Youth and Adult Microfinance to Improve Resilience Outcomes in DRC

描述(申请人提供)：我们研究的背景--刚果民主共和国东部--的主要特点是缺乏安全、不可预测性和 在日常生活中缺乏结构。基本服务和机构，如学校和卫生所，遭到武装团体的破坏或故意破坏。家庭和社会网络因暴力、强奸、抢劫和绑架而流离失所。即使在这些重大逆境的背景下，刚果个人、家庭和社区也表现出了韧性，并努力重建他们的未来，例如，通过积极参与成人畜牧业小额信贷计划--猪促和平(PFP)。除了小额信贷的经济利益外，有证据表明，它可能是改善青年和成年人的健康和社会成果的有效工具。我们在刚果民主共和国农村地区的PFP小额信贷计划的初步证据表明，参与该计划的家庭的健康和经济稳定性得到了改善。然而，私营部门筹资方案小额供资对参与家庭中的青年的直接影响尚不清楚。研究人员建议利用他们现有的研究--改善刚果(金)农村强奸幸存者健康的小额信贷干预(R01MD006075-01)，测试青年主导的畜牧业小额信贷计划与成人PFP小额信贷计划关于青年、家庭和社区复原力成果的有效性。这项纵向、混合方法、整群随机的社区试验将包括24个村庄的家庭，随机分为三组：1)青年主导的小额信贷+私营部门筹资方案小额信贷；2)仅由青年牵头的小额信贷；以及3)仅私营部门筹资方案小额贷款。参与家庭中10至14岁的所有青年都有资格参加青年主导的小额信贷方案，父母/照顾者中有一人有资格享受私营部门筹资方案。结果将从多个来源收集，包括：青年复原力(上学、与家庭成员和同龄人的关系、健康、自尊、对未来的展望)、家庭复原力(家庭经济、粮食安全、父母/照顾者健康)和社区复原力(青年和成年人参与社区活动，如体育、传统舞蹈和合唱团)。这项研究涉及国家儿童健康与人类发展研究所(NICHD)的优先事项，以开发和测试干预措施，以减少健康差距，改善儿童、家庭和社区的健康。研究结果将为大规模实施结构性干预措施提供科学依据，目的是在青年和成人小额供资方案之间建立因果关系，并改善青年、家庭和村庄在冲突后环境中的复原力成果。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the setting for our study, has primarily been characterized by a loss of security, unpredictability and lack of structure in daily life. Essential services and institutions, such as schools and health clinics were damaged or purposely destroyed by armed groups. Family and social networks were displaced by violence, rape, looting and abduction. Even in the context of these significant adversities, Congolese individuals, families and communities are demonstrating resilience and working to rebuild their futures, for example, through active participation in an adult animal husbandry microfinance program, Pigs for Peace (PFP). In addition to the economic benefits of microfinance, there is evidence to suggest that it may be an effective vehicle for improving health and social outcomes for youth and adults. Initial evidence from our PFP microfinance program in rural DRC indicates that health and economic stability is improved in participating households. However, the direct impact of the PFP microfinance on youth in participating households is not known. The investigators propose to leverage their existing study, A Microfinance Intervention to Improve Health of Rape Survivors in DRC (R01MD006075-01) in rural DRC villages to test the effectiveness of a youth- led animal husbandry microfinance program combined with the adult PFP microfinance program on youth, family and community resilience outcomes. This longitudinal, mixed-method, cluster randomized community trial will include households in 24 villages randomized to one of three groups: 1) youth-led microfinance plus PFP microfinance; 2) youth-led microfinance only; and 3) PFP microfinance only. All youth in participating households ages 10-14 years are eligible for the youth-led microfinance program and one parent/caregiver is eligible for PFP. The outcomes will be collected from multiple sources and will include: youth resilience (school attendance, relationship with family members and peers, health, self-esteem, outlook for future), family resilience (household economy, food security, parent/caregiver health) and community resilience (youth and adults engagement in community activities such as sports, traditional dance, and choir). The study addresses National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) priorities to develop and test interventions to reduce health disparities and improve the health of children, families and communities. Research findings will inform the science base for large-scale implementation of structural interventions, with the aim to establish a causal relationship between youth and adult microfinance programs and improved resilience outcomes of youth, families and villages in post-conflict settings.