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The wider impacts of BRAC poverty alleviation programme in Bangladesh

Author

Listed:
  • A. Mushtaque R. Chowdhury

    (Deputy Executive Director, BRAC)

  • Abbas Bhuiya

    (Social and Behavioural Sciences Programme, ICDDR,B Centre for Health and Population Research)

Abstract

Over the decades of the 1980s and 90s many poverty alleviation programmes have been implemented in developing countries. Evaluations of such programmes have traditionally looked at their success in increasing the income levels of participants but less at the wider goals of human well-being. This paper looks at the poverty alleviation programme of BRAC, a large non-governmental organisation in Bangladesh, and, based on carefully designed studies, presents its impact on selected components of 'human well-being'. This study found better child survival and nutritional status in households served by the programme. Simular impacts were also found in other areas such as expenditure patterns, family planning practices and children's education. The studies also looked at the impact on the rural power structure and found a substantial change in the networking relationship of health providers. The likely influence of 'selectivity bias' on the above results is also discussed. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Suggested Citation

  • A. Mushtaque R. Chowdhury & Abbas Bhuiya, 2004. "The wider impacts of BRAC poverty alleviation programme in Bangladesh," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 16(3), pages 369-386.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:jintdv:v:16:y:2004:i:3:p:369-386
    DOI: 10.1002/jid.1083
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Pitt, M.M. & Khandker, S.R., 1996. "Household and Intrahousehold Impact of the Grameen Bank and Similar Targeted Credit Programs in Bangladesh," World Bank - Discussion Papers 320, World Bank.
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    Cited by:

    1. Sudha Narayanan & Marzia Fontana & Erin Lentz & Bharati Kulkarni, 2019. "Rural women's empowerment in nutrition: a proposal for diagnostics linking food, health and institutions," Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai Working Papers 2019-003, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai, India.
    2. Jashim Uddin Ahmed & N.M. Ashikuzzaman & Nabila Nisha, 2016. "Understanding Operations of Floating Schools: A Case of Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha in Bangladesh," South Asian Journal of Business and Management Cases, , vol. 5(2), pages 221-233, December.
    3. M. Niaz Asadullah, 2016. "Do Pro-Poor Schools Reach Out to the Poor? Location Choice of BRAC and ROSC Schools in Bangladesh," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 49(4), pages 432-452, December.
    4. Mazumder, Mohummed Shofi Ullah & Lu, Wencong, 2015. "What Impact Does Microfinance Have on Rural Livelihood? A Comparison of Governmental and Non-Governmental Microfinance Programs in Bangladesh," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 336-354.
    5. Tushar Bharati & Adnan M. S. Fakir, 2022. "Health Costs of a “Healthy Democracy”: The Impact of Peaceful Political Protests on Healthcare Utilization," Economics Discussion / Working Papers 22-15, The University of Western Australia, Department of Economics.
    6. Copestake, James, 2007. "Mainstreaming Microfinance: Social Performance Management or Mission Drift?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 35(10), pages 1721-1738, October.
    7. Asadullah, M. Niaz & Savoia, Antonio & Mahmud, Wahiduddin, 2014. "Paths to Development: Is there a Bangladesh Surprise?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 138-154.
    8. Syed Masud Ahmed & AKM Masud Rana, 2010. "Customized Development Interventions for the Ultra Poor: Preliminary Change Assessments of Health and Health-seeking Behaviour (CFPR/TUP 2002 to 2004)," Working Papers id:2575, eSocialSciences.
    9. Standing, H. & Chowdhury, A. Mushtaque R., 2008. "Producing effective knowledge agents in a pluralistic environment: What future for community health workers?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(10), pages 2096-2107, May.
    10. Alex Addae-Korankye & Alex Abada, 2017. "Microfinance and Women Empowerment in Madina in Accra, Ghana," Asian Economic and Financial Review, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 7(3), pages 222-231, March.
    11. Wahibur Rokhman, 2013. "The Effect Of Islamic Microfinance On Poverty Alleviation: Study In Indonesia," Economic Review: Journal of Economics and Business, University of Tuzla, Faculty of Economics, vol. 11(2), pages 21-30.
    12. Jashim Uddin Ahmed & N. M. Ashikuzzaman & Aditi Sonia Mansur Mahmud, 2017. "Social innovation in education: BRAC boat schools in Bangladesh," Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, Springer;UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship, vol. 7(1), pages 1-14, December.
    13. Dilruba Khanam & Muhammad Mohiuddin & Asadul Hoque & Olaf Weber, 2018. "Financing micro-entrepreneurs for poverty alleviation: a performance analysis of microfinance services offered by BRAC, ASA, and Proshika from Bangladesh," Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, Springer;UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship, vol. 8(1), pages 1-17, December.
    14. Shahnawaz Mohammad Rafi, 2009. "The Pilot Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health Project (MNCH) at Nilphamari: Profiling the Changes During 2006-07," Working Papers id:2244, eSocialSciences.
    15. Jashim Uddin Ahmed & Wahida Shahan Tinne, 2017. "ASA: Cost-effective and Sustainable Microfinance Model NGO in Bangladesh," South Asian Journal of Business and Management Cases, , vol. 6(2), pages 167-175, December.

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