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

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

Responding to New Threats to Poverty Eradication in Asia – IPS News

By Dr. Imran Matin | Executive Director of BRAC Institute of Governance and Development & Dr. Stephanie Levy | Guest Lecturer, London School of Economics This article originally appeared in Inter Press Service on February 14, 2022. Read it here. DHAKA, Bangladesh, Feb 14 2022 (IPS) – With consistent, robust economic growth, countries across Asia … Continued

Looking Back to Move Forward: A Letter from BRAC UPGI’s Managing Director

By Greg Chen | Managing Director, BRAC Ultra-Poor Graduation Initiative I am delighted to have joined BRAC UPGI as the Managing Director late in 2021. I have long been inspired by BRAC and its Graduation approach. For more than 25 years, I’ve worked to advance financial inclusion through microfinance and digital finance. I have a … Continued

Will COVID-19 Relief Plans Reach the World’s Poorest People? – World Economic Forum

By Shameran Abed | Executive Director, BRAC International; Joanne Carter | Executive Director, RESULTS; and Barbara Jackson |  Vice President: Programs, TrickleUp This article originally appeared in World Economic Forum (WEF) on November 24, 2021. Read it here. A whopping $90-100 billion is on the World Bank’s International Development Association‘s (IDA) negotiating table in 2021 … Continued

OPINION: Global leaders are funding a historic COVID response for the world’s poorest countries, but will it reach those who need it most?

By Shameran Abed | Executive Director, BRAC International; Joanne Carter | Executive Director, RESULTS; and Barbara Jackson |  Vice President: Programs, TrickleUp Far from the limelight, global leaders are on the cusp of striking a historic and unprecedented financing deal for spurring pandemic recovery through the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), a mechanism overseen … Continued

How to Strengthen Anti-Poverty Efforts – Project Syndicate

By Shameran Abed | Executive Director, BRAC International This article originally appeared in Project Syndicate on July 26, 2021. From 1990 to 2019, the number of people living in extreme poverty (according to the World Bank threshold of $1.90 per day) plummeted, from 1.9 billion to 648 million. COVID-19 has reversed much of this progress. … 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

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