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NexThought Monday – The Future of ‘Blended Learning’ Apps for the Poor:
In this information age, where almost every person is connected, using technology to teach seems like a logical way ahead. Education technology, interwoven with learning, makes it fun for kids. After all, in their minds, technology, including phones, computers and tablets, is traditionally used for playing games. But it’s not that simple.
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- Education, Technology
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Weekly Roundup – 8/28/15: Will microfinance take on the ‘randomistas’?
Our finance editor discusses an online dispute between two global development heavyweights, which highlighted the growing tension between the microfinance sector and the poverty researchers who have increasingly called its impact into question. And our health care editor weighed in on another bout: The e-cigarette vs. traditional tobacco cancer stick industry in the developing world.
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- Health Care
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Accelerating Social Entrepreneurship in Latin America: An interview with Agora Partnerships’ CEO Ben Powell
As Ben Powell, its founder and CEO puts it, Agora Partnerships "accelerates entrepreneurs that are solving social and environmental problems in Latin America." Powell describes the process – including some surprising challenges most entrepreneurs face – and discusses emerging trends in social business and investing in this video interview.
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- Impact Assessment, Social Enterprise
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It Pays to Pay Your Own Way: Three reasons self-funding helps lead to a successful business
Self-funding comes with challenges. When your business is strapped for cash, things go slower; you don’t have money to take care of unforeseen problems; it's hard to hire people. But the co-founder of SmartPrac says those things can be overcome and, at the end of the day, money's not the most important part of successful entrepreneurship.
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- Health Care, Technology
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10 Challenges That Could Make or Break India’s Payments Banks: Their revolutionary potential is no guarantee
Last week, the Reserve Bank of India announced that it will issue 11 Payments Bank (PB) licenses, permitting a variety of institutions to provide a limited slate of financial services to underserved populations. The RBI hopes PBs will “revolutionize banking” in India, but their impact is not guaranteed. Here are 10 challenges PBs will face – and how they can live up to the government’s ambitious goals.
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- Uncategorized
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July’s Most Popular Posts on NextBillion: From the value of female mobile money agents to the power of Latin America’s BoP
From the benefits of training women as mobile money agents to the remarkable size and vibrancy of Latin America's BoP, the month of July brought some compelling content to NextBillion. We highlight the three most-read and most-shared posts of the month.
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- Agriculture, Energy
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UPDATE: Powerful Partnership: Teaching case spells out how Walmart and USAID collaborate to meet global challenges
When Walmart started striving for greater social impact through its supply chains and the U.S. Agency for International Development came to embrace the private sector, a unique collaboration was formed. A new teaching case explains how these high-powered partners are seeking integrated solutions to increasingly complex global problems.
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- Agriculture, Education
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NexThought Monday – How We Can Improve Ultra-Poor ‘Graduation’: The next generation of innovations required to end the most extreme poverty
There is no great innovation without skepticism, much less in the tireless crusade against global poverty. So it's no surprise that as the ultra-poor ‘graduation’ approach pioneered by BRAC has gained ground as a viable path out of extreme poverty, questions have emerged about its effectiveness and possible next steps.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment
