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Market Linkages: The Achilles’ Heel of Livelihoods
Over the last two decades, models for livelihoods for the poor have come of age and many organizations have focused their efforts on reducing the vulnerability of marginalized communities. Though these models have been successful in creating employment, they haven’t scaled to realize their true potential.
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WDI Workshop on Collecting Outcome Data at the Project Level
At WDI’s BoP Initiative, we have developed a robust, straightforward and low-cost process to collect outcome data at the project level. Our upcoming workshop (Feb 17-19) will focus on teaching organizations how to think through key components in order to develop a sound methodology to collect outcome data using the BoP Impact Assessment Framework.
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Moringa Oleifera: Miracle Tree for the Rural Poor?
A recurring theme in romantic novels and movies is that you travel all over the world to finally find what you were searching for, right where you began. Could it be that the answer to malnutrition and self sustaining communities be a plant which has been growing in their back yard for all this time?
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A Call for Innovation and Collaboration
We often talk about sustainability in development or compose programs that aspire to that end, but far less often do we address or share instances of setback. In a recent trip to Swaziland I visited TechnoServe’s cotton program and was struck by the setback incurred when a prominent aid agency interrupted the efforts of this program.
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- Education
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Students: Start Your Social Ventures Today!
I’m a big believer in student-formed social ventures. Students are arguably in the best position to start a social venture. They have incredible support, access to unbelievable resources, and can take on risk that others can’t.
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Securitization: Increasing Liquidity in Base of the Pyramid Markets
How does one convert "credit" extended to low-income households into tradable "commodities?" Is there a way to use the best know-how of financial markets to transform an industry that makes small loans to low-income households? Securitization promises to be an answer to all these questions.
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Pop!Tech Social Innovation Fellows: Who Are You Nominating?
In the fall last year I had a chance to meet the Pop!Tech Social Innovation Fellows in person, while attending the conference in beautiful Camden. Nominations for the 2010 Class of Pop!Tech Social Innovation Fellows are now open. So roll up your sleeves and nominate that someone you know has potential to effect meaningful change in the world.
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Using Knowledge from the Informal Economy to Create Sustainable Ventures
There’s huge potential for the knowledge of informal sectors to be leveraged and introduced into the formal economy. Once entrepreneurs and investors start realizing this and giving it due recognition, I’m confident that we’ll see India’s villages achieve growth at a much faster rates.
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