FOCUS ON THE ULTRAPOOR (ŭl΄trə-pŏŏr):
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1. A subset of the $1.25-per-day extreme poor. There
are 200-400 million people living in ultrapoverty.
2. A condition characterized by chronic food insecurity and poor health, insufficient and irregular income, minimal productive assets with a high vulnerability to shocks, and the need to prioritize consumption over investment. 3. A population that is historically marginalized and underserved by government and NGO programs and policies. They are disproportionately women, indigenous, and people with disabilities. 4. Trickle Up’s singular focus. |
The Millennium Development Goal of reducing by half the percentage of the world’s population living in extreme poverty has already been met, five years ahead of schedule. However, progress on the MDGs has not been equal for all groups, notably the ultrapoor. Because of the depth of their poverty and the complex challenges they face, the ultrapoor have not been well served by large-scale development programs, governments and funders. Programs that seek only to provide economic strengthening do not address the full spectrum of need, and government social safety net programs and short-term supports to address crises rarely break the cycle of poverty.
In its 33 years, Trickle Up has always sought to serve the extreme poor. Five years ago our India program began sharpening our focus so that selection methods and program design are directed specifically to the poorest segment of this population – the ultrapoor – and we have been adapting this learning to other regions. Our emphasis on the ultrapoor is the backbone of this strategic plan, and we believe it represents an opportunity to differentiate Trickle Up in the development field, position us as a leader, maximize our resources, and have a greater impact in the world.
While the strategic plan outlines several significant changes in our program approach and activities, three defining characteristics of Trickle Up remain constant:
A watershed event for Trickle Up has been our participation, starting in 2006, in the CGAP-Ford Foundation Graduation Program, which sought to demonstrate that a well-sequenced, intensively monitored program combining consumption support, access to savings, livelihood training and social capital strengthening can enable ultrapoor people to take sustainable and transformative steps out of poverty. In addition to being a catalyst for significant improvements to our program approach, the Graduation Program has enabled us to become part of a large and influential community of practice that brings together major NGOs (including BRAC, Plan International, Fonkoze), funders (including the Ford Foundation and MasterCard Foundation), government and multilateral agencies (including the World Bank and several leading national development agencies), and researchers (including Innovations for Poverty Action) that share a commitment to addressing the needs of the ultrapoor.
Our active role in the leadership of the CGAP-Ford consortium has also been a critical factor in the development of the new technical assistance role included in this strategic plan. Additionally, our role in CGAP-Ford and the SEEP Network’s STEP UP (Strengthening the Economic Potential of the Ultrapoor) initiative reinforce our goal of becoming an effective advocate for the ultrapoor.
Our increased focus on the ultrapoor comes at the right moment. There is a growing realization by governments and the international development community that more must be done to address the condition of the poorest of the poor and that there are effective means to do so.
To read the complete strategic plan, click here.
In its 33 years, Trickle Up has always sought to serve the extreme poor. Five years ago our India program began sharpening our focus so that selection methods and program design are directed specifically to the poorest segment of this population – the ultrapoor – and we have been adapting this learning to other regions. Our emphasis on the ultrapoor is the backbone of this strategic plan, and we believe it represents an opportunity to differentiate Trickle Up in the development field, position us as a leader, maximize our resources, and have a greater impact in the world.
While the strategic plan outlines several significant changes in our program approach and activities, three defining characteristics of Trickle Up remain constant:
- The centerpiece of our program is a livelihoods development methodology that combines seed capital grants, training, savings support, and integration into self-help groups. While the outcomes we hope to achieve go beyond the economic sphere, it is an important foundation for change.
- We focus on women. They are disproportionately represented among the ultrapoor, and our experience, supplemented by that of many other development organizations, is that programs that focus on women have a greater impact on the household as a whole while increasing women’s own status.
- We are an international organization and our presence in three regions gives us a broad perspective and knowledge, generates incremental funding and minimizes the risks inherent in working in only one region.
A watershed event for Trickle Up has been our participation, starting in 2006, in the CGAP-Ford Foundation Graduation Program, which sought to demonstrate that a well-sequenced, intensively monitored program combining consumption support, access to savings, livelihood training and social capital strengthening can enable ultrapoor people to take sustainable and transformative steps out of poverty. In addition to being a catalyst for significant improvements to our program approach, the Graduation Program has enabled us to become part of a large and influential community of practice that brings together major NGOs (including BRAC, Plan International, Fonkoze), funders (including the Ford Foundation and MasterCard Foundation), government and multilateral agencies (including the World Bank and several leading national development agencies), and researchers (including Innovations for Poverty Action) that share a commitment to addressing the needs of the ultrapoor.
Our active role in the leadership of the CGAP-Ford consortium has also been a critical factor in the development of the new technical assistance role included in this strategic plan. Additionally, our role in CGAP-Ford and the SEEP Network’s STEP UP (Strengthening the Economic Potential of the Ultrapoor) initiative reinforce our goal of becoming an effective advocate for the ultrapoor.
Our increased focus on the ultrapoor comes at the right moment. There is a growing realization by governments and the international development community that more must be done to address the condition of the poorest of the poor and that there are effective means to do so.
To read the complete strategic plan, click here.
