Welcome and thanks for visiting UPLift's Project Journal! We will update readers on current activities and project initiatives on a regular basis.
So what is the background of UPLift? It began in July 2010 in Thailand by Khom Loy Development Foundation, being inspired by a similar project run by BRAC, a Bangladeshi organization with a track record of reaching impoverished families and improving their quality of life.
It was BRAC that coined the term "ultra-poor" to refer to the bottom 20% of impoverished households that do not reap the benefits of normal microfinance activities. This is due to several reasons--lack of exisiting skills, lack of education, social constraints, and most importantly, inadequate food security.
UPLift is directed towards marginalized communities on the Thai/Myanmar border that have the above-mentioned characteristics of the ultra-poor. Through small grants and skills trainings, these families receive the opportunity to pull themselves out of poverty without having to rely on external aid indefinitely.