our mission:

eradicating extreme poverty

Our Focus

Imagine being isolated, cold and wet, without blankets or shelter, being sick without medical attention, not being able to provide enough food for your family - with no hope, and nowhere to turn.

Poverty is unrelenting. It affects every part of a family’s life and creates a cycle that robs its victims of health, energy, and the resources to rebound and hope for change. PSDI is part of a team of people who are focused on eradicating poverty in rural areas of Bangladesh using a comprehensive approach that meets all the needs of a family to allow them to lift themselves out of poverty. PSDI raises money and identifies resources for our team in Bangladesh, the Poverty Eradication Program (PEP) to invest in families in need.

PEP’s social workers identify target families, the poorest of the poor, and not only provide resources to help them begin their uplift, they walk with them all along their journey, providing much needed education and emotional support. When a family enters PSDI’s poverty eradication program, they are usually in partial starvation, without resources and too weak to take part in their own uplift. They would remain in poverty forever if someone didn’t step in to help. We are that someone! YOU are that someone!

We have documented the uplift of 75,433 families thanks to PSDI donors and PEP’s hard work - including Siddique, who shares his story below. There remain 16,600+ families living in extreme poverty in the areas we serve in Bangladesh - families living in remote, rural villages in huts with little to eat and little hope for the future.

These are the people we want to help - through your support.

Learn more about PEP and the holistic approach

WHY BANGLADESH?

Our work began in Bangladesh because of it was in an area of the world that experienced the highest level of extreme poverty. In a country the size of the state of Iowa, live 170 million people - half the population of the U.S. This South Asian nation is the eighth-most populous country in the world but 92nd in size. Their war of independence from Pakistan in 1971 caused the death of 3 million Bangladeshis and left 80% of the population living in poverty. When Bangladesh gained independence, it was among the world's poorest countries. The war had shattered its economy and destroyed its infrastructure.

Fifty years later, the transformation of Bangladesh is remarkable. The country has reduced poverty in record time: between 2000 and 2016, extreme poverty dropped from 34 percent to 13 percent thanks to the efforts of many nonprofits, including PSDI and our partners in Bangladesh, the Poverty Eradication Program (PEP). Since 2000, it has remained among the fastest growing economies, and in 2015, it crossed the threshold to become a lower middle-income country.

But there remain millions of families living in extreme poverty. These are the families we serve.

Our Programs

Our comprehensive approach to poverty eradication identifies families near starvation and nurtures them through a process. It begins with addressing their basic needs first - determining their immediate needs to stabilize their HOME. We provide primary EDUCATION for their children. We improve their HEALTH through access to an affordable integrated healthcare system. And we provide the tools, resources, education and training to develop economic opportunities - or WORK - for the family to lift themselves out of poverty.

We also recognize the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals developed by the United Nations and are actively addressing the following goals through our important work:

Goal #1 - No Poverty; Goal #2 - Zero Hunger; Goal #3 - Good Health & Well-Being; Goal #4 - Quality Education; Goal #5 - Gender Equality; Goal #6 - Clean Water & Sanitation; Goal #8 - Decent Work & Economic Growth; Goal #10 - Reduced Inequalities; Goal #17 - Partnerships For the Goals

HOME

Our families are stabilized by providing food for them to eat, clean water for them to drink, and ensuring their living conditions are safe and secure.

HEALTH

Health is addressed through the development of an integrated system of healthcare delivery which includes clinics, hospitals, education, and outreach.

Education

Education is provided through small two-year schools in villages, teaching children their native language (Bangla), English, math and social studies, as well as art, dance, and music. From there, children enter the government schools in grade 3 ready to succeed.

WORK

Once stable, families are provided opportunities, tools, education, and training to engage in economic opportunities to lift themselves out of poverty.