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How to Support Entrepreneurs in the Time of Coronavirus
The COVID-19 pandemic is causing falling demand, mandatory store closings, labor shortages and other challenges for businesses around the world – and micro and small businesses are especially vulnerable. How can development organizations help these critical drivers of local economies? Juan Carlos Thomas and Andrea Bettosini at Technoserve provide answers to this question, based on past experience helping businesses weather socio-political upheaval in developing countries.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Social Enterprise, Transportation
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Press Release: Grameen America Launches Impact Investing Fund to Support Minority Women Small Business Owners Impacted by the Pandemic
Over the course of the fund's five-year life, $17.5 million will be redeployed in nearly $200 million of cumulative loans to women entrepreneurs.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Investing
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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USAID Announces New Partnership With Root Capital, Keurig Dr Pepper, and Ezrah Charitable Trust to Protect Supply Chains and Agribusiness Amid COVID-19
Today, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced the Feed the Future Partnership for Sustainable Supply Chains, a new collaboration with Root Capital, Keurig Dr Pepper, and Ezrah Charitable Trust to help small agricultural businesses around the world stay afloat during the pandemic of COVID-19 and rebuild in its wake.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Coronavirus
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Press Release: Almost 2 Billion People Depend on Health Care Facilities Without Basic Water Services – WHO, UNICEF
A lack of water puts health care workers and patients at higher risk of COVID-19 infection.
- Categories
- Coronavirus
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Press Release: DFC Approves Over $2.1 Billion in New Investments for Global Development
Projects aim to bolster energy security in Eastern Europe, trusted telecommunications networks in Africa, and the global response to COVID-19
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Investing, Telecommunications
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Analysis: Europe’s Second COVID-19 Lockdown Could Hurt African Economies
A second wave of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is forcing some European and Asian countries to implement lockdowns that could hurt the global market and many sub-Saharan African economies.
- Categories
- Coronavirus
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Analysis: How COVID-19 Is Shifting Focus to Social Enterprise in Africa
African social entrepreneurs are refocusing strategies and services to reach vulnerable populations most affected by the crisis.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Social Enterprise
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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An Unlevel Playing Field: Why Small Businesses Face Disadvantages in Digital Commerce – and How Inclusive Tech Innovations Could Help
One reason COVID-19 has been so damaging to global micro and small enterprises (MSEs) is that consumers have shifted towards purchasing online – a change that has mainly benefited large corporations. According to Malika Anand at BFA's Catalyst Fund, making digital commerce more inclusive could help these businesses survive and grow in the long term. She shares research from Ghana that highlights several promising opportunities for digital commerce innovations that can benefit informal MSEs.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance, Technology, Transportation