October is here! Welcome to another version of our bi-monthly catch up with poverty-related news and resources. First off, a shout out to ATD Fourth World, a fantastic organisation working with and for people in poverty. If you haven’t heard of them already, check out their global page. There’s country-based members too, so head over the their websites for more localised initiatives. Next, reflections from the recent conference ‘Reimagining Social Protection‘ at the Institute of Development Studies in Brighton, and especially its panel on lived experiences. Four panellists shared very thought ..read more

What if programmes aiming to improve people’s lives did a simple thing – give people cash, directly? This is the model of GiveDirectly, one of the fastest growing nonprofits in the world. It distributes cash to communities where many experience poverty, mostly in low-income countries. It does so without the involvement of intermediaries – money is sent directly to beneficiaries by mobile phone. In this episode, we speak with Lydiah Wangechi, GiveDirectly’s Regional Director for East Africa. Lydiah introduces the model of GiveDirectly and shares why she feels drawn to this model based on person ..read more

Welcome to another bi-monthly roundup of news, research, events and more about poverty that we think you should know about. First up, we reflect on a recent article in The Guardian about the UK’s public attitudes to poverty, and the notion that they have are harsher than ever. Comments are premised on findings from a YouGov poll about what type of expenses should be affordable to whom, suggesting that luxury items such entertainment aren’t considered essential for those on lower incomes. A group of researchers from Bristol University and Cardiff University were less convinced by these results ..read more

How can international development interventions be implemented in a respectful way that enhances its beneficiaries’ dignity? How can social services be provided so that dignity, rather than bureaucratic processes, are put front and centre? And how can organisations promote a culture of dignity. I discuss these and other questions with Tom Wein. Tom is a Director of IDinsight and has long been working on the issue of dignity in international development. Based in Nairobi, he works as a researchers and consultant and set up the Dignity Project. Enhancing dignity might seem integral to processes ..read more

Thanks for tuning into the second version of my bi-monthly chat! This episode, I share my thoughts on a great podcast, no less than three fantastic memoirs and hard-hitting formal poverty monitoring mission. First up, The Uncertain Hour, a investigative podcast about socioeconomic issues in the US. Hosted by Krissy Clark, the sixth season – which I talk about in this chat – unveils the intricacies of the Welfare-to-Work policy. Highly recommend! Next, I take some time to reflect on three books that highlighted to me just how important it is to listen and be attentive to individual experiences ..read more

Welcome to the first version of my new bi-monthly episode! Instead of publishing a written post in the months that we’re not hosting external guests, I’m trialling a new type of episode in which I – your host, Keetie Roelen – share news, books, research, and other podcasts on poverty that caught our eye. In this episode, I first talk about the newly published book ‘Broke. Fixing Britain’s poverty crisis’, edited by Tom Clark. There are many great contributions by authors including Kerry Hudson (foreword) and Frances Ryan (disability), all of which could fill an episode in and of themselves. I ..read more

Regular cash transfers, no strings attached and no questions asked. What is their potential? Can it disrupt the power dynamic between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’? Will it lay the foundation of a caring economy, and caring society? Can it become the norm, not the exception? Can basic income rewrite the narrative about poverty? In this episode, I’m joined by two guests with first-hand experience of designing and implementing basic income interventions. Melody Valdes is Chief Program Officer of United South End Settlements (USES) in Boston in the US. She leads the implementation of the S.T.E.P. g ..read more

Imagine trying to find somewhere to live for yourself and your young daughter when wrongfully evicted. Or applying for support with energy bills only to find out that your application is rejected because one single word was missing from one the documents. Imagine your case worker telling you that there is no point trying to appeal a decision that would send you further down the spiral of homelessness. Or being told that ‘you people’ always want more when asking for basic support that you are entitled to. These are not hypothetical scenarios. These are lived experiences. In this case, they are ..read more

People in poverty contribute least to climate change yet also benefit least from policies that either try to mitigate climate change or help people adapt to it. It’s a double injustice that needs fixing. Social protection, and cash transfers in particular, can help people to adopt strategies that help them withstand the consequences of severe weather events, such as floods or droughts. With COP27 to be held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt next week, it’s an issue of utmost importance. In this episode, I am joined by two colleagues from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome. Nicholas Si ..read more

Empowering families in poverty to take control and set them on a path towards a better life, this is at the core of so-called ‘graduation’ programmes. By providing families with a combination of material support, training and coaching, they can develop new forms of income generation and improve their living conditions. It is the 20-year anniversary of the inception of the ‘graduation approach’ and its first implementation by BRAC in Bangladesh. Research shows that they can help to improve lives and that these improvements are maintained years after families completed the programme. Yet the pro ..read more