-
The Smartphone Does It Again: Building Credit Scores For Microentrepreneurs
In 2010, when Shivani Siroya started developing an idea for a new microfinance model, predatory lending practices were changing the way people saw microfinance.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
My Day Without Banks
Lesson one from navigating the archipelago of check cashers, payday lenders, and discount store money desks: it’s expensive to be poor.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
Planting for Profit, and Greater Good
A lemon tree springs from the soil in Jason Aramburu’s backyard in Berkeley, Calif., alongside rose bushes, birds of paradise, strawberry plants and squash blossoms. The garden is thriving, but its upkeep requires almost no effort from Mr. Aramburu. Instead, a foot-high soil sensor does much of the work.
- Categories
- Agriculture
-
Acumen Joins Power Africa’s Beyond the Grid as Founding Partner
Acumen is proud to be a founding partner of Beyond the Grid, an innovative framework under President Obama’s Power Africa initiative to increase energy access for underserved populations across sub-Saharan Africa. Beyond the Grid will leverage partnerships with investors and practitioners committing to invest over $1 billion into off-grid and small scale solutions for this underserved market.
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- renewable energy
-
Social Entrepreneurs Create 3D Printed Wrench From Recycled Ocean Plastic
The Plastic Bank, a Vancouver-based social enterprise I wrote about last fall, just announced it’s created, in the words of co-founder Shaun Frankson, “the world’s first 3D printed item from entirely recycled ocean plastic.” Specifically, they made a wrench.
- Categories
- Environment
-
How to Beat Malaria, Once and for All
MALARIA is a seasonal disease; with tropical rains come the fevers. In the news media, malaria is also seasonal.
- Categories
- Health Care
-
GeneXpert’s benefits still not reaching patients
The Department of Health’s multi-million rand investment in an automated, rapid TB test is being short-changed by slow health systems, said researchers this week.
- Categories
- Health Care
-
GravityLight: Doing More With Less- Designing For The Bottom Of The Pyramid
Globally, 1.3 billion people do not have access to electricity. Millions more are ‘under-electrified’, with unreliable and sporadic supply. Instead they typically rely on kerosene for lighting. Hazardous, expensive and polluting, there is a real need to replace kerosene with a safer, sustainable and affordable light.
- Categories
- Health Care
Subscribe to Our Weekly Newsletter, "NextBillion Notes"
Published each Wednesday, our e-newsletter features NextBillion's latest original articles, along with a selection of news, jobs, bizdev opportunities and events from our recent coverage — and regular conference ticket giveaways.
We respect your privacy. Your information is safe and will never be shared.
Don't miss out. Subscribe today.