SINCE 2015, Zero Extreme Poverty Philippines 2030 (ZEP) has reached 10,000 extremely poor families nationwide, including informal settlers, farmers, fisherfolk, and indigenous peoples who are considered some of the most marginalized sectors in the Philippines.

ZEP is a coalition of non-government entities that aims to reduce extreme poverty in the Philippines by 2030. It has interventions and programs in 109 cities and municipalities from 33 provinces in 15 regions across the country.

To create a sustainable and long-term plan to help extremely poor families become self-sufficient, ZEP pushes for multi-sector collaboration from various public and private organizations. Collective impact from the convergence of initiatives from ZEP’s seven clusters helped achieve self-sufficiency and inclusive prosperity in the communities that they assist.

The seven clusters are: Health, Education, Livelihood, Environment, Housing and Shelter, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Partnerships for Indigenous Peoples.

“All the interventions we bring to the communities that we partner with are based from their articulated needs and what they hope to achieve for their families,” said Benjamin Abadiano, ZEP head secretariat.

“The issue on poverty is multi-dimensional. This is the rationale behind the collaborative aspect of our work—bringing together the expertise and resources of different organizations to convey transformational change to these families and break the cycle of poverty,” he added.

ZEP is calling on non-government entities, corporate foundations and corporations, and other poverty alleviation advocates to join the different thematic clusters and enroll their programs to be part of the movement, or to bring ZEP to more cities and municipalities as local conveners. Individuals can also help by linking ZEP to potential partners or through pledges and donations.

“Whether big or small, everyone can help. We can successfully achieve zero poverty through the spirit of collaboration and collective impact. At ZEP, we believe that as Filipinos we can build on our diversity to be more inclusive and ensure that no family is left behind,” said Abadiano. (PR)