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St. Jude Empowers 180,000 Farmers With Organic Skills
ST. JUDE Family Projects is training farmers in modern Integrated Organic Farming (IOF). For the past 12 years, the project has equipped more than 180,000 farmers with skills in IOF. Integrated Organic Farming is a process of harmonious co-existence between the various components on a farm - plants, animals, water and soils. Each component contributes directly or indirectly to the other. The centre, located at Busense, Kabonera sub-county in Bukoto Central, Masaka distric...
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Malawi Pilots Drought Insurance Coverage With Local Farmers
Malawi has introduced an innovative pilot drought insurance program for local groundnut farmers that will help them mitigate the risks associated with periodic droughts. The insurance will help farmers obtain financing necessary to obtain certified seeds, which produce increased yields and revenues as well as greater resistance to disease. The program is currently being utilized through the pilot program by nearly 900 farmers in four areas and, if successful, can be scaled up to other crops and...
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Microcredit Turns into Major Headache in Kenya
The power of microcredit to pull people out of destitution has been celebrated around the world during 2005, designated the International Year of Microcredit by the United Nations. In Kenya, however, the concept of microcredit risks losing its bloom. This follows concerns about a number of self-described microfinance institutions that have sprung up across the country over recent years, and which seem more intent on exploiting their clients than helping them work their wa...
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Bank Throws Lifeline to Africa’s Private Sector
Jonathan Katzenellenbogen Mumbai In a massive boost to Africa’s private sector, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank arm that finances companies, is to almost treble its support on the continent over the next five years to more than $1bn a year. The expansion in financing to the continent will involve a doubling in IFC financing for projects in SA over the next year to about $200m. Part of the IFC’s unfolding plan is for it to play a fa...
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Grameen Foundation USA Releases Village Phone Replication Manual
First Manual to Provide a Proven Model for Establishing Telecommunication Access in Poor, Rural Communities through Microfinance The Village Phone program partners microfinance institutions with telecommunications providers to offer both microenterprise opportunities to the very poor in rural regions, as well as provide the entire community access to telecommunications that are generally unavailable. (CSRwire) Washington, D.C. - Grameen Foundation USA (GFUS...
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Investors Missing Africa’s Telecoms Boat
Despite phenomenal growth in the cellphone industry, sub-Saharan Africa still accounts for just 1% of global telecoms investments. Of $220bn invested in telecoms in 2003, under $3bn was in Africa. The sector has high growth potential, as the majority of Africans still have no access to telecommunications. For investors who know how to assess the risks and rewards, the potential rewards are matched only by diamonds and other mineral resources, Marcelle says. ...
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Minister Blames Banks over Poverty in Africa
The failure by commercial banks to lend to small and medium-sized businesses in Africa is to blame for rampant poverty on the continent, a Cabinet minister said yesterday. Planning minister Anyang’ Nyong’o hit out at the banks for making return on investment difficult by charging high interest rates on loans. Oracle Business Intelligence The banks rarely touch African businesses and when they do they charge interest rates that make it impossible for ent...
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Access 1513 Internet Prepaid Card Launched
In an effort to help Ghana ’leap-frog’ into the information society proper, Global Access Services Limited in collaboration with Netafrique Dot Com, an Internet Service Provider (ISP) have introduced an Internet prepaid card into the Ghanaian market. Called Access 1513 Internet prepaid card, the card can be used by anyone who has access to a computer with a dial up modem and a Ghana Telecom (GT) telephone line. The card comes with a username, a password and a GT digital telep...
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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