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M-Pesa Shows Strong Demand for M-Banking
We’ve known about Vodafone’s M-Pesa project for some time now.? The money-transfer via mobile phone service has been active in Kenya for a few months now, first as a pilot and growing steadily throughout the country. The New York Times and the Economist both have articles on M-Pesa...
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Nubian Cheetah and AIDG’s Haiti Project
A quick roundup before the weekend. First, here’s a new blog to check out: Nubian Cheetah.? Its author, Nii Simmonds, is based here in DC (small world) and was recently a speaker at TED Africa.? Nii posted last week about a conversation he had with George Ayittey (also based here in DC,...
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Roundup: Medicine Shoppe; A “Poor” Market
A couple of quick reads, especially if you’re recovering from Independence Day celebrations in the United States. First, over at Acumen Fund blog, Fellow Nadaa Taiyab writes about her experiences working with Medicine Shoppe India and its new spinoff, Sehat Clinic.? The post is a...
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$3000 Car: Role of Government
After my post Small Car Activity and the article in the Independent criticizing the new venture, I received the following mail from a friend in Bangalore:The demand for automobiles is growing primarily because of the neglect by the government of metropolitan transport infrastructure, leading...
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Building Broadband to Rural Sri Lanka
In May 2007 the Synergy Strategies Group (SSG) opened the first EasySeva Centers and is on track to open a total of 25 Centers by the end of September. SSG has undertaken a new and highly innovative approach in expanding broadband rural access across Sri Lanka. This project is one of nearly 30...
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“Very Simple” Business Model: Product Franchising
Abhay Clinics in India reaches BOP markets through a business model not yet discussed on NextBillion--product franchising. Whereas business franchisors provide franchisees with a complete business format--from administrative processes to branding and products--manufacturers that run product...
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Aspen Institute Takes a “Closer Look” at BOP Business Education
Pablo was kind enough to forward me the latest issue of A Closer Look, Aspen Institute’s monthly briefing on the latest in MBA education.? This month’s topic is BOP in the classroom -- check out the PDF, which is posted online via Aspen’s Business and Society Program. It’s a...
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Is the Microfinance Model Broken?
Provocative, yes, but it has become fashionable to ask this question in other subsections of the financial community - the state of the venture capital industry and more recently, the private equity industry have been heavily and often bitterly debated. It seems timely to revisit the need for...
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