Safety Net Programs and Its Impacts on the Beneficiaries Lives

Drought and chronic food insecurity have often affected millions of people in Ethiopia. Ethiopian policymakers and donor partners formulated and implemented a range of programs and policies to cope with the scourge drought and food insecurity. Disaster Prevention and Management policy, Early Warning Programs, policy and legal frameworks to set a stage for a transformed disaster management and food security, and food security program (FSP) are few among other policies and/or programs that have been launched over the last decade to ameliorate food insecurity in the country. This study, therefore, aims to examine and explore the impacts of PSNP on the lives of the beneficiaries in the Dera Malo District of Southern Ethiopia. Household Survey questionnaires, key informant interviews and focus group discussions were employed to collect useful data from 116 household heads. The findings demonstrated that not only was PSNP smoothened and improved consumption for beneficiaries who properly utilized the transfer, but it has also increased and improved household assets. Eventually, this book offers a few suggestions leading to the promotion of the positive impacts of the program.