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Why focus on the extreme poverty line? 

Extreme poverty has a precise definition that allows us to objectively measure success. To achieve our program goal, every household member moves above the $3 per day extreme poverty threshold (inflation adjusted for 2021 PPP USD). We adhere to this high bar because our commitment is rooted in accountability to our communities.

We’ve learned through nearly 20 years in Northern Uganda that meaningful change requires more than marginal income improvements. We pressure test our $3 threshold against both global standards and the real world financial needs of our clients. This ensures our investment provides the resources necessary to permanently end extreme poverty rather than simply helping families move to less severe levels of poverty. Our goal is complete exits, not incremental improvements.

What makes Capable’s graduation program unique? 

Our clients tell us the most meaningful outcome is permanently exiting extreme poverty, not marginally increasing income. We invest the time and financial resources necessary to ensure families achieve this outcome.

We provide weekly touchpoints for two years, covering four farming seasons. Clients access roughly three times more capital than what’s provided by typical graduation programs, plus robust market linkage services that enable businesses to flourish long after graduation. We also provide comprehensive mental healthcare through our counseling department.

At graduation, farming groups transition to formal cooperatives that ensure durable results. Cooperatives become the business development unit for the wider community, offering essential services (input purchasing, market linkage, savings, financing, social safety nets) indefinitely. This gives each community total equity in the solution that ends extreme poverty.

How does Capable think about scale? 

We have a proven model, a clear path to scale, and an uncompromising commitment to achieving program goals. Iterative testing during implementation enables us to continuously improve both client outcomes and financial efficiency as we grow.

Since 2018, we’ve grown our program size by 20x, typically doubling or more with each new cohort, and decreased cost to serve by 84%. Our client owned cooperatives continue growing 15 – 25% annually after graduation, with some cooperatives nearly tripling in size within six years. This cooperative growth extends our impact far beyond our direct program participants, creating ripple effects throughout entire communities.

We’re expanding through partnerships with four locally led organizations across Northern Uganda and launching a franchising pilot in Northern Mozambique. Beyond direct clients, we extend our reach through weekly radio training and call in programs that engage millions of listeners across Northern Uganda. 

How does Capable measure its results? 

Baseline, midline (Year 1), endline (Year 2), and post graduation impact data is collected by an independent firm led by experts from the National Agricultural Research Organization and Gulu University. This all Ugandan team holds PhDs and has full access to our monitoring and evaluation system.

We prioritize measuring income rather than consumption because our high touch model gives us unusually reliable income data, and because income captures something consumption cannot: agency. When families earn enough, they gain freedom to make choices about their future, whether investing in children’s education, building assets, or living modestly while planning long term.

Our assessments are tied to each household member, ensuring entire families earn enough to live above the extreme poverty line. Every household is assessed during the program, and we measure outcomes for 5 years after graduation. We adjust for outliers and standardize all data using 2021 purchasing power parity.