Working Paper 145 - Assessing the Returns to Education in the Gambia

Using three nationally representative surveys from the country, we estimate the private rates of returns to education in The Gambia. To obtain consistent estimates, we exploit exogenous variation in school availability in the country at the district level at the time current wage earners where born. Our results show that the private rates of returns to education are quite high, although heterogeneous across regions of the country. The high rates of returns are robust to alternate formulations.

The Rhythm of the Rains: Seasonal Effects on Child Health in The Gambia

We analyze the consequences of seasonal variation in maternal consumption on child health using two nationally representative Gambian household surveys. Seasonal fluctuation in consumption stems from difficulties borrowing when incomes are low during the rainy season and saving when they peak after harvest. The resulting fluctuations in maternal nutritional intake can affect birth outcomes and lactational performance. Using mother fixed effects to isolate the effect of birth season, we find that child health—measured by weight-for-age and height-for-age—varies significantly with birth timing. Children in farm households born during dry seasons (February-June) fare considerably worse than siblings born in other seasons

The Rhythm of the Rains: Seasonal Effects on Child Health in The Gambia

We analyze the consequences of seasonal variation in maternal consumption on child health using two nationally representative Gambian household surveys. Seasonal fluctuation in consumption stems from difficulties borrowing when incomes are low during the rainy season and saving when they peak after harvest. The resulting fluctuations in maternal nutritional intake can affect birth outcomes and lactational performance. Using mother fixed effects to isolate the effect of birth season, we find that child health—measured by weight-for-age and height-for-age—varies significantly with birth timing. Children in farm households born during dry seasons (February-June) fare considerably worse than siblings born in other seasons

Ethnic Networks and Enterprise Credit: The Serahules of The Gambia

This work analyzes the effects of ethnic heterogeneity on credit and entrepreneurship in The Gambia. We develop a model of credit transactions based on ethnic density, which shows that where formal credit markets fail denser ethnic groups will have better access to credit. This work places a special emphasis on the Serahule ethnic group, which is ethnically dense and entrepreneurially successful. Our results show that Serahule-owned enterprises are indeed larger and more profitable. Furthermore, their marginal rate of return of capital is significantly lower than that of enterprises owned by other ethnicities, as one would expect with lower credit constraints