Action on Poverty

20/05/2026

Zawadi's leadership journey began when her microfinance group elected her as chairwoman. Soon after, her village appointed her Balozi, a role traditionally held by men in Maasai communities.

Through a workshop on leadership and climate change, Zawadi built skills in inclusive leadership, communication, community mobilisation and conflict resolution. "The workshop opened my eyes to what leadership really means, how to communicate, build trust and guide people toward common goals."

In pastoralist communities, cultural norms have long discouraged women from leading or speaking publicly. Zawadi is now helping to shift that. After the training, she introduced new approaches to information sharing and decision-making in her microfinance group, and encouraged women to attend village meetings and pursue positions with more responsibility.

"When women are given leadership skills, they inspire change not only for themselves but for entire communities."

Zawadi's story reflects the tangible impact of Action on Poverty partner, cordstanzania’s efforts in shifting established gender barriers and working towards a more inclusive, equitable future for Maasai women.

Project supported by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's

11/05/2026

49,887 people across Action on Poverty communities had more food to eat in 2024–25.

Our starting point is practical, locally led solutions.

In Kiribati, rising sea levels and saline intrusion are affecting water supplies and making it harder to grow and sustain nutrient-rich fresh produce. On the low-lying islands, accessing safe water is becoming more time-intensive, with direct impacts on community health and food production.

Part of the solution is helping communities to identify and use what's locally available. A recent cooking demonstration introduced a locally grown seaweed most participants didn’t know was edible. Together, they prepared three dishes using inexpensive, locally available ingredients. This seaweed is a valuable and readily available supplement to the local diet, which often lacks micronutrients.

One participant said: “I didn’t know this seaweed is edible and can be so tasty. I will be cooking this from now on.”

Here, sustainable impact supports local knowledge, local ingredients and local confidence to improve food access and nutrition from the ground up.

The Water Access and Health Communities project with Foundation for the People of South Pacific Kiribati (FSPK) is supported by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's

26/03/2026

What does women’s empowerment look like in action?

During 2024–25, the solutions we support across Africa and the Pacific reached more than 100,000 people - many led by women.

In Timor-Leste, Nina supports women affected by gender-based violence through PRADET, providing livelihood training that helps build income, independence, and opportunity.

In Mozambique, Esvenia is showing women and girls in her community what leadership can look like, grounded in courage, collaboration, and strong support networks.

In Malawi, Felista helps make Self Help Africa’s programmes safer, more inclusive, and gender-responsive by strengthening staff capacity and supporting women facing unequal power dynamics.

This is what empowerment looks like: women leading, women rising, and communities growing stronger as a result.

Hear from Nina, Esvenia, and Felista about what drives their work.

20/03/2026

Communities in Aranuka, Kiribati are celebrating an important milestone: reliable solar power and safer drinking water now reach homes, schools, and community spaces.

Previously, two-thirds of households made multiple daily trips for water, one-third lacked consistent access to safe drinking water.

Through the Australian Government’s Business Partnerships Platform (BPP), Action on Poverty is supporting this locally led solution, delivered by the Foundation for the People of the South Kiribati (FSPK).

Women are leading this change and hold 20 managing roles across five committees overseeing the systems.

The result: Solar energy now powers two schools and five community halls. Six solar-powered wells are improving water access across five communities. 1,000 people now have reliable access to energy and safe water.

This strong, locally led model has measurable impact and the potential to scale across the Pacific.

Australian High Commission, Kiribati

07/03/2026

Development often talks about including women. At Action on Poverty, women are shaping the solutions.

Across our partnerships, women are advancing research, leading community enterprises, strengthening food systems, and driving climate solutions rooted in lived experience.

Their leadership is embedded in the decisions and systems that create lasting change, from agriculture and science to local economies and community governance.

Behind many of the solutions we support are women leaders and practitioners asking better questions and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

This International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating the women who are actively shaping more inclusive and sustainable futures.

Maria Barreto Gama - Wolbachia Program Manager at the Menzies School of Health Research, Timor-Leste

Anna Matinda - Administrator at the Community Research and Development Services (CORDS)

Ruiti Aretaake - Women-led Solar Solutions Program Coordinator at the Foundation of South Pacific Kiribati (FSPK)

Liz Dinh - Hanoi City Manager at VietHarvest

Sindy Tiriwangsi - Coordinator at Community Technology Development Organisation (CTDO)

Swipe through to hear their voices.

04/03/2026

How locally led, evidence-based solutions deliver impact at scale.

