Partnerships that profit the poor, by Sarah Murray

Thursday, March 31, 2005

So far, companies such as Ericsson, Unilever, Total, Tetra Pak, Shell, Thames Water and EDF are participating with pilot schemes in Tanzania, Madagascar, Ethiopia and Bangladesh.
Geographically, much of the focus is on projects in Africa. However, the UNDP wants to extend the GSB initiative – which was spearheaded by the UN Global Compact, a voluntary corporate citizenship network – to countries in Asia, Latin America and eastern Europe.
While the business activities are commercial, not philanthropic, participating companies are structuring their projects in a variety of ways. For some, philanthropic funding does enter the picture, but as a pump-priming tool through which to develop pro-poor markets.
Story found here.

Source: Financial Times