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Weekly Roundup – 2/7/15: Debt and Forgiveness: A drastic solution to over-indebtedness among the poor
Seven years after a financial crisis caused in part by excess debt, all the world’s major economies have higher levels of borrowing than they did in 2007, said a report released this week. Meanwhile, one country has responded to excess debt among the poor by forcing lenders to forgive it. We discuss these developments, and some great financial inclusion news coming out of India, in this Roundup.
- Categories
- Agriculture
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The True Measure of Land’s Value
In working with women to increase family income, we might launch initiatives that increase household income and help the family out of the poverty trap. But women, the primary stakeholders of these initiatives, will still be trapped in their underprivileged status within the family and society.
- Categories
- Agriculture
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How to Make Good on Gates’ Big Bets? : By doubling down on bundled solutions
The Bill and Melinda Gates’ 2015 letter identifies four “big bets” that could lead us to a future with vastly reduced levels of poverty. At the Grameen Foundation we are bundling two of these “bets” - financial services with practical information on good farming practices - into a unified push to reduce rural poverty.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Technology
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Press Release: Better Than Cash Alliance Study Shows Colombia’s Digital Payment Tool for Coffee Farmers Is a Model to Replicate
The Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC) Smart Coffee ID Card (CCI), launched in 2006, has become a vital tool for financial inclusion and change in the productive dynamics of Colombia´s rural sector, according to the Better Than Cash Alliance (BTCA), a United Nations alliance of governments, companies and the development community committed to the global transition from cash to electronic payments.
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Region
- Latin America
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Know What’s Killing More People in Nigeria Than Boko Haram? Lack of Drinking Water
The lack of running water killed more people in Nigeria last year than Boko Haram. While the terror campaign claimed more than 4,000 lives, the shortage of potable water and poor sanitation led to about 73,000 deaths, according to WaterAid, a London-based nonprofit.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- infrastructure
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Bank of Zimbabwe Launches $50 Million Fund to Support Smallholder Farmers, Rural Development
Bank of Zambia (BoZ) Governor Michael Gondwe has launched a US$50 million Fund under the MasterCard Foundation’s Fund to support smallholder farmers in the rural areas.
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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For Youth, By Youth: Creating Jobs, Sustainability and A Future Vision for Kenya
Simeon Ogonda’s vision for Kenyan youth is ambitious. He wants to transform young people from job seekers into job creators who build and support sustainable and transparent enterprises. “My vision is to bring up more young people who can develop their own businesses, work hard, and trust that so long as they keep their passion alive, they will not fail in what they’re doing,” he said.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Environment
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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2015 – The Breakout Year for Agriculture Digital Payments?
For digital finance to really expand throughout the developing world this year, it needs greater uptake among the rural poor, says Lee Babcock. To achieve that, the sector must think about how best to strategically insert digital finance into the agriculture value chain. He explores a number of ongoing initiatives that are focused on doing just that.
- Categories
- Agriculture
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