Poverty-Breaker Project Piloted in Bengal - the Times of India 5/19/15 4:44 PM

Poverty-breaker project piloted in Bengal - The Times of India 5/19/15 4:44 PM

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Safari Power Saver Click to Start Flash Plug-in Poverty-breaker project piloted in Bengal Subhro Niyogi, TNN | May 15, 2015, 09.16PM IST

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KOLKATA: An innovative poverty alleviation programme that was piloted in Murshidabad and then tried out elsewhere in India and five other countries has busted a myth that the poor do not understand the value of asset creation.

In fact, quite the reverse has emerged from an MIT study with below poverty line women displaying enough enterprise to become self-sustainable after initial hand-holding for 18-24 months. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 The project that provides a comprehensive booster shot to a poverty-stricken person to propel her out of the vicious cycle is now being replicated in multiple countries across Asia, Africa and Latin COMPLETED America. If it does pass the rigorous scrutiny that the programme underwent in India and five QUALIFIER 1 other countries, it can become a game-changer in designing effective poverty alleviation 162 187/6 programmes for a billion people who live on less than $1.25 a day in developing countries. CSK 19 Ov 20 Ov MI Mumbai won by 25 runs The study by researchers from Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) showed that a comprehensive approach known as the graduation model involves an 18-24 month package in which a farm or non-farm asset is NAVBHARAT TIMES handed to the woman after training and mentoring. A nominal consumption stipend is also given to her to discourage her from either selling or consuming the asset that ranged from a shop to livestock. : ' ' !"स रखता ( आपकी तमाम म./बई बीए पास की अिभ67ी 6 Ads by Google ! अपना गला काटा Economic Development NGO Students For Economic Development. Watch Our Video Today! www.lifenets.org/africastartup

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"The ultra-poor face several challenges beyond just not having sufficient income. They don't have adequate food or means to save and suffer from low morale to escape from their current situation. The approach we evaluated addressed several of these factors at once and the positive gains in income, livelihoods and health persisted even one year after programme ended," said study co- author Abhijit Banerjee, professor of economics at MIT and director of J-PAL. Banerejee and his team tracked 21,000 people to arrive at the results in the study funded by Ford Foundation.

Stressing on the need to change the public perception of poor as irresponsible and incapable of holding on to their assets, Banerjee said the evidence showed that the poor warranted more trust.

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In India, the pilot project was done in Sargachi village under Beldanga PS in Murshidabad in 2006 with villagers identifying the poorest among them. The beneficiaries were then asked to choose a farm (chicken, goat, cow) or non-farm (small shop) asset. A workshop was then conducted and mentoring done on how to take care of the asset and utilize it before the asset was handed over. A stipend of Rs 21 per day was given to each for a year to discourage them from selling the asset or consuming it.

"We gave the stipend for a year and provided support for 18-24 months. The per beneficiary cost worked out to Rs 20,000-25,000 with 70% spent on the asset and stipend, 10% on training and 20% on managing and monitoring the project for two years," explained Bandhan chairman and managing director Chandra Sekhar Ghosh.

When researchers tracked the beneficiaries after the third year, they were found to have significantly more assents and savings, had spent more time working, went hungry on fewer days and experienced lower levels of stress and improved physical help. Consumption increased 26%. The return on investment in the project turned out to be a whopping 433% in India.

Bandhan-Konnagar has increased the reach to 32,000 families in six states. In Bengal, the programme has benefitted 22,000 families. "Every year, 10,000 graduate from the programme and 10,000 new beneficiaries are added. We are now looking to scale up to reach 2 lakh households in two years," Bandhan said.

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