Myths, misconceptions, and the emerging truth in serving very poor households: Grameen Foundation's experience to date
In 2009, Grameen Foundation highlighted the difficulty of reaching the 1.4 billion people living below US$1.25 (purchasing power parity, PPP) per day and created a specialized team to identify and scale ‘Solutions for the Poorest’. Through projects focusing on financial product development, livelihoods support, and value-chain approaches, we outline four emerging lessons learned since embarking on that programme: 1) there is the possibility of developing non-traditional business cases for serving the very poor; 2) graduation models that work for the poorest may not require cash and asset transfers if programmes can sequence the development of confidence, entrepreneurship, and other human capabilities alongside links to economic opportunities; 3) careful identification of the value chain could be a more important factor than targeting to increase the direct impact on the very poor in market system approaches; and 4) the promise of technology to bring savings to the poor probably needs to incorporate trusted people delivering on that technology.Hashemi, S. and de Montesquiou, A. (2011) ‘Reaching the poorest: Lessons from the graduation model’, CGAP Focus Note No. 69, CGAP, Washington, DC.
Shenoy, S.(2011) The Ultra Poor Program: An Examination of Livelihoods, Partners in Prosperity Case Study 2009-2011, Seattle, Unitus;New Delhi, Partners in Prosperity.
Sivalingam, L., Slocum, B. and Druschel Griffin, K. (2012) A Double Bottom Line Business Case for Serving Very Poor Households, Grameen Foundation, Washington, DC <http://www.grameenfoundation.org/double-bottom-linebusiness-case-serving-very-poor-households≯ http://www.grameenfoundation.org/double-bottom-linebusiness-case-serving-very-poor-households≯
USAID microlinks. (n.d.) ‘V. Vulnerable populations and the value chain approach’ <http://microlinks.kdid.org/good-practice-center/value-chain-wiki/vulnerable-populations-and-value-chain-approach≯ [accessed 18 June 2012]. http://microlinks.kdid.org/good-practice-center/value-chain-wiki/vulnerable-populations-and-value-chain-approach
Hashemi, S. and de Montesquiou, A. (2011) ‘Reaching the poorest: Lessons from the graduation model’, CGAP Focus Note No. 69, CGAP, Washington, DC.
Shenoy, S.(2011) The Ultra Poor Program: An Examination of Livelihoods, Partners in Prosperity Case Study 2009-2011, Seattle, Unitus;New Delhi, Partners in Prosperity.
Sivalingam, L., Slocum, B. and Druschel Griffin, K. (2012) A Double Bottom Line Business Case for Serving Very Poor Households, Grameen Foundation, Washington, DC <http://www.grameenfoundation.org/double-bottom-linebusiness-case-serving-very-poor-households≯ http://www.grameenfoundation.org/double-bottom-linebusiness-case-serving-very-poor-households≯
USAID microlinks. (n.d.) ‘V. Vulnerable populations and the value chain approach’ <http://microlinks.kdid.org/good-practice-center/value-chain-wiki/vulnerable-populations-and-value-chain-approach≯ [accessed 18 June 2012]. http://microlinks.kdid.org/good-practice-center/value-chain-wiki/vulnerable-populations-and-value-chain-approach
Hashemi, S. and de Montesquiou, A. (2011) ‘Reaching the poorest: Lessons from the graduation model’, CGAP Focus Note No. 69, CGAP, Washington, DC.
Shenoy, S.(2011) The Ultra Poor Program: An Examination of Livelihoods, Partners in Prosperity Case Study 2009-2011, Seattle, Unitus;New Delhi, Partners in Prosperity.
Sivalingam, L., Slocum, B. and Druschel Griffin, K. (2012) A Double Bottom Line Business Case for Serving Very Poor Households, Grameen Foundation, Washington, DC <http://www.grameenfoundation.org/double-bottom-linebusiness-case-serving-very-poor-households≯ http://www.grameenfoundation.org/double-bottom-linebusiness-case-serving-very-poor-households≯
USAID microlinks. (n.d.) ‘V. Vulnerable populations and the value chain approach’ <http://microlinks.kdid.org/good-practice-center/value-chain-wiki/vulnerable-populations-and-value-chain-approach≯ [accessed 18 June 2012]. http://microlinks.kdid.org/good-practice-center/value-chain-wiki/vulnerable-populations-and-value-chain-approach
Hashemi, S. and de Montesquiou, A. (2011) ‘Reaching the poorest: Lessons from the graduation model’, CGAP Focus Note No. 69, CGAP, Washington, DC.
Shenoy, S.(2011) The Ultra Poor Program: An Examination of Livelihoods, Partners in Prosperity Case Study 2009-2011, Seattle, Unitus;New Delhi, Partners in Prosperity.
Sivalingam, L., Slocum, B. and Druschel Griffin, K. (2012) A Double Bottom Line Business Case for Serving Very Poor Households, Grameen Foundation, Washington, DC <http://www.grameenfoundation.org/double-bottom-linebusiness-case-serving-very-poor-households≯ http://www.grameenfoundation.org/double-bottom-linebusiness-case-serving-very-poor-households≯
USAID microlinks. (n.d.) ‘V. Vulnerable populations and the value chain approach’ <http://microlinks.kdid.org/good-practice-center/value-chain-wiki/vulnerable-populations-and-value-chain-approach≯ [accessed 18 June 2012]. http://microlinks.kdid.org/good-practice-center/value-chain-wiki/vulnerable-populations-and-value-chain-approach
- Value chain financing: evidence from Zambia on smallholder access to finance for mechanization
- Developing agro-pastoral entrepreneurship: bundling blended finance and technology
- Building frontline market facilitators' capacity: the case of the ‘Integrating Very Poor Producers into Value Chains Field Guide’
- Boosting financial inclusion through social assistance reform: evidence-based approach in selecting a payment system
- Impact of COVID-19 on livestock exports from Somalia and the Horn of Africa
Browse our other journals
