NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

(CSRwire) Washington, DC, June 14, 2006 ? With the nearest telephone sometimes six miles away, a mobile phone is more than just a means of communication for rural communities in Rwanda; it is an economic lifeline. To help spur greater telecommunications access for villagers, Grameen Foundation, a global non-profit organization that combines microfinance with new technologies to empower the world?s poorest people, and mobile network operator, MTN Rwanda, are launching an innovative new venture: Village Phone Rwanda. Through its signature product, Tel?imbere, Village Phone Rwanda will provide affordable telephone access in places where there is no access to public communications and where power supplies are either unreliable or nonexistent. (Read the full article)