NextBillion - A WDI Publication

Grameen Bank Founder Yunus Survives Attempt to Oust Him

Muhammad Yunus , the Nobel prize winning founder of the Grameen bank in Bangladesh , has survived an attempt to oust him from ...

Source

The Guardian (link opens in a new window)

Region

South Asia

How the Poor Can Least Afford Bad Design

You could call Jan Chipchase the Indiana Jones of product design. He lives in Shanghai, has a Japanese wife and just returned from a research trip in the north of Uganda, an area recently controlled by the notorious military group the

Source

Venture Beat (link opens in a new window)

India Budget to Help Microlenders

MUMBAI -India’s finance minister Monday announced the creation of a 1-billion rupee ($22 million) equity fund for microfinance institutions, a step that will provide the much needed financial support to smaller players. "The microfinance institutions have emerged as an important means of financial inclusion. Creation of a dedicated fund for providing equity to smaller MFIs would help them maintain growth and achieve scale and efficiency in operation," Pranab Mukherjee said whi...

Source

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

Region

South Asia

The B-Town Doctors: Big Hospitals In Small Towns

Divya Raman, 35, goes to her friendly, neighbourhood family physician in Koramangala, suburban Bangalore, whenever her family members fall ill. But this is not an average neighbourhood clinic. The walls are a warm magenta and yellow, there is enough space to sit and, most importantly, it is clean. "It is better than regular clinics, as it is clean and you do not get put off by a crowd," says Raman. Manipal Hospital would be happy to hear Raman’s response. For the last two month...

Source

Forbes India (link opens in a new window)

Region

South Asia

Why We Need Social Entrepreneurship in the Middle East

The tremors shaking the Middle East have not fully subsided, but the ominous question already looms: What comes next? Much of the media focus has been on political reform, as tyrants are toppled and drama unfolds with the suspense of a Hollywood movie, but the demands of protestors have been clear: They want political and economic reform. Very little attention, as yet, has been paid to the...

Source

Inc. (link opens in a new window)

Region

North Africa & Near East

Chevron foundation, USAID give Nigeria $50M

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) - Chevron Corp.’s foundation and USAID are to pour $50 million into Nigeria’s impoverished delta where militants have kidnapped foreign oil workers and demanded that more oil profits come back to the region, the U.S. oil giant said Thursday. Chevron’s Niger Delta Partnership Initiative and the U.S.-government funded USAID will each invest $25 million toward the development of the region over the next four years. The money will support programs desig...

Source

Associated Press (link opens in a new window)

Region

Sub-Saharan Africa

Ethiopia Launches Industry Extension Service Package Targeting SMEs

In an attempt to replicate success stories from its ’Agriculture Extension Program’, which has been showing some good results in changing the lives of poor farmers, the Ethiopian government launched today ’Industry Extension Service’ package targeting urban Small and Micro Enterprises (SMEs). Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions will provide the new service package, which targets solving all the major headaches of SMEs...

Source

New Business Ethiopia (link opens in a new window)

Region

Sub-Saharan Africa

Bridges Fund Tops ?11.75m with JP Morgan Investment

A fund for social entrepreneurs run by Bridges Venture has topped £11.75m following a £2.75m investment from JP Morgan. The sustainable growth investor’s Bridges Social Entrepreneurs Fund opened in 2009 to address the funding gap faced by fast-growing social enterprises. Its first £9m was funded by the Office for Civil Society, Nesta, R&S Cohen Foundation, Deutsche Bank, the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and others. The Bridges Ventures team has also alloca...

Source

Socialenterpriselive.com (link opens in a new window)

Region

Europe & Eurasia