Briefing Paper

Nature of Non-State Services in Social Protection

“Most non-State actors in social protection offer multiple services and do not specialise. The majority are small community-based organisations (CBOs) which respond flexibly to local needs. Research in 30 different areas of six countries (Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda) show non-state social protection services include: mutual health insurance, welfare associations, burial groups, reunion of lost persons or war returnees, feeding programmes, food aid, cash transfers, humanitarian relief, family support services, child protection through orphanages, reception centres for
gender-based violence victims and
abandoned children, HIV testing, treatment
and psychosocial services, micro credit
schemes, savings and credit associations/groups, crop diversification
and agricultural inputs, labour support,
school fees supplements, skills training,
childhood development, women’s empowerment, advocacy and legal aid
services.”