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NexThought Monday – A Close Look at Safaricom’s M-Shwari : Mobile, yes, but how ‘cool’ is it for customers?
Finally it’s here, a banking product on Safaricom’s terms. Following last week’s announcement, foreign M-PESA watchers get to add another word to their stock of essential Swahili words: shwari, meaning ‘calm’ or ‘cool.’The financial inclusion community has keenly been looking for more instances of mobile money platforms connecting with bank offerings. Before you rejoice at this announcement, consider what it means for other banks in Kenya.
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- Uncategorized
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Weekly Roundup: Giving the Gift of Social Enterprise, But How? : Help us build a list of for social enterprise giving/investing
It’s that time of year when charitable giving spikes. As the tax year comes to a close, many Americans scramble to make donations to help their fellow man – contributions they can also deduct from their taxes. But what about donations to help spur social enterprises serving the poor or helping the environment? Let’s make a list.
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- Technology
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Unleash the World’s Entrepreneurial Geniuses: UN resolution encourages removing constraints on entrepreneurs
Sponsored by Israel’s Mission to the U.N., an unprecedented resolution encourages countries to remove potential licensing, financial and legal barriers that prevent local businesses from stimulating widespread economic and social growth. It also emphasizes the value of teaching entrepreneurial skills at all levels of education, so that everyone—including youth and women—can turn their creativity, energy and ideas into business opportunities
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- governance
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Week 1 is Done: Let us know what you think of NextBillion Health
Your feedback on NextBillion Health Care will help us improve the blog. Let us know what you think, and where we should focus our coverage going forward.
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- Health Care
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Is Your Impact a 1, a 5, or a 10?: Rating human needs and aspirations
The problem at the base of the pyramid is most often not the absence of needed goods and services, but rather difficulties in accessing them. Social enterprises are an exciting prospect because they have the potential to address this challenge. At their core, successful businesses are profitable, sustainable, and scalable. When they are successful, social enterprises can be a source of hope for serving the billions living in poverty today. But how do we measure the products of their work?
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- Impact Assessment, Investing
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McMedicine: Is Social Franchising the Next Big Thing in BoP Health Care?
Around half of all people in developing countries turn to the private sector for health care – even though public facilities are generally cheaper or even free. Can health care franchises maintain the qualities that make private clinics so popular - while also keeping prices low?
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Calvert Foundation’s ‘Accessible, Reliable’ Road for Impact Investing: CEO Lisa Hall discusses options for engaging investors
Calvert Foundation is at the apex of impact investing. As an organization, it has a lot to share in the way of knowledge and expertise, which is why I’m excited to announce that Calvert Foundation will be joining NextBillion as our most recent content partner. For an overview on the nonprofit lender’s 17-year history and for a sense of what’s next for both Calvert Foundation and the broader impact investing sector, I spoke with President and CEO Lisa Hall.
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- impact investing
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Socially Contagious: How Microclinic International is Spreading Healthy Behaviors
Whether you’re buying shoes or making health-related decisions, your behavior is influenced by those around you. That’s the premise behind Microclinic International, which uses social networks to make good health contagious.
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- Education, Health Care, Technology, Telecommunications
