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A green light
out of poverty
H
ow do you measure poverty? Ask Martín Burt, founder
of deprivation-busting programme Poverty Stoplight.
The model is now used in 27 countries around the
ǝżƣŧģ᠁ ǀƫŏŲŃ ŏŲᠵģĪƠƸŊ ƢǀĪƫƸŏżŲŲÿŏƣĪƫ ÿŲģ ÿ ƸƣÿdzǿĜ ŧŏŃŊƸ ƫǣƫƸĪŰ
to help families pull themselves out of poverty. The Stoplight
has been used by 120,000 households across the globe, and
Burt is keen to note that it’s not about removing responsibility
from governments or sidestepping structural issues – but giving
ƸŊżƫĪ ŏŲ ƠżǜĪƣƸǣ ƸŊĪ ÿŃĪŲĜǣ ƸŊĪǣ ÿƣĪ ƫż żǽƸĪŲ ƫƸƣŏƠƠĪģ żł᠇
Burt has been busy. The 62-year-old father of three founded
the Paraguay Foundation in 1985, a social enterprise dedicated
to the economic empowerment of disadvantaged people. He
was mayor of Paraguayan capital Asunción from 1996 until
ᙸᙶᙶᙷ ÿŲģ ƫĪƣǜĪģ ÿƫ ĜŊŏĪł żł ƫƸÿdzł Ƹż ƸŊĪ ƠƣĪƫŏģĪŲƸ żł £ÿƣÿŃǀÿǣ

MARTÍN BURT

Illustration: Matthew Brazier

between 2012 and 2013. Burt also helped found Teach a Man
Ƹż FŏƫŊ᠁ ÿ Ńŧżěÿŧ ŲĪƸǝżƣŤ ƸŊÿƸ ŊĪŧƠƫ ĪƫƸÿěŧŏƫŊ ƫĪŧłᠵƫǀdzǿĜŏĪŲƸ
schools in rural areas. In between projects he has published
books on economics, government, and poetry.
But it was in 2009 that he was inspired to launch what
proved to be his most successful venture yet. While working Founder of Poverty Stop
żŲ ÿ ǿŲÿŲĜŏÿŧ ŏŲĜŧǀƫŏżŲ ƠƣżšĪĜƸ ǝŏƸŊ ƸŊĪ £ÿƣÿŃǀÿǣ FżǀŲģÿƸŏżŲ᠁ light
he heard from the disadvantaged people involved that their
own struggles manifested as much more than low income.
“We needed to ask poor people what it meant to be poor,” he ki the model work for the ma in l
explains. “So much of the world is based on the premise that
poor people are helpless and lazy, which is ridiculous. So it was Burt understands that there are working with a local NGO called
clear that the best people to ‘diagnose’ their poverty was them.” many people without a family Roots of Renewal to help formerly
He created the Poverty Stoplight, a comprehensive around them who need support incarcerated black youth get back on
programme that uses around 50 indicators to help families just as much, so his programme their feet.
make improvements in their lives. It’s designed with a adapts to work with disadvantaged “In marginalised populations we
belief that poverty is more than a lack of money; it’s a lack of individuals too. work with social workers and adapt
education, security, health, sanitation and political voice. A “In LA, we’re working with the the indicators to account for the
decade on, the team’s studies show that families who use the Salvation Army and the University discrimination they could face. But
Stoplight are three times more likely to escape poverty than of California, Irvine to apply the ƸŊĪ Ńżÿŧ ŏƫ ƸŊĪ ƫÿŰĪ᠀ ǿŃǀƣĪ żǀƸ ƸŊĪŏƣ
those who don’t. Stoplight to homeless people,” he strengths and weaknesses, make a
“We discovered that the best unit of analysis was not says. “And in New Orleans, we’re plan and guide them to action.”
the person but the family household,” Burt explains. “You
can’t get a 10-year-old out of poverty if the mother is
chronically unemployed.” People can do the questionnaire “It’s absolutely structural and They can then send the credit to a
online or go to their regional hub (the UK’s is in Gateshead, there is absolutely a government bank by text, and if they leave it there
with plans to expand) to have a social worker guide them responsibility there,” Burt says. for six months they get eight per
through the process. “But poor people aren’t powerless. cent interest.”
Each question has three possible answers. For example, We have found that aggregating This September Burt will have
on the topic of transport, families could select green, demand like this makes it easier for another book published, Who
meaning they have access to good transport and can get governments to have a more precise, Owns Poverty?, through Red Press
to work easily; amber, meaning they can access transport customised response.” Publishing (a Big Issue Changemaker
but getting to work can be a challenge; or red, meaning FŏŲÿŲĜŏÿŧŧŏƸĪƣÿĜǣŏƫŰżƫƸżǽƸĪŲ themselves). It chronicles the story
ƸŊĪǣ ƫƸƣǀŃŃŧĪ ǝŏƸŊ ƸƣÿŲƫƠżƣƸ᠁ ÿƣĪ żǽƸĪŲ ŧÿƸĪ ÿŲģ Űŏƫƫ żǀƸ żŲ ǵŧÿŃŃĪģěǣǀƫĪƣƫÿƫÿŲÿƣĪÿƸŊÿƸ of the Stoplight and argues that,
opportunities because of it. needs improvement. This is because when it comes to eliminating poverty,
¼ŊĪŲ ÿ ŰĪŲƸżƣ ŊĪŧƠƫ ƸŊĪŰ ŏģĪŲƸŏłǣ ǿǜĪ ƠƣŏżƣŏƸǣ ÿƣĪÿƫ Ƹż ƸŊĪǿŲÿŲĜŏÿŧƫǣƫƸĪŰŏƫƫĪƸǀƠłżƣƸŊĪ ‘business as usual’ is getting us
work on – it can be anything from budgeting and having the middle classes, according to Burt, and nowhere fast.
right documentation to getting access to dental care and not the poor. “The indigenous people Interview: Hannah Westwater
making sure there is a proper waste disposal system in the area ŏŲ£ÿƣÿŃǀÿǣƫĪŧŧŊÿŲģŏĜƣÿǽƸƫÿŲģĪŲģ @hannahjtw
– and puts them in touch with local organisations that will help up with small amounts of cash to save.
them take action. Banks won’t take it, so we’re working
But what about the structural nature of poverty and with a mobile phone company to let FIND OUT MORE
the role of authorities to help disadvantaged people? them buy credit with their money. povertystoplight.org

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