Posts by Emily Youatt
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Faith and Finance: The director of an Islamic microfinance institution discusses the challenges of mixing business and religion
In Kyrgyzstan, over 85 percent of citizens are followers of Islam, and many seek to run Halal businesses. So offering Shari’a compliant financial services just makes sense. But Kompanion Invest, the country’s only Islamic microfinance institution, is facing challenges as it tries to achieve full Shari’a compliance. The company’s director discusses those challenges, and the broader Islamic microfinance sector, in this frank Q&A.
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Microfinance in the Crosshairs: Will Kyrgyzstan’s usury bill backfire?
Microfinance has become a subject of controversy, as predatory lenders and unfair interest rates have tarnished its image and led to government interventions. But in Kyrgyzstan, a country with little financial regulation and no sovereign credit rating, increasing regulations may soon have negative consequences for the very clients they’re intended to protect.
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- Entrepreneurship
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How Meals at School Help the Kyrgyzstan Economy: 12 years after launching Food For Education, Mercy Corps looks back
The reality is that a school meal may be the only meal a child receives in a day, and it can make the difference between future success and a lifelong struggle with poverty.
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- Agriculture, Entrepreneurship, Health Care
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- farmers, health care, Mercy Corps, nutrition
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Thursday
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March 28
2013EcoZoom on Building a Market for Clean Cookstoves: What it takes for consumers to invest for long-term savings
Global Envision interviewed Chief of Operations Phil Ferranto on the challenges EcoZoom faces in convincing people to invest in clean cookstoves, developing a market for cookstoves in developing economies, and what sets EcoZoom apart as a socially-minded for-profit business.
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- Energy, Entrepreneurship
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Thursday
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February 28
2013Extreme By Design: Film tracks the world’s biggest little ideas
“Extreme By Design,” a documentary produced and co-directed by Ralph King, was screened at Mercy Corps’ global headquarters in Portland for a public audience in early February. The film follows the journey of a group of students who design and build products to solve seemingly intractable problems of the world’s poor.
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- Entrepreneurship, Technology