Nepal

According to the Asian Development Bank report, Nepal is the worst off among the 19 Asian economies, including the most populous China and India. Poverty in Nepal means lack of education, infrastructure, roads and electricity. For girls, these dire straits can mean anything from smashing rocks to prostitution, just to stay alive. The children that do work spend a minimum of 60 hours a week, often in the worst and most discriminatory jobs.

• 55.1 percent of the country's population survive on less than $1.25 a day
• 38 percent of the population is extremely poor
• 85 percent of Nepalese don't have health access
• 48 percent of Nepalese children are classified as chronically undernourished

Grameen Foundation’s Progress out of Poverty™ Index (PPI™) and Mifos tools are being put to use by local Nepalese organizations.  Mifos, our management information software designed for MFIs, will help Nepalese organizations be more efficient, thus freeing up more time and resources to tackle the rampant poverty they face daily. The PPI™ is an equally important tool. It allows organizations to track their clients’ progress of out of poverty and identify which programs seem to be most effective