Stories, Data and Postings

When we collected baseline data on the 100 families participating in our Liberia demonstration we found that most of the families were surviving because of their entrepreneurship. Also that although their average take home income was only $1.28 per day, 93% were helping others that were more impoverished. In March 2020, CII invested $100 in each effort and within six months income more than doubled to $3.33 per day. For some that were selling on the street, income went from a dollar a day to ten dollars a day. Not magic but smarts. With an investment they were finally able to buy wholesale in bulk. Their cost for goods went down, they lowered their price, got more sales and made more profit. A simple solution that further investments can accelerate. In return for our investment the families have committed to pay it forward helping even more families. On average they have invested some of their own funds in 3.5 other families.

Rich kids coming out of college can turn to angel investors or rich parents for investments. The Liberia demonstration is focused on developing similar a venture investment system that can reach even the smallest petty vendors who sell in the streets in our poorest areas. These are just the first lessons that outsiders can learn from the families. We need to flip our entire helping system as well as the view that low income communities are takers from society. They are the only ones that truly understand their circumstances and thus are the only experts of their lives.

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