Moving Out of Poverty: Success from the Bottom Up

"No matter if I fall, I get up again. If I fall five thousand times, I will stand up some other five times." William, a 37 years old from El Gorrion, Columbia, recounts his life story.

Most books on growth and poverty reduction are dominated by the perspectives of policy makers and academic experts. Moving Out of Poverty: Success from the Bottom Up presents the perspectives of poor people who have made it out of poverty. Based on discussions with over 60,000 people across 17 different study regions, it provides a bottom up viewpoint on the processes and local institutions that play key roles in leading to poverty escapes. The study finds that there are no differences between the initiatives taken by the poor, the rich, and the movers. What then explains the difference in outcomes? The study explores the role of local level democracy, economic opportunities, empowerment, aspirations and people's organizations, and how these help or hinder people in their quest to move out of poverty.