Our mission

Ending extreme poverty in rural Africa through entrepreneurship and innovation.

What we do

We believe in the power of the entrepreneurial spirit to transform lives. Community-based and locally-led, our poverty graduation program equips Africans living in extreme poverty with cash transfers, training, and mentoring to create income-generating, sustainable businesses and savings groups, permanently breaking the cycle of poverty for themselves and their families. Digital technology and a group-based approach make this more scalable and cost-effective than traditional approaches. Over 80% of our entrepreneurs are female, ensuring greater gender equity and increased opportunities for women and families. And rigorous evidence shows that our model works.

For over 30 years, we have worked in rural African communities where most people live on $1.90 a day or less. We currently operate in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Mozambique. Through partnerships with governments and other nonprofits, we plan to continue to expand throughout sub-Saharan Africa with the goal of lifting 20 million inhabitants out of extreme poverty by 2030.

As a team, we work collaboratively and know that the best ideas come from our cross-cultural collaboration. Our organization is African-led, and 95% of our field staff are African.