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Durreen Shahnaz wins Oslo Business for Peace Award
Durreen Shahnaz, an investment banker and media executive-turned-social entrepreneur from Bangladesh, has won the Oslo Business for Peace Award 2017 for transforming the way financial and capital markets are moving beyond profit maximising to maximising purpose and impact.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Europe & Eurasia
- Tags
- impact investing
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Kenyan diaspora is the biggest sender of mobile money
To mark the 10th anniversary of mobile money service M-PESA, WorldRemit has released new data showing that the Kenyan diaspora is the biggest sender of digital remittances to mobile accounts. Transfers to mobile money accounts make up 93% of WorldRemit transactions to Kenya now – showing that Kenyans continue to be early adopters of innovative technology, even when abroad.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- digital payments
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Has the Indian Government’s Microloan Scheme Been Successful?
The government’s micro loan scheme, going by the moniker Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, has disbursed Rs1.53 trillion worth of loans so far in 2016-17, which represents a 15.04% growth from the previous fiscal year. Recall that in fiscal year 2016 (FY16), when the scheme was first implemented, disbursements had exceeded the target specified by that year’s budget.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
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Insurance in Africa: The threat of tech
No insurer wants to see new innovators encroaching on their territory. To outflank them, some are working with these fintech companies to help pursue their own technological projects, reach the continent’s large uninsured populations, develop new products and cut costs.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Indian Entrepreneurs Compete in the Inclusion Plus Final Round
Artoo, Badhti Bachat of Janalakshmi, Shram Sarathi, Suvidhaa Nanocredit and Swadhaar Saathi have been selected as finalists in the third wave of Inclusion Plus, a global competition, managed by Verb, Inc., for entrepreneurs to accelerate financial inclusion.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
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Raj Panjabi Named Recipient of 2017 Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship
Having just been named among Fortune magazine's "World's 50 Greatest Leaders," Dr. Raj Panjabi, an Indian American social entrepreneur originally from Liberia, was named the recipient of a 2017 Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
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Can Red Bull Make Social Entrepreneurship An Extreme Sport?
As a college student in Johannesburg, South Africa, Thato Kgatlhanye, thought up a clever product to improve both the environment and the lives of school-age children living in the struggling, largely rural communities that surrounded her: a backpack made of recycled plastic bags with a solar-charged light attached. The bag itself would reduce waste and trash heaps in the region. At night, the light could act like a lantern allowing kids without electricity to continue studying after dark.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Latin America
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Venezuela asks the UN to help boost supply of medicines
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro has asked for help from the United Nations to boost supplies of medicine. Mr Maduro said the UN had the expertise to normalise the supply and distribution of drugs in the country. Venezuela's Medical Federation said recently that hospitals had less than 5% of the medicines they needed. The president blames the problems on an economic war against his government and the sharp fall in oil prices.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- Latin America
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