World Bank Provides a Boost to Burundi’s Social Protection System
WASHINGTON —The World Bank Group has approved $150 million in financing to continue supporting Burundi’s social protection sector through the new “Cash for Jobs” (Cash4Jobs) Project. The objectives of this project are to strengthen the management capacity of social safety net programs and scale them up in order to promote more effective coverage while facilitating access to employment for the most vulnerable populations.
The project aims to reduce poverty by protecting vulnerable populations through cash transfers and accompanying measures that will help improve the country’s human capital indicators. It will also promote economic opportunities through access to productive inclusion initiatives and jobs.
“Burundi’s Cash4Jobs project is part of a series of projects supporting job creation in Burundi by prioritizing economic empowerment activities for women and youth. It complements the Skills4Jobs project approved in June earlier this year and is in line with the vision of the Government of Burundi to strengthen community resilience and promote inclusive economic growth,” said Jean Christophe Carret, World Bank Country Director for Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe.
The Cash4Jobs project, which will cover all 18 provinces of Burundi, is scaling up some components of the ongoing “Merankabandi” social safety net support project which has targeted 4 provinces with satisfactory results. In addition to cash transfers and activities to improve human capital, the project introduces accompanying measures for job creation, strengthens the development of social protection delivery systems, and ensures the integration of refugees and communities into national social protection systems. The grant funding for the Burundi Cash4Jobs project is provided by the International Development Association (IDA)* and will be implemented over five years.
* The World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), established in 1960, helps the world’s poorest countries by providing grants and low to zero-interest loans for projects and programs that boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve poor people’s lives. IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the world’s 74 poorest countries, 39 of which are in Africa. Resources from IDA bring positive change to the 1.3 billion people who live in IDA countries. Since 1960, IDA has provided $458 billion to 114 countries. Annual commitments have averaged about $29 billion over the last three years (FY19-FY21), with about 70 percent going to Africa. Learn more online: IDA.worldbank.org. #IDAworks