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