Alexandra Lal
Research Mentor: Brandon Finn
Mentor Department: The Informal Sustainability Lab, SNRE
Author(s): Alexandra Lal, Henry Moriarty , Brandon Finn
Session: Session 2 (10:00 AM – 10:50 AM)
Presentation Type: Poster 143
Abstract
The concept of informality refers to economic activities carried out by people that are not legally recognized or protected. Informality structures how millions of people access work, housing, food, and basic services; however also poses risks to vulnerable populations. Globally, governments create cash transfer programs to aid impoverished people through both conditional and unconditional programs. Previous studies have demonstrated that many programs can have positive effects on poverty; however, other programs can negatively affect poverty and inequality or be simply ineffective. This paper explores potential interventions such as conditional programs typically used to encourage behavior (school attendance, childhood vaccinations, etc.) that could function within informal settlements such as Agbogbloshi and Old Fadama. In our study, we developed a qualitative survey and collected data in the heart of the informal e-waste site in Agbogbloshie, Accra, Ghana. The dataset includes 838 household responses. We analyzed relationships among water access, income, health, food, shelter, education, and daily community practices. Preliminary findings suggest positive relationships between income and health, as well as between neighborhood cleanliness and health. This data provides the baseline for our theoretical framework for implementing large-scale cash-transfer interventions in informal settlements, something the literature currently does not cover. We hope that this framework can serve as an example for future transfer programs within informal settlements similar to Agbogbloshie and Old Fadama.