Global logistics uses over five billion wooden and plastic pallets, contributing to deforestation and emissions, while Vietnam generates roughly 150 million tonnes of agricultural waste annually.

Our partnership with AirX, supported by P4G Partnerships brings these challenges together and shows that waste can become opportunity.

The Netzero Pallet transforms agricultural waste into commercially viable, low-carbon pallets for use in global supply chains. Previously discarded coconut and rice husk now generates sustainable income for farming communities in the Mekong Delta while reducing immense pressure on the environment.

The impact is measurable.

For every 1,000 pallets produced, 30–34 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent are captured, biomass burning is prevented and mature trees are preserved.

This is the kind of evidence‑led, locally driven solution Action on Poverty supports to turn potential into lasting impact.

24/02/2026

From subsistence to sustainable farming

In 2024–25, Action on Poverty's reached 31,408 people across Africa, Asia and the Pacific with livelihood support initiatives, backing locally led solutions that strengthen food security and unlock economic opportunity.

Across Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia, Action on Poverty works with partners and to support climate‑smart agriculture, helping farmers produce, store and market high‑value crops such as Irish potato and orange‑fleshed sweet potato. The emphasis is on building local capability: from access to quality seed and climate‑smart production to post‑harvest management, nutrition and market connections.

For farmers like Victoria in Mozambique, this support has enabled a shift beyond subsistence farming. With new skills in irrigation, crop diversification and collective marketing, she has increased her income, improved her family’s nutrition, and is investing in her daughter’s education.

By linking farmers to buyers, expanding access to finance, and supporting inclusive approaches that empower women and vulnerable groups, these initiatives move beyond short‑term aid, laying the foundations for resilient livelihoods and stronger rural economies that can scale and endure.

Programs supported by Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's

17/02/2026

Big Bets don’t start at scale. They start with local leadership and the right support.

That’s why at Action on Poverty, we invest in solutions led by the people closest to the challenge, backing ideas that are already delivering real and measurable impact.

In Zimbabwe, village savings and lending groups do far more than provide financial tools. They become social safety nets and incubators for women’s leadership and enterprise.

What began with eight members saving just USD 2 a month transformed when the Vimbikai internal savings and lending group joined a community livelihoods improvement project. With training in business, finance and poultry farming, Vimbikai launched a broiler enterprise.

In less than a year, the group grew from 50 to 150 chickens, diversified into local breeds, and built more than USD 2,400 in savings and income, putting essential supplies within reach and food on the table.

For members like Ellen, the impact went beyond income. She gained confidence, dignity, and a stronger voice in her community.

This is what drives us: building on 60 years of development knowledge and partnerships, we find the local breakthroughs and provide the capital and resources to unlock opportunity and transform lives, one community at a time.

Project supported by Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's

Community Technology Development Trust/Organisation

30/01/2026

Growth is designed to strengthen local decision-making, not replace it.

At Action on Poverty, we identify “Big Bets” with the potential to transform communities and back them with capital, expertise and governance to scale effectively.

In Chien Village, Vietnam, Muong households have been building a locally governed visitor economy since 2019. Through Action on Poverty and Seaco Global’s CSR Program, infrastructure upgrades reinforced community-ownership and long-term economic resilience.

Watch the short film: https://hubs.li/Q040-_hw0

With support from Australian Aid, Seaco Global, and Action on Poverty.

Chien Village, a peaceful Muong hamlet in Phu Tho, is home to 74 households traditionally dependent on agriculture. In the face of growing economic uncertain...

22/01/2026

Our ambition is clear: to transform one million lives every year by 2030.

Our 2024-25 Annual Report shows what’s possible when effective, measurable, and scalable solutions are put into practice. Thank you to our incredible supporters, who helped us reach more than 116,000 people across 13 countries, working with communities to strengthen health and education, improve water and food security, and support climate-resilient livelihoods.

We’re no longer just delivering projects that have a finite life span. We are now co-designing ‘products’: solutions that are locally led, rigorously tested, and designed to be proven, adopted, and scaled beyond one funding cycle. It’s a bold approach, centred on what truly works and delivers lasting impact.

From our work with the World Mosquito Program protecting communities in Timor-Leste from mosquito‑borne diseases to climate-smart agriculture initiatives in southern Africa, our report highlights powerful stories of change, each demonstrating how we focus on solutions that outlast short-term interventions.

We’re proud of what we have achieved together with the support and collaboration of our partners.

Please enjoy our 2024–25 Annual Report (linked below)
https://hubs.ly/Q03_RfVC0