Stories of Resilience and Innovation: Disability Inclusive Graduation (DIG) in Uganda

In 2020 a Disability Inclusive Graduation program was launched in Northern Uganda, targeting 2,700 households living in extreme poverty. The DIG program provided training on enterprise management, life skills, financial literacy, and inclusion in Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) groups and Village Social Solidarity Committees. Among the participants were 554 persons living with disabilities … Continued

Expanding Graduation to Reach More in Extreme Poverty

Developed in the early 2000s, the Graduation approach was born out of learning from BRAC’s long period of program implementation that preceded it. BRAC has continuously evolved the Graduation approach since first starting the Ultra-Poor Graduation (UPG) program in Bangladesh in 2002, and it has now been adapted and expanded by BRAC and other organizations … Continued

Keeping the ‘Leave No One Behind’ Agenda Alive – Brookings

Speakers: John W. McArthur, Alexia Latortue, Scott MacMillan, Amb. Elizabeth Cousens, Homi Kharas While the sustainable development goals and their anchoring promise to “leave no one behind” may feel increasingly out of reach amid the COVID-19 pandemic, rising poverty, food shortages, armed conflict, natural disasters, and other crises, there is still reason for optimism when … Continued

Door of Hope (Bab Amal): Adapting the Graduation Approach in Upper Egypt

In July 2018, the Bab Amal Graduation program was launched with the objective of reducing extreme poverty in Upper Egypt. Together with the Sawiris Foundation, J-PAL, the Egyptian Human Development Association (EHDA), and Giving Without Limits Association (GWLA), the pilot targets approximately 2,400 rural, extreme poor households in the Assiut and Sohag governorates. BRAC UPGI … Continued

Breaking the Poverty Trap with the Graduation Approach

Learn how a proven solution to poverty eradication can help empower millions to lift themselves into sustainable livelihood. BRAC, the world’s largest NGO, wanted to help previously unreachable people in extreme poverty build sustainable livelihoods long-term. So, in 2002 we pioneered the Graduation approach – a holistic sequence of interventions that helps people escape the … Continued

Rethinking How to Eliminate Global Poverty – WEF 2022

Speakers: Ilona Szabó de Carvalho, Kennedy Odede, Tracy Francis, Asif Saleh, Precious Moloi-Motsepe, Marcos Troyjo As the successive, complex and sustained global crises have exposed the depth and complexity of solving global poverty, a multi-stakeholder approach using locally-led best practices from the Global South is required more than ever. How can we continue to innovate to solve the challenge of eliminating … Continued

Clearing Pathways to Prosperity With a Livelihood Building Program in Kenya – BOMA

Michael Carter (University of California, Davis); Geyi Zheng (University of California, Davis; Nathan Jensen (International Livestock Research Institute), April 2022 Abstract: Livelihood-building programs combine training and assets for rural households with the least means to build a sustainable and independent income. Since 2018, we have been evaluating such a program in Samburu, Kenya among women … Continued

A Big Push for Entrepreneurship: Lessons from a Field Experiment – Cartier

Cartier Women’s Initiative (2022)  Using a field experiment from BRAC as an entry point, Prof. Esther Duflo shows how one big boost to women living in extreme poverty can help their businesses take off, with long-lasting positive impact for them and the next generation. Prof. Duflo shares lessons learned from the program, with insights on … Continued

Tackling Psychosocial and Capital Constraints to Alleviate Poverty

Thomas Bossuroy, Markus Goldstein, Bassirou Karimou, Dean Karlan, Harounan Kazianga, William Parienté, Patrick Premand, Catherine C. Thomas, Christopher Udry, Julia Vaillant & Kelsey A. Wright – Nature (2022) Abstract Many policies attempt to help extremely poor households build sustainable sources of income. Although economic interventions have predominated historically, psychosocial support has attracted substantial interest, particularly … Continued

Webinar on Ending Ultra-Poverty in India through the Graduation Approach – The Nudge Foundation at Skoll Forum 2022

This session sheds light on the state of ultra-poverty in India and the potential for the Graduation approach model to end it in this decade. With 23 million households ( 5.9% of the population) living in extreme poverty, there is a clear need for an evidence based approach to end ultra poverty in India. Globally, … Continued