UHOPI embraces social protection which is increasingly being discussed in terms of its potential to bring about transformational change to the status and opportunities of marginalized groups. Social protection schemes are believed to empower poor people by helping them to adopt strategies to balance their immediate needs with their investments in future livelihoods. They enable people to invest in more productive, but also riskier, activities such as entrepreneurship or keeping their children in school. Social protection mechanisms are particularly important for those who do not have the means even to save small amounts. There is evidence that social protection interventions have: promoted investments in children’s human capital and capabilities; increased the productivity of household livelihood efforts; contributed to a sense of inclusion and citizenship; mobilized the poor around entitlement claims; and impacted the local economy.