Extreme poverty can be alleviated, according to economist Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University and architect of the UN Millennium Goals, but only with external intervention. In order to get onto the first rung of the ladder of economic development, people trapped in extreme poverty require aid and solidarity. Once they have that first leg up, they can and do advance on their own.

Recent evidence (such as the Millennium Villages in Malawi and elsewhere) demonstrates that extreme poverty can be overcome through targeted efforts such as universal primary education, anti-malarial bed nets, micro-enterprise loans to women, & community health promotion.

Learn about how Mercy Beyond Borders is leading the charge to help eliminate poverty in Southern Sudan through the education and empowerment of women and girls.

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