Poverty Unpacked podcast

What is it like to face financial hardship? How to find the right support? What can anti-poverty organisations do better?

Listen to Toneva Munroe, a social justice activist, about her own experiences in Boston, USA and the power of lived experience.

People in poverty contribute least to climate change yet also benefit least from policies that either try to mitigate climate change or help people adapt to it. Social protection can help vulnerable populations to adopt strategies that make them more resilient.

In this episode, we are joined by Marco Knowles and Nicholas Sitko from FAO to discuss the need for greater investment in policies that help vulnerable populations cope with changes in our climate.

Find out more on our website: https://poverty-unpacked.org

Empowering families in poverty to take control and set them on a path towards a better life, this is at the core of so-called ‘graduation’ programmes.

Yet the programmes are not a silver bullet, nor do they work for everyone.

In this episode, we speak with Greg Chen and Rozina Haque to mark the 20-year anniversary of the first graduation programme implemented by NGO BRAC in Bangladesh.

Find out more about this episode and others on our website: https://poverty-unpacked.org

Rising food and fuel prices are causing the biggest squeeze on living standards in the UK and around the world in decades. The cost of living crisis has made many families rely on food banks so they are able to put meals on the table.

In this episode - in collaboration with the Trussell Trust - we hear from Caroline about coping with higher costs of living and the experience of receiving support through food banks, and from Amy about the work of the Trussell Trust.

Read more about this episode on our site: https://poverty-unpacked.org/?p=753

Finding out about prices, checking the balance on your bank account and sending money to others – mobile phones can make all this a lot easier. But what are the challenges and risks of getting those on low-incomes to use digital technology?

In this episode, we speak with Rosa Wang, author of 'Strong Connections. Stories of resilience from the far reaches of the mobile phone revolution’ and previously Global Director for Digital Financial Services at Opportunity International.

You can find more information about this episode and our podcast on https://poverty-unpacked.org

The feminisation of poverty starts young and is compounded over the life-cycle. At every step of the way, policies and social structures disadvantage women, reinforcing the large gap between women's and men's income and wealth.

In this episode, we speak with Annabelle Williams, author of the book 'Why women are poorer than men'.

You can find more information about this episode on our website: https://poverty-unpacked.org/?p=638

Mobility mentoring is brain science-based approach to break the vicious cycle of poverty. What does that mean? And does it work?

In this episode, we speak with Elisabeth Babcock from EMPath, a nonprofit in the US implementing coaching to support economic mobility.

You can more information about this episode on our website: https://poverty-unpacked.org/

Turning the heating on, buying food or getting your child a school uniform. These are some of the impossible choices faced by people on low income. Instead of receiving support that helps them create a better life, the welfare system keeps people trapped.

In this episode, we speak with participants Brian and Caroline and researcher Katie from the Covid Realities research project. We hear first-hand about the challenges of living on little and what needs to change.

Why you have to listen to this podcast!

People in poverty experience disadvantage, stigma and discrimination in all aspects of life. Tackling poverty requires changing our language and making policies more universal, and governments taking their responsibility in doing so.

In this episode, we talk with Olivier de Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights about factors causing poverty and how to tackle it.

Find more about this and other episodes on our website: www.poverty-unpacked.org.