Can Basic Entrepreneurship Transform the Economic Lives of the Poor?
The latest paper by Oriana Bandiera, Robin Burgess, Narayan Das, Selim Gulesci, Imran Rasul, and Munshi Sulaiman uses a randomized control trial to evaluate the impact of BRAC’s Targeting the Ultra Poor (TUP) Program on occupational choices of women in rural Bangladesh. The findings show that by providing assets and skills training, the TUP program enables women to …
“The State of Microcredit”- David Roodman’s Microfinance Open Book Blog
David Roodman shares a few of his thoughts on the latest Microcredit Summit Campaign Report 2013 which includes ‘Graduation Programs’. What does ‘ Graduation’ mean, into mircofinance? While early impact results on the CGAP- Ford Foundation Graduation Program are positive overall, it is not clear what the role of finance plays in achieving this… yet. The …
New from the CGAP blog: Impact Research and the Role of Coaching In Poverty Reduction
Janet Heisey, Director for Technical & Strategic Alliances at Trickle Up recently blogged on the critical importance of the coaching component in the Graduation Model and the research evidence that supports this. To read the full article, please follow the link: http://www.cgap.org/blog/impact-research-and-role-coaching-poverty-reduction
Happiness Up, Poverty Down
There was plenty of encouraging information shared at the recent “Reaching the Poorest 2012” meeting, convened by CGAP and the Ford Foundation. Together with my fellow researchers, I was among the panelists who presented the findings of well over five years worth of randomized control trials evaluating the impact of the Graduation Model. The projects that …
Moving Out of Extreme Poverty: Graduation Program improves lives of the poorest
Syed M. Hashemi, Director of BRAC Development Institute and Aude de Montesquiou, Mircofinance Analyst at CGAP blogged on the research findings from the randomized control trials on four Graduation Pilots which were presented at the “Reaching the Poorest 2012″ a meeting convened by CGAP and the Ford Foundation in Paris, July 17-19. Please read more here: http://www.cgap.org/blog/creating-pathways-poorest-graduation-model-shows-early-promise …
Karishma Huda, BRAC Development Institute comments on “Dads and Development” Blog Post by David McKenzie
In comment to a recent World Bank Development Impact blog post by David McKenzie on “Dads and Development”, Karishma Huda points to the Graduation Program’s qualitative research findings in Haiti, India and Pakistan.
Savings and Enthusiasm Growing in REST’s Ethiopia Pilot
The Ethiopia CGAP-Ford Foundation Graduation Pilot is heading into its last phase and a review of its experience to date provides a snapshot of the progress possible through the Graduation approach, as well as the unpredictability of the challenges in helping the very poorest.
Article in the The Economist Highlights Bandhan Hard Core Poor Program Results
The Economist May 12th, 2012 article “Hope springs a trap” explains how an absence of optimism plays a large role in keeping people trapped in poverty.
3ie- LIDC Seminar on ‘Reaching the Poorest: lessons from the Graduation Model’
BRAC Development Institute (BDI) and CGAP were invited by 3ie- LIDC to present on lessons from the Graduation Model as part of their seminar series on ‘what works in international development?’ Syed M. Hashemi, Director, BDI presented on the conceptual design of the Graduation Model and the need for transformative pathways for the poorest by …
Bandhan reaches 5,000 Ultra-Poor People with ABHA Project
As part of an effort by Bandhan and Axis Bank to scale-up Hard Core Poor Program to 50,000 families in West Bengal by 2015, Bandhan has already reached 5,000 households.
