Grenada’s SEED Program: A Report on Sustainable Development Goals
Grenada, classified as a low-medium income economy, contends with a poverty rate exceeding 37%, with 15% deemed vulnerable to heightened poverty in the aftermath of natural disasters.
In 2019, with guidance from the World Bank, the Government of Grenada amalgamated three cash transfer programs into a unified initiative called “Support for Education, Empowerment and Development (SEED).” This consolidation, featuring the Public Assistance Program, Necessitous Funds and the School Transportation Allowance scheme, aimed at streamlining assistance efforts.
SEED Program Outcomes in Grenada: Elevating Lives
To gauge the success of the SEED program in Grenada, four key outcomes were established within a consolidation framework. These outcomes include the number of households from the poorest strata benefiting from the program, the percentage of program transfers reaching these households, school attendance rates and the percentage of households receiving preventative health care services.
- The aid provided to households was incrementally improved, adapting to the evolving needs of the poor.
- Criteria for cash transfers were meticulously determined based on specific characteristics like age, marital status, employment status and education level.
- In 2017, the allocation per household was EC$300 per month, and in 2018, a 30% increase in aid was implemented to counter rising commodity prices and the cost of living.
- The impact assessment revealed a reduction in poverty by more than 2%.
Education and Student Support
Recognizing the crucial role of education in poverty reduction and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Inclusive and equitable education for all), the Government of Grenada (GoG) focused on supporting students amid the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the 2017/2018 academic year, primary and secondary school enrollment exceeded 22,000 students. The SEED program played a vital role by assisting almost 17,000 students. However, the onset of the pandemic led to mandatory school closures, affecting more than 24,000 students who lacked access to online classes for an initial period of nine months. In January 2021, schools gradually resumed in-person classes, adopting a blended curriculum format.
- Throughout the closures, students received support from the SEED program, addressing essential needs such as food and transportation.
- The government actively explores solutions, including the distribution of mobile devices to facilitate additional support and improve students’ access to education.
- This demonstrates the commitment to overcoming barriers and ensuring educational equity during these unprecedented times.
Government Response to COVID-19 in Grenada
In response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Grenada implemented strategic fiscal adjustments with a focus on social protection initiatives. The aim was to mitigate the adverse impacts on the population. Health care expenditures went into achieving vaccination targets in 2021, contributing to the overall pandemic response.
- A noteworthy initiative was the expansion of the SEED Program in 2021, accounting for approximately EC$5.3 million of a bigger EC$36 million stimulus package.
- This expansion aimed to extend support to individuals who hadn’t previously received SEED benefits, addressing income loss, unemployment and health care challenges resulting from the pandemic.
The government’s commitment to addressing the socio-economic fallout of COVID-19 is evident in the 2022 cash transfer increase, with households experiencing a nearly 50% rise in assistance. This boost in financial aid played a crucial role in alleviating the negative consequences of the ongoing pandemic.
SEED Program Recertifications and Upgrades
As of April 2023, the conditional cash transfer program in Grenada, designed for the poorest and most vulnerable households, reached 7,373 beneficiaries. This marks a 4% increase since June 2022. The government, recognizing inconsistencies and malpractices in beneficiary determination, has undertaken a two-year effort to recertify the program. By June 2023, adjustments led to the removal of certain
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators in the Article
1. SDGs Addressed or Connected to the Issues Highlighted in the Article
- SDG 1: No Poverty
- SDG 2: Zero Hunger
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
- SDG 4: Quality Education
- SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
- SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
The article discusses issues related to poverty, education, health care, and social protection, which are connected to the above-mentioned SDGs.
2. Specific Targets Under Those SDGs Based on the Article’s Content
- SDG 1.1: By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere.
- SDG 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable.
- SDG 2.1: By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular, the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food all year round.
- SDG 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services, and access to safe, effective, quality, and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.
- SDG 4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable, and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.
- SDG 4.5: By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and children in vulnerable situations.
- SDG 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.
- SDG 10.4: Adopt policies, especially fiscal, wage, and social protection policies, and progressively achieve greater equality.
- SDG 16.6: Develop effective, accountable, and transparent institutions at all levels.
The article highlights the targets related to poverty eradication, social protection systems, ending hunger, universal health coverage, quality education, decent work, reduced inequalities, and strong institutions.
3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied in the Article to Measure Progress towards the Identified Targets
- Number of households from the poorest strata benefiting from the program
- Percentage of program transfers reaching the poorest households
- School attendance rates
- Percentage of households receiving preventative health care services
- Reduction in poverty rate
- Primary and secondary school enrollment
- Access to online classes during school closures
- Number of beneficiaries reached by the cash transfer program
- Improvement in IT infrastructure for program scaling
The article mentions or implies these indicators as measures of progress towards the identified targets.
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 1: No Poverty | 1.1: By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere. | Reduction in poverty rate |
| SDG 2: Zero Hunger | 2.1: By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular, the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food all year round. | Number of households benefiting from the program |
| 2.2: By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women, and older persons. | N/A | |
| SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services, and access to safe, effective, quality, and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all. | Percentage of households receiving preventative health care services |
| 3.b: Support the research and development of vaccines and medicines for the communicable and non-communicable diseases that primarily affect developing countries, provide access to affordable essential medicines and vaccines, in accordance with the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health, which affirms the right of developing countries to use to the full the provisions in the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights regarding flexibilities to protect public health, and, in particular, provide access to medicines for all. | N/A | |
| SDG 4: Quality Education | 4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable, and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes. | School attendance rates |
| 4.3: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational, and tertiary education, including university. | N/A | |
| 4.5: By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and children in vulnerable situations. | N/A
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