Many of the world’s poorest people struggle to lift themselves out of poverty because they have few opportunities to improve their incomes.
This may be because they lack education, business or job skills.
Because they can’t access credit and other financial services to help start-up or grow their businesses.
Because they don’t have the information they need to successfully market their produce and attain fair prices.
While there is no simple solution to breaking the cycle of poverty, there are proven strategies. Strategies that remove the obstacles to sustainable improvements in living standards.
SEE Solutions projects apply these strategies, partnering with communities to enable them to overcome their economic challenges.
Because people often need a "hand up", not a "hand out".
SEE Solutions supports a range of projects that have been carefully and collaboratively designed with communities to ensure a strong sense of ownership by community members.
Community ownership of projects offers the greatest potential for lasting change.
Each project applies practical and innovative solutions that are tailored to the community’s specific needs and requirements.
These projects focus on a range of social and economic empowerment activities including:
Education and skills training
- providing vocational training and continued education
- developing literacy and numeracy skills
- providing apprenticeships and mentoring
- providing access to, and training in, the use of technology
Agricultural development
- training in farming practices to increase crop yields and quality
- introducing new crops to provide alternative food and income sources
- training in livestock management
Community mobilisation
- organising cooperatives that can fulfil bigger, more reliable orders, and buy and sell in new markets
- forming women's support groups and promoting gender equality
- developing community structures to support economic activity
- working with governments to break down barriers to local economic development
Microfinance
- providing small loans to create and expand businesses
- improving money management skills
- providing access to savings and insurance
Trade and marketing
- developing marketing skills to help grow small businesses
- creating access to new local and international markets
- promoting fair trade
Across countries and continents there are different people – individuals and groups – who can play a role in addressing extreme poverty.
Local government, the private sector, the not-for-profit sectors and the local community need to collaborate on initiatives that seek to stimulate economic growth in a way that benefits those who are poor.
Ultimately, poor families and communities must be empowered to solve their own problems.
Depending on the community and the specific project, SEE Solutions will assist a variety of people, such as:
- Farmers and agricultural workers
- Women
- Young people
- Small business owners and entrepreneurs
- Trades and crafts people
- Retailers
- Community groups
Here are some examples of the types of people and activities your contributions will be invested in:
- Farmer to farmer training in Senegal. This will be done to promote the planting of indigenous trees with edible seeds alongside traditional grain crops. These can supplement family nutrition, increase soil fertility and provide additional sources of income.
- Providing low-cost, collateral-free loans through a village-level community bank in Cambodia. The aim of this is to enable farmers to pay for agricultural inputs and hire machinery.
- Implement market-driven vocational training for vulnerable urban youth in Rwanda. Mentoring will be provided by local tradespeople and entrepreneurs.
Become a member of SEE Solutions.
In doing so, you can play an active role in providing the world’s poorest people with the opportunities they need to increase their incomes and become self sufficient in the long term.
Your contributions are invested in a range of projects that tackle the underlying causes of poverty - causes such as unemployment, illiteracy, lack of skills and business know-how, and the inability to access markets and attain fair prices.
When poor but hardworking people increase and better manage their household incomes, the entire community is strengthened. It allows families to save, reducing vulnerability when a business slows, a child gets sick or a crisis hits. It means they can provide their children with more nutritious food, healthcare and education, and greater opportunities for the future.
As a SEE Solutions supporter, you will have access to a dedicated member website where you can:
- See an overview of each project and the activities being implemented
- View project updates and follow the impact your support is making
- See and hear directly from community members benefiting from these projects
- Post questions about project activities and get answers from development experts
- Learn more about economic development issues such as market access and fair trade
- Participate in online forums and blogs
- Learn about upcoming member information sessions and events.
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