-
Another Competition, Another Missed Opportunity
The World Bank?s Development Marketplace (DM) competition took place in Washington this week. Begun in 1998, and held in DC about once every 18 months, DM is ?a competitive grant program that funds innovative, small-scale development projects that deliver results and show potential to be...
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
A New Model for Rural Connectivity
What if the ultimate Internet access device turned out to be a phone? Yes, its already happening for a few in the rich world, but I’m talking about access for a billion people or more in the developing world, for which the driver is cost, not convenience. Despite all the efforts to spread...
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
A New Water Filter, An Old Debate
The BBC reported last week about a new device being marketed to purify water in developing countries. The LifeStraw looks like a large plastic flute, and contains internal filters that remove bacteria from the water as it is drunk. The device is priced at around $3.50, and is designed to purify...
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
Yakking It Up at the BOP in China
Yaks for development? Withhold judgment and read on ? this BOP project has legs (4, in fact). NextBillion ally Carol Chyau doesn?t think yak jokes are funny ? with a partner, she?s behind the newly-formed Yashmere and Cheese for Change for-profit social enterprises. The Harvard Crimson...
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
The Business Case for Clean Cooking
Every year, smoke from traditional stoves fueled by wood is responsible for 1.5 million deaths. Sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia are particularly affected. Now a new report from the World Health Organization makes the business case for investing in cleaner household fuels. The report...
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
This Week: Your Dream Vacation….. and your great-grandchildrens’
Efforts to preserve the?Amazonian rainforest?have always been rife with plenty of controversy.? This is?either?attributed to the fact that environmental protectionism is often seen as a blow to economic growth or because well-intentioned businesses end up exploiting local residents to green...
- Categories
- Education
- Tags
- academia
-
Gardening at the Base of the Pyramid
It?s easy to overlook food when thinking about BOP business and strategy. Food and agriculture often lack the ?wow? factor that comes with microfinance, technology, or even innovative health models. We brush by it at our own peril, however ? according to available data, food accounts...
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
Microfinance and IT: Glass Half Full or Glass Half Empty?
Optimists often cite microfinance as a “development success story,” but realists know the truth - it suffers from high interest, misrepresentation of repayment rates, poor risk management, and insufficient scale. (More on the “dirty little secrets” of microfinance at the...
- Categories
- Uncategorized
