Strategy

Gente Nueva is tackling various sources of rural poverty and inequality in Mexico. Malnutrition in children younger than 5 years is a central focus of Un Kilo de Ayuda because it is one of the most effective ways of fighting poverty. Every dollar invested pays off multiple times in later years, because children are healthier, more capable of learning and more productive.

All Gente Nueva programs strive for financial self-sustainability. The food packages are not distributed for free. Families pay 40% of the package value. Of the total Gente Nueva budget in 2003 (excluding Compartamos) of USD 15 million, 33% was self-generated. The rest was raised through cash or in-kind contributions from the general public or corporations in Mexico through innovative resource mobilization strategies. Compartamos is making a profit.