Trickle Up Details Progress In Helping The World’s Poorest

NEW YORK - May 14, 2013 - PRLog -- NEW YORK, May 14, 2013 – A new report from Trickle Up (www.trickleup.org), a leading poverty alleviation organization focused on the poorest of the world’s poor, details how the more than 7,500 individuals aided by Trickle Up in 2012 started on a pathway of extreme poverty and vulnerability, but are now showing signs of significant progress.

Data from participants in Trickle Up’s 2012 programs in India, Guatemala and Mali showed:

· A 107% increase in people who reported their families always have enough food to eat
· 140% increase in livestock assets
· An increase to 99%, from less than one quarter, of participants who said they have savings accounts
· Nine out of 10 women reported a high participation in family decision-making

The Outcomes Report tells a story of the difference Trickle Up makes through accountability and metrics. The report lays out how the lives of the participants have dramatically changed since joining the Trickle Up program. In 2012, the Trickle Up program helped 7,558 ultrapoor people in West Africa, India and Central America start their families on a path out of poverty and, in doing so, improved the lives of more than 37,000 people.

“Hunger takes its toll on physical health and economic productivity,” says Bill Abrams, President of Trickle Up. “Trickle Up works to create a world in which it is unacceptable for anyone to live in ultrapoverty. Through our program, we have been able to help these women successfully start or expand businesses, earn enough to reduce hunger and improve their families, save money and gain access to credit, and develop new skills, confidence and social connections.”

Trickle Up helps people identify appropriate businesses based on their skills, resources and local markets. With a Trickle Up seed capital grant, women are able to fund one or more enterprises. The ultrapoor are a subset of the $1.25-per-day extreme poor. This condition is 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 investments.

Some major highlights of the Outcomes Report:

· In Guatemala: Only 1% of participants reported skipping meals, down from 13%.
· In West Africa after one year: All participants engaged in livelihood activities, with a 68% increase reported in vending and trade businesses.
· In Guatemala: 98% of participants reported having savings by the end of the Trickle Up program, up from 48% who reported having no savings initially.

The Outcomes Report serves as a supplement to the 2012 Annual Report. The 2012 Annual Report discusses Trickle Up’s many accomplishments throughout the year and highlights new and positive developments helping the world’s ultrapoor.

About Trickle Up
Trickle Up (www.trickleup.org) empowers the poorest of the poor—the ultrapoor—to take the first steps out of poverty, providing them with resources to build livelihoods for a better quality of life. In partnership with local agencies, Trickle Up provides business training and seed capital grants to launch or expand a business and savings support to build assets. Trickle Up works in India, West Africa and Central America.