Outcomes:

July October January

Percentage of respondents who are food insecure

44% 67% 20%

Percentage of respondents who fall below the National Poverty Line

63% 67% 71%

Savings: Location

Where savings group members are saving money:

1. Savings group

2. Livestock

3. With guardian at home

“If you had the choice, where would you prefer to save your

money?”

July: 1) bank, 2) with a guardian, 3) savings group

January: 1) savings group, 2) bank, 3) with a guardian

Savings: Amount

Savings group participants are saving more & building moreassets than control group

Financial Knowledge

Improvements in knowledge:

1) identifying safe places to save money

2) identifying strategies to protect long-term strategies

3) differentiating between good and bad borrowing

decisions

Financial Attitudes

Improvements across all of these 6 indicators…

…no improvements: paying unexpected expenses, speaking up at home

Indicator (% disagree with statement) July October January

Saving for longer than one month is too hard 39% 67% 71%My money is not safe enough 70% 75% 94%I often regret purchase I make 47% 58% 72%It is difficult to save money because friends and family ask for it 28% 72% 77%I worry about using money from long-term savings for unexpected expenses - 47% 57%I have difficulty paying my own daily expenses 17% 25% 48%

Summary of Findings: Mali

• Youth earn significant amounts of their own money

• Youth are using several tools for saving

• Youth need access to loans: risk management; support for

family

• Youth savings groups have been able to increase savings

for youth in rural and remote areas

• Several positive knowledge & attitude changes!

Questions?

Thank you!