Extreme poverty is rising again and at a pace that threatens to undo decades of progress. The global fight against extreme deprivation has stalled, and in many places reversed, as countries grapple with surging inflation, declining real incomes, and the accelerating impacts of climate change. According to the 2024 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), 1.1 billion people worldwide now live in acute multidimensional poverty, including 41.7 million in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh’s historic achievements in reducing extreme poverty are under mounting pressure. For millions of households, a deepening polycrisis marked by rising costs, climate-induced shocks, and stalled mobility has created an environment where even small setbacks can make their lives more and more vulnerable and marginalized. Amid these challenges, PKSF stands as a vital stabilizing force protecting vulnerable households, reinforcing resilience, and keeping pathways to opportunity open for those at greatest risk.

PKSF goes far beyond traditional microfinance building long-term resilience among the country’s most vulnerable households. In a context where 41.7 million people in Bangladesh face extreme multidimensional poverty, PKSF’s interventions tackle the interconnected deprivations that trap communities in hardship, including inadequate income, limited health and education access, and poor living conditions.

Through tailored and flexible financing, paired with technical and vocational training, PKSF equips low-income individuals for both self- and wage-employment.

This integrated approach helps families diversify their livelihoods, reduce reliance on a single income source, and move steadily beyond subsistence. By providing youth with industry-relevant skills and linking emerging entrepreneurs to markets, PKSF turns small, fragile income-generating activities into sustainable and scalable microenterprises.

PKSF is directly supporting around 0.5 million people across the country through a comprehensive package of appropriate financing, skills development, enterprise support, and capacity building.

These interventions enable households to survive immediate shocks, rebuild vital assets, and steadily advance toward long-term economic security with dignity and confidence.

PKSF’s support spans a wide range of Income-Generating Activities (IGAs) across agriculture, fisheries, and livestock, helping families strengthen and diversify their livelihoods. It also delivers essential primary healthcare and nutrition services, ensuring that communities remain healthy and productive. Through extensive vocational, farm, and off-farm training, PKSF equips individuals especially youth and women with practical skills aligned with market demand, enabling them to access better employment opportunities.

Beyond individual support, PKSF invests heavily in community mobilization, strengthening collective action, building social cohesion, and linking households with government safety-net programs. It plays a transformative role in women’s empowerment and gender-responsive development, enabling women to participate more actively in the economy and in community leadership structures. PKSF also promotes disaster awareness and preparedness, ensuring that communities are better equipped to anticipate and manage risks.

PKSF is taking deliberate, targeted action to close the widening welfare gap and counter rising income inequality ensuring that the benefits of economic growth reach those who have historically been left behind.