A multifaceted program causes lasting progress for the very poor: Evidence from six countries - Sciencemag.org 2015

Results of randomized control trials of an integrated approach to improve livelihoods among the very poor in 6 countries: Ethiopia, Ghana, Peru, Honduras, India and Pakistan. The approach combines the transfer of a productive asset with consumption support, training, and coaching plus savings encouragement and health education and/or services. Such a « big push » with a wide, in-depth and long-lasting monitoring/coaching, is required for taking the poor households out of the poverty trap and ensuring sustainability. Progress is still visible after three years, in all sites, and in many domains: consumption, assets, food security, mental health,… The approach is global, multidimensional, tackling simultaneously the various factors of poverty.