The very hardest part of economic development is getting the first foothold on the ladder. Household and countries at the very bottom of the world's income distribution, in extreme poverty, tend to be stuck. Countries already on the ladder of development, such as Bangladesh and India, are generally making progress,even if it is uneven and sometimes painfully slow. Our generation's challenge is to help the poorest of the poor to escape the misery of extreme poverty so that they may begin their own ascent up the ladder of economic development. The end of poverty, in this sense, is not only the end of extreme suffering but also the beginning of economic progress and of the hope and security that accompany economic development.