NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Entrepreneur has quixotic goal of wiring Rwanda

Greg Wyler, an American tech entrepreneur, dreams of bringing the Internet to this troubled country. There are a few hurdles. Excerpts: Greg Wyler, an American tech entrepreneur, dreams of bringing the Internet to this troubled country. There are a few hurdles. One is a battered communications tower atop this 14,787-foot volcanic peak. The air is too thin for helicopters to transport the several tons of equipment needed for repairs. Instead, it has to go by hand. One recent mor...

Source

The Wall Street Journal (link opens in a new window)

Chinese Take a Turn at Turning a Sub-Saharan Profi

Through all the iterations of the world?s engagement with Africa, most of its nations have remained stuck in an economic trap in which they primarily supply valuable raw materials to the developed world while serving as a marketplace for cheap manufactured goods.? But China seems to be offering Africa something new, a straightforward business relationship between equals based on mutual interest and noninterference in the internal affairs of its allies. Excerpts: China, it seems, is sudden...

Source

New York Times (link opens in a new window)

Region

Asia Pacific

Thai kids to get low-cost laptops

The ambitious project to provide low-cost laptop computers to poor children around the world is about to take a small step forward. More than 500 children in Thailand are expected to receive the machines in October and November for quality testing and debugging. Excerpt: The ambitious project to provide low-cost laptop computers to poor children around the world is about to take a small step forward. More than 500 children in Thailand are expected to receive the machines in October and November ...

Source

The Associated Press (link opens in a new window)

Making Microfinance Easier

Entrepreneurs in the developing world are starting or expanding businesses using small loans from individuals they’re paired with online. Excerpt: For 15 years, Angel Asenov Isaev, a 29-year-old Gypsy living in Sliven, Bulgaria, worked in a bike repair shop in the center of town, struggling to save enough capital to start his own shop. About five months ago, Isaev applied for a $250 loan from a local microfinance institution (MFI) called REDC Bulgaria. He got the loan,...

Source

Business Week (link opens in a new window)

Informal Sector ; a Base to Development

The informal sector proves to be the major mechanism for economic growth and development. In most low developed countries, the informal sector is the largest source of employment, investment and government revenue. This is because the informal sector offers the best opportunity for the upward mobility in lifeline of the poor people and their children. In Rwanda, the informal sector is significant especially among the poor, the disadvantaged, low income earners and a vast ma...

Source

AllAfrica (link opens in a new window)

Bikes Power Computers, Telephones in Developing World

An old invention is taking on a new use to bring phone and computer services to rural areas. VOA Frank Ling reports on efforts to power these systems using renewable energy and bike power. Excerpt: The World Bank says that billions of people in underdeveloped countries do not have access to basic communication services, necessary for meeting the health, educational, and economic goals of people around the world. Communication networks, present everywhere in ind...

Source

Voice of America (link opens in a new window)

Women Urged to Lead the Fight Against Poverty

Women have been urged to take central stage in the fight against poverty in their communities. Addressing the Limpopo Female Farmer Of The Year awards ceremony, Land and Agriculture Minister Lulama Xingwana said women needed to use agriculture to overcome hunger and unemployment. Women farmers have to contend with the social difficulties of life, deal with the challenge of food security and strike a balance between entrepreneurship and skill transfer.

Source

AllAfrica.com (link opens in a new window)

?Our mission is giving loans to the poor?

Vikram Akula, CEO of India?s fastest growing microfinance institution, speaks to Ramesh Kandula in Hyderabad about his poverty alleviation plan. Excerpts from the Interview: How big is SKS Microfinance in comparison with other such institutions in India? Today, SKS is the fastest growing microfinance institution in India. It is one of the top five la...

Source

The Tribune (link opens in a new window)

Region

South Asia