-
Why It’s Cool to Invest in Girls: SPRING Accelerator is open for applications
Harnessing the power and potential of girls is the aim of SPRING, a new project from the U.K. Department for International Development (DFID), Nike Foundation and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). SPRING will accelerate early to mid-stage ventures with products and services that improve the lives of girls in poverty across eight East African countries.
- Categories
- Education
-
Catalyzing the Power of Africa’s Youth: Recommendations for Youth Entrepreneurship Promotion 2.0
Young and without credit history or experience, many East African entrepreneurs find themselves at the “Bottom of the Enterprise Pyramid” facing tough challenges. While networking, peer-learning and exposure, especially to investors, are perceived as important success factors, these are biased towards more mature entrepreneurs. Intellecap has developed a series of strategies for building a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem.
- Categories
- Education
- Tags
- incubators, research
-
Following the (Mobile) Money: Services now available in 61 percent of developing markets, GSMA reports
The mobile financial services sector continued to expand in 2014, boosted by the creation of more enabling regulatory frameworks in several markets, according to the GSMA’s 2014 State of the Industry Report on mobile financial services. With 255 mobile money services in operation across 89 countries, mobile money services are now available in over 60 percent of developing markets.
- Categories
- Technology
-
Scaling Up What Works: Study focuses on using the private sector as a way to increase the effectiveness of primary care services
Most global child mortality could be prevented through effective primary care interventions. To help meet these basic needs, the Rapid Routes to Scale group is detailing ways to scale up primary care in low- and middle-income countries.
- Categories
- Health Care
-
Creating an Efficient Funnel for Inclusive Business: How agri-processors, farmers, food banks and the government are blending an alliance
Minka-Dev helped a growing food ingredients company in Colombia connect with smallholder farmers. The authors, both from Minka-Dev, detail the process, which involves not only farmers, but also food banks, government and business players.
- Categories
- Agriculture
-
Striving for Consistency: A new guide aims to standardize impact assessments of the growing microinsurance market
Estimates suggest there are close to 270 million microinsurance clients in the developing world, with a potential market estimated at 3 to 4 billion policies. But while assessing the social impact of this growing sector is vital to improving product design, there is a dearth of consistency amongst the impact assessments being conducted. Microinsurance Network created “A Practical Guide to Impact Assessments” to address this challenge.
- Categories
- Education, Health Care, Impact Assessment
-
NexThought Monday – Test Tubers: Why potatoes in Bangladesh are turning heads in the Andes
If you’re a subsistence farmer of potatoes, cassava or bananas, you’ll often sow your crops by taking cuttings from other plants. An alternative method of in vitro micro-propagation involves cloning plantlets in a laboratory setting. This can lead to dramatic gains in crop yields, but it’s expensive. But there may be a low-tech solution.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Education, Technology
- Tags
- research
-
Twitter Top Ten – 3/1/15
Our weekly Twitter Top 10 is only a click away, and full of information. Among the highlights: Bill Gates put on his green eyeshade (you might have to look that one up, millennials) and assumed the role of editor.
- Categories
- Health Care
