Innovative study into causes of child poverty

Two thousand children in Ethiopia have been selected for a 15-year 'fly-on-the-wall' study, assessing the root causes and long-term consequences of childhood poverty. Experts will monitor some of the country’s poorest children from the age of six months until they reach their 15th birthday. The results are expected to form the largest and possibly the most comprehensive study ever on the insidious affects of poverty among children. The information will be used by policymakers and may help address the massive scale of poverty that affects some 600 million children around the world - an estimated one in four children. The project is being sponsored by the British government through its aid arm - the Department for International Development (DFID) - and involves the government of Ethiopia, Save the Children-UK, Addis Ababa University Economics Department, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organisation. The innovative scheme is also being carried out in three other countries - India, Peru and Vietnam - and a database containing the survey data will be compiled. The project team will work closely with stakeholders so that their findings can be used to develop sound policies for children living in poverty. “Today’s poor children are all too often tomorrow’s poor parents,” said John Graham, Programme Director of SCF-UK in Ethiopia, which will coordinate the study. “This is a disaster for individuals and society, as the health, wellbeing and productivity of future generations is compromised. Thus, child poverty is a potential time bomb.” Project partners are working to secure lasting funds to complete the 15-year study which is called 'Young Lives: International Study of Childhood Poverty'. In Ethiopia, researchers will track the lives of 2,000 children and their families in the regions of Oromiya, Amhara, Tigray and Southern Nations, Nationalities and People's Region (SNNPR). Children in the capital Addis Ababa – where some 60,000 young people live on the streets - will also be part of the scheme. In addition, 1,000 eight-year-old children and their households will be studied for comparative purposes. Comprehensive questionnaires will also be administered at the household and community levels. “This is a major opportunity to monitor, analyse and evaluate social, economic and health indicators affecting Ethiopian children and their families,” said UNICEF Representative Ibrahim Jabr. “With these data, all stakeholders, including the government, UN agencies and NGOs, can work together to alleviate poverty and improve the lives of children throughout Ethiopia. These children, being vulnerable, must have their rights protected,” he said.