Sorenson-UnitusUltra Poor Initiative
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Reduce global poverty through economic self-empowerment
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Sorenson-Unitus Ultra Poor Initiative
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Understanding Poverty
Meet Shamim
Meet Geeta
Unstable, makeshift housing
No productive assets
Hard manual labor
Begging
One meal per day
Children unable to attend school …
… and end up working as a result
Conventional Interventions
Relief / Aid Housing Water
Food Security
Government Safety Nets
BRAC: Targeting the Ultra Poor
Our Challenge QuestionsChallenge of BRAC Model
High cost:Most cost > $500 / beneficiary
Limited environment validation:Most serve the landless rural
Complex programs that require expertise along multiple dimensions
Largely “handouts” driven and hence, difficult to scale
Our Opportunity
Possible to reduce these costs?
Possible to reach diverse populations?
Possible to reduce program complexity?
Possible to develop sustainable programs?
Our Goal• Reduce cost
• Increase diversity
• Reduce complexity
• Improve sustainability
Increase replication
Reach the 1.4 billion living in ultra poverty
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Map of InitiativesPnP-UPP (Urban)
UPna sapna (Rural)
SKS-UPP (Rural)
Kriti Vaaradhi (Urban)
Equitas Birds Nest (Urban)
Lessons Learned
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Start with income generation
The ultra poor are able to pay for services
Secondary services to maximize benefit
Healthcare
Financial Literacy
Implications
If …Livelihoods introduced
first
Then …Ultra poor can increase earnings
Earnings stabilize
Capacity to pay for support services
If activities are self-sustaining
Ultra poor can pay for critical services (food, healthcare, education)
Service delivery can take a sustainable approach
Long term and scalable impact is possible
Next Generation of Impact• Unitus LabsOpen source: Case studies, dissemination
• SKS NGO: Flexible Loan
• Equitas: Higher-Income Livelihoods
• Upaya Social VenturesDeveloping business solutions to attack ultra poverty
Thank You!
Sorenson-UnitusUltra Poor Initiative