Paul Polak

In Memory of a Pioneer

PAUL POLAK (1933 - 2019)

“After messing around in this field for decades, what I’ve come away with is that the most practical, effective way to end poverty is to create new markets that are scalable and allow people who are poor to be the major players.”

It is with a heavy heart that we share news of Paul Polak’s passing. Founder of iDE and CEO for 25 years, throughout his life he was a pioneer and champion for people living in poverty.

Read our Tribute to Paul Polak

Every $1 you give becomes at least $10 in increased incomes for those working to improve their standard of living. We call this multiplier effect “the power of 10.” It empowers you to activate prosperity where it’s missing in the poorest places around the world.

iDE enhances farmers’ ability to produce and sell fruits, vegetables, and grains sustainably. In doing so, we grow their incomes and the availability of food in their communities, region, and country.

Food Security

By promoting high-value, nutritious crops, iDE empowers farmers to earn more income and provide their families and communities with a more varied diet.

Nutrition

By focusing on women as customers and entrepreneurs, iDE strengthens their participation in rural value chains and increases their access to technology, know-how, finance, and markets.

Gender Equity

iDE helps people in rural areas build their resilience to climate extremes through the use of water saving and climate-smart agricultural technologies and practice.

Climate Resilience

Support from donors and foundations funds our efforts to directly address the parts of peoples’ lives that matter—we’re looking for what works, and you can help.

Diarrheal disease causes more deaths in children under five than malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV combined. iDE is taking on this disease by building markets for sanitation, clean water, and handwashing.

LEARN MORE ABOUT WASH

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene

Small-scale farmers grow 80 percent of the food available in rural areas, so improving their productivity is key. iDE creates business opportunities that enable increased productivity and result in greater income.

LEARN MORE ABOUT AG

Agriculture for Entrepreneurs

iDE helps connect lenders and borrowers at the most rural level, leveraging the power of lots of little loans to improve living conditions.

LEARN MORE ABOUT FINANCE

Access to Finance

We have boots on the ground in eleven countries on three continents, and our teams live in the provinces, districts, and villages where we work.

Bangladesh

Since 1984, iDE has helped expand incomes and improve lives in Bangladesh.

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Burkina Faso

iDE is pioneering market-based solutions in west Africa.

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Cambodia

iDE builds market demand and supply for simple, low-cost products and services in Cambodia.

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Ethiopia

iDE’s solutions address the frequent droughts and humanitarian crises that lead to food insecurity in Ethiopia.

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Ghana

18 million people earn less than $2/day subsistence farming in Ghana.

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Honduras

Climate-smart technology and advice is increasing farmer incomes in Honduras.

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Mozambique

Mozambique is one of the poorest countries in Africa, with agriculture only a third of GDP.

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Nepal

iDE innovations with origins in Nepal include collection centers, multiple-use water systems, and more.

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Nicaragua

iDEal Technologias provides farmers cost-effective technology.

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Vietnam

iDE is partnering with the Vietnam government to address agriculture and WASH challenges.

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Zambia

Geographical isolation and limited infrastructure are barriers for rural farmers in Zambia.

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TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE PLATFORM

Are you a WASH development professional?

Visit our new knowledge hub called WASH Markets featuring over 10 years of learnings and insights from building markets for WASH in developing countries around the world.

https://washmarkets.ideglobal.org/