Can psychosocial interventions make anti-poverty programmes more cost-effective? Evidence from Niger – VoxDev

This article was originally published on VoxDev on February 16, 2023. People living in extreme poverty face multiple kinds of deprivation. Lack of capital, limited skills, and distance to markets are often some of the first factors that come to mind. Recognising these intersecting barriers, the ‘graduation’ model was originally designed by the non-profit organisation … Continued

Looking Ahead in 2023: Scaling Beautifully

By Greg Chen | Managing Director, BRAC Ultra-Poor Graduation Initiative BRAC’s founder, Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, liked to say that “small is beautiful, but scale is necessary.” We see this as our twin challenge – to scale at a size that is meaningful on a global level while delivering long-term impact. Recently a colleague nicely … Continued

Graduating Out of Poverty – Can It Be Done? – Poverty Unpacked

By Dr. Keetie Roelen, Research Fellow and Co-Director | Centre for Social Protection This interview was original published on Poverty Unpacked on September 29, 2022. Listen here. Empowering families in poverty to take control and set them on a path towards a better life, this is at the core of so-called ‘graduation’ programmes. By providing … Continued

Building Resilience in the Philippines Through Sustainable Livelihoods and Psychosocial Support – IPS News

By Joyce Chimbi, Journalist | Inter Press Service This article originally appeared in Inter Press Service News Agency on September 1, 2022. Read it here. Iloilo, Philippines, Sep 1 2022 (IPS) – Elvie Gallo no longer hangs around her local grocery store, hoping for the odd job to put food on the table. Her hand-to-mouth life … Continued

What’s the best way to help extremely poor people? After 20 years, the evidence is in. – Vox

By Sigal Samuel, Senior Reporter | Vox Future Perfect This article originally appeared in Vox on June 24, 2022. Read it here. If you want to fight poverty, you probably intuitively feel that the worst-off people are the ones who should be prioritized. As difficult as it is to live on a few bucks a … Continued

These experiments could lift millions out of dire poverty – Nature

By Jeff Tollefson This article originally appeared in Nature on June 22, 2022. Read it here. In 2012, the government of Niger began giving some of its poorest citizens free money. Over the next few years, around 100,000 participating households received 24 monthly payments of roughly US$16 — which more than doubled their typical spending … Continued

Why multifaceted approaches are critical for eradicating extreme poverty long term – socialprotection.org

By Courtney Calardo, Head of Communications and Max Gollin, Deputy Manager of Communications | BRAC Ultra-Poor Graduation Initiative This piece was originally published on socialprotection.org on June 22nd, 2022. Read it here. Two recently released studies highlight the importance of taking a multifaceted approach when combating extreme poverty. In both, the researchers provide insight into … Continued

Disability Inclusion Lifts Rural Ugandan Families From Poverty – IPS News

By Wambi Michael, Journalist | Inter Press Service This article originally appeared in Inter Press Service News Agency on June 14, 2022. Read it here. Oyam & Gulu, Uganda , Jun 14 2022 (IPS) – Lawrence Akena was born 32 years ago with microcephaly. Because of his neurological condition, he didn’t go to school or … Continued

What Cultivating Resilience Means for Women Living in Extreme Poverty – Trickle Up

Joint Blog by Trickle Up and BRAC Ultra-Poor Graduation Initiative Communication team members This article originally appeared on Trickle Up on March 8, 2022. Read it here. As we approach a third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world continues to face unprecedented challenges and deep uncertainty, especially as the issues of conflict and climate … Continued

OPINION: Will COP27 Still Be Conducting Fire Drills as the World Burns? – Thomson Reuters Foundation

By Asif Saleh | Executive Director, BRAC Bangladesh This article originally appeared in Thomson Reuters Foundation News on February 23, 2022. Read it here. It has been 100 days since COP26 in Glasgow and temperatures continue to peak, fires decimate crops, wildlife and forests, and flooding washes away lives and livelihoods. COP26 was a vitally important global gathering … Continued