COVID-19 vs. UPG: Evidence from the 2007 Cohort in Bangladesh

Atiya Rahman and Oriana Bandiera (March 2021) Under normal conditions, BRAC’s flagship Graduation approach aiming to alleviate poverty was proven to be highly successful at giving the poorest women in some of the poorest areas of Bangladesh the tools to escape the poverty trap (Balboni et al., 2021; Bandiera et al., 2017). Pilots of the … Continued

Evolving the Graduation Approach in Bangladesh: A Story of Iteration and Adaptation

By Rozina Haque | Programme Head, BRAC Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme The launch of the World Bank’s State of Economic Inclusion Report 2021 provides a timely opportunity to reflect on the integral role learning and adaptation has played in BRAC’s programming, particularly on the success of the Ultra-Poor Graduation program (UPG) in Bangladesh (detailed in a … Continued

Climate change is destroying people’s lives. Should they be compensated? – Devex

By Amy Lieberman | U.N. Correspondent, Devex This article originally appeared in Devex on December 21, 2020. Climate change disproportionately impacts the world’s most impoverished. So, experts are asking, why can’t they receive direct compensation and support? …“Most people wouldn’t readily say that they are moving because of climate change. They are looking at the … Continued

A Journey of Growth and Transformation: The DOLE Graduation Approach Project

Join Corazon, a participant of the DOLE’s Graduation Project in the Philippines, in partnership with the Asian Development Bank and technical assistance provided by BRAC Ultra-Poor Graduation Initiative, as she tells her story of empowerment and transformation. This visual story takes us to Negros Occidental province in central Philippines, and showcases the various project components … Continued

Investing in Women and Girls: How Governments Can Drive Inclusive Recovery — World Bank

By Hana Brixi | Manager of the Human Capital Project at the World Bank & Lindsay Coates | Managing Director, BRAC Ultra-Poor Graduation Initiative This article originally appeared on the World Bank’s blog on December 4, 2020.  Before COVID-19, many countries were making significant gains in human capital, improving health and education outcomes for girls … Continued

Opinion: The long shadow of COVID-19 on extreme poverty – Devex

By Shameran Abed | Executive Director, BRAC International This article originally appeared in Devex on October 27, 2020. Today, the world faces a greater challenge than any before as the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to undo years of progress in poverty eradication while exacerbating preexisting inequalities and exposing the fragility of our systems. At the beginning … Continued

BRAC UPGI Receives Catalytic Investment as 2020 Audacious Project to Lift 4.6 Million Households from Extreme Poverty by 2026

By Courtney Calardo, Head of Communications | BRAC Ultra-Poor Graduation Initiative Download Full Press Release New York, NY June 18, 2020 — Today, BRAC, a Global South-led NGO that combats inequality and poverty around the world, was announced as one of this year’s Audacious Project grantees. BRAC Ultra-Poor Graduation Initiative (UPGI) will receive more a … Continued

Impact Evaluation of BRAC’s Ultra-Poor Graduation Program for the Host Community in Cox’s Bazar

By Atiya Rahman, Anindita Bhattacharjee, Dr Narayan Das, Rafia Nisat (June 2020) Produced by the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development, BRAC University and Supported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) In collaboration with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), BRAC rolled out its flagship Ultra-Poor Graduation (UPG) program in Ukhiya … Continued

Graduation Story: Kuntola

A single mother, a farmer, an entrepreneur. Meet Kuntola – a woman who has defied all odds. Kuntola is one of 2 million families supported by the BRAC’s Ultra-Poor Graduation programme in Bangladesh.

No Household Left Behind: Afghanistan Targeting the Ultra Poor Impact Evaluation – World Bank Group

By Guadalupe Bedoya, Aidan Coville, Johannes Haushofer, Mohammad Isaqzadeh, Jeremy Shapiro (2019) Abstract The share of people living in extreme poverty fell from 36 percent in 1990 to 10 percent in 2015 but has continued to increase in many fragile and conflict-affected areas where half of the extreme poor are expected to reside by 2030. … Continued