Poverty Alleviation
Reducing inequality through social protection, job creation, inclusive growth strategies, and targeted programs, such as the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF), that uplift vulnerable communities.
Poverty Alleviation
Poverty Alleviation
Reducing inequality through social protection, job creation, inclusive growth strategies, and targeted programs, such as the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF), that uplift vulnerable communities.
Poverty Alleviation
Enhancing social infrastructure and services is central to job creation, sustained economic growth, poverty reduction, and improved quality of life across the Caribbean. CDB supports Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs) by investing in programmes that protect the most vulnerable, expand access to basic services, and promote inclusive development.
Focus Areas
CDB invests in initiatives that safeguard vulnerable groups, including children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. By strengthening social services and infrastructure, the Bank helps build a foundation for poverty reduction and community resilience.
CDB has advanced disability inclusion through national assessments and policy briefs in Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago. These studies provide data on lived experiences, guiding targeted policies and interventions. In 2024, the inaugural Caribbean Disability Conference—supported by CDB—brought together nearly 300 stakeholders, including persons with disabilities, to shape regional priorities and best practices. Tools developed with the UK Government, such as the UKCIF Disabilities Inclusion Checklist and the Persons with Disabilities User Assessment Tool, are now helping integrate accessibility into project design and implementation.
Through the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF), CDB works to ensure communities have access to education, water, sanitation, and infrastructure. Now in its tenth cycle, the BNTF remains one of the Bank’s flagship poverty alleviation programmes, directly improving living conditions in vulnerable communities. Its community-driven approach ensures that interventions respond to local priorities while strengthening institutional and human capacity for long-term impact.
The current BNTF 10 programme, with a total commitment of USD 47 million, targets vulnerable communities across nine countries.
By strengthening social and community institutions, CDB’s interventions create jobs and expand opportunities for economic participation. Training initiatives under the BNTF equipped local organisations with proposal writing, project management, and data analysis skills—leading to new financing opportunities and stronger implementation capacity.
CDB helps BMCs address challenges in producing quality data for evidence-based policymaking. Training in online data collection and analysis has benefited development professionals and civil society leaders from 13 Caribbean countries, ensuring that poverty alleviation strategies are grounded in reliable data.
