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A Solar Power-Charging Backpack Made From Recycled Plastic
Fledgling social enterprise Rethaka sells backpacks for school kids that do a few things at once: Made from recycled plastic bags, they first of all address the plague of waste from that material. And with a charger powered by solar energy, they provide light for children who lack electricity at home, while also reducing the use of kerosene, which causes a great many accidents and illnesses. Its CEO, 22-year-old Thato Kgatlhanye, founded the company and developed the product, called Repurpose Schoolbags, while attending a university in Johannessburg, South Africa.
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- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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How A Toilet Franchise Business Is Cleaning Up Kenya’s Slums
When the government isn't providing clean sanitation, Sanergy is showing that there's an opportunity for local entrepreneurs to step in.
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- Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Eco-friendly sanitary pads made of banana fibre – Saathi pads’s solution to menstrual waste
Saathi was founded by Kristin Kagetsu, Amrita Saigal, Grace Kane, Ashutosh Kumar and Zachary Rose. The aim was to develop a small scale manufacturing process that would produce affordable sanitary protection from waste banana tree fibre.
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- Health Care
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A Baltimore health-tech startup is developing a way to recycle blood
Sisu Global Health is developing a medical device that doctors could use to recycle a patient’s blood lost through traumatic internal bleeding. The company later this year will launch a clinical study of the device, called Hemafuse, in partnership with the University of Zimbabwe.
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- Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Impact Investors in Africa Are Looking East
President Obama’s recent trip to East Africa put the spotlight on a hot area for impact investing. So it’s timely that the Global Impact Investing Network(GIIN), in partnership with Open Capital Advisors, just published a detailed look at impact investing in the region.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Previewing SOCAP15: A rundown of this year’s agenda – and a $500 discount for NextBillion readers!
Now in its eighth year, SOCAP15 will convene leading impact investors, world-class entrepreneurs and innovative cross-sector practitioners for three full days of networking and engaging content. The event will be held at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco, CA, Oct. 6-9, and NextBillion readers can get a $500 discount.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise
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Healthcare Start-Up Connects Rural Patients With Global Network of Specialists
The diagnosis of a serious illness takes heavy emotional and financial toll on the sick and their families. Patients also have to make tough decisions on the choice of medical care. In many African countries, access to second opinion consultations can be challenging since most have a shortage of specialist doctors. And often the few available specialists are stationed in cities hence rural patients must travel long distances.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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A New Space Race – To Grow Social Enterprise
Returning to San Francisco from Milan where I had met some of the 700 international delegates attending the Social Enterprise World Forum, I found my mind wandering to the 'space race' of the 1950s and 1960s. Space became a key battlefield of the Cold War. It was a proving ground for which political-economic system -- the U.S. or the Soviet Union -- had the right to claim its prowess.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- Europe & Eurasia