Real world solutions with measurable results

Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) reorganizes math and reading instruction based on children’s actual learning levels, rather than on the prescribed grade-level syllabus. Randomized controlled trials have shown that TaRL can yield 2-3x gains in reading and math skills in under 100 days at a cost of $3.25 per child. While at USAID, DIV was one of the earliest funders of TaRL, supporting the initial testing and subsequent scaling of TaRL across multiple grants and geographies. The program has scaled to support over 80M children across Africa and South Asia.

The Graduation approach is a holistic livelihoods program designed to address the multidimensional needs of those living in extreme poverty. Over the past decade at USAID, DIV supported the testing and scaling of the Graduation approach across multiple grants and geographies. DIV’s investments helped accelerate massive investment and scale of the Graduation approach in new contexts, including catalyzing $21 million in external funding to adapt it for implementation at scale. The approach has now been implemented in more than 40 countries.

BURN's fuel-efficient cookstoves limit air pollution and reduce household spending by up to 30% every year. 6.3 million cookstoves have been sold to date, generating an estimated $2.3B in savings and improved health outcomes for more than 32 million people in sub-Saharan Africa. DIV, then at USAID, supported BURN Manufacturing with three grants to refine product design, increase production capacity, and expand to two new countries, enabling the company to achieve profitability.