Costs of projects for orphans and other vulnerable children : case studies in Eritrea and Benin

Very little information is available on the ex-post cost of delivering services to orphans, and other vulnerable children (OVC). This hinders large scale planning of interventions for OVC. This study responds by estimating the costs of some recent projects for OVC in Benin, and in Eritrea. The study shows that the cost of institutional solutions is high relative to family-based solutions. The average annual economic cost per child, of a group home for orphans in Eritrea averaged about $1,900; that for an orphanage in Benin was about $1,300. The corresponding cost of orphans'integration into families in Eritrea was about $100. The cost of assisting street children in Benin was almost $650, and, the cost of assisting children in abusive labor in Benin was almost $570.