Approximately 700 million people worldwide currently live in extreme poverty, a state of severe financial and social vulnerability that robs many of hope and dignity. BRAC, the world's largest NGO, began a sustainable, multifaceted intervention called the Graduation approach in 2002. Since then, it has helped over nine million people escape extreme poverty. Now, Shameran Abed and BRAC Ultra-Poor Graduation Initiative (UPGI) have an audacious plan to partner with governments to bring this life-changing program to an additional 21 million people by 2026. (This ambitious plan is a part of the Audacious Project, TED's initiative to inspire and fund global change.)

Shameran Abed: 4 steps to ending extreme poverty

4 steps to ending extreme poverty

A transformative approach to ending ultra-poverty focuses on building hope and self-worth alongside financial stability.

BRAC's Graduation program has uplifted 2 million Bangladeshi women and their families from ultra-poverty, proving hope's power.

By partnering with governments, BRAC's mission to eradicate ultra-poverty scales globally, leveraging billions in social welfare funds.