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APT Action on Poverty

Website
Telephone
01386 861 294
Location
Nicholas House,
Heath Park,
Main Road,
Cropthorne,
Worcestershire
WR10 3NE
GB

Action on Poverty (APT) is Worcestershire-based charity that works to help poor and vulnerable people around the world obtain sustainable livelihoods. With projects in Africa and Asia, Action on Poverty works with partners and aims to tackle the root causes of poverty. The charity has an income of £1.1m but only four employees.

Action on Poverty was formed in 1984 by three engineers and the charity initially provided technical expertise and designs of tools and equipment for small enterprises. Training people in countries as far apart as Antigua, Bangladesh, Romania, Lesotho and Yemen, the charity gradually built partnerships in different places and deepened its impact by helping the poorest people obtain a livelihood.

The charity now works in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Sierra Leone and Sri Lanka. Help is directed towards the world’s most vulnerable people such as children and young people, women, disabled people, workers, those with HIV/AIDS, people recovering after conflict and groups facing environmental challenges or disasters.

Action on Poverty is currently helping over 260,000 vulnerable people and 900 organisations. Apart from helping over 80,000 people secure or increase their income, the charity also assists hundreds of small producer groups and community organisations become more effective and better serve their members. In addition, it influences nearly 700 institutions, such as governments, schools and training centres, to take more informed decisions in the interests of vulnerable people.

For example, in Tanzania, APT is providing technical support and advice to a partner organisation in the country in order to empower women to tackle the inequality in society and their own severe poverty. In Sri Lanka, APT, again through a partner, is helping disabled people access training and employment in the eastern part of the country as it recovers from a 30 year civil war. In Uganda, APT is working to help small farmers, particularly those affected by HIV/AIDs, increase the productivity of their farms and access markets.

APT also undertakes consultancy work for other international development organisations, such as Oxfam, Traidcraft and Practical Action.

An important aspect of the charity’s work is the sharing of learning and information exchange between organisations. This takes the form of, for example, exchange visits between partners in different countries, national workshops, mentoring, peer evaluations and newsletters for partners.

APT’s chief executive is Alex Daniels, formerly with Christian Aid, VSO and Oxfam. The charity’s patron is Dame Judi Dench.

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