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Desperate Times, Desperate Measures: A Microfinance Network Responds to the Devastating Reality of COVID-19 in India
The COVID-19 pandemic is taking a disastrous toll in India, with over 27 million confirmed cases and 311,000 reported deaths. In the face of this emergency, Opportunity International is leveraging its network of microfinance partners to provide crucial assistance to hard-hit communities. CEO Atul Tandon explains how the organization is working with microfinance providers to convert their offices into emergency response and triage centers, while educating clients about pandemic-related health risks and providing them with food and supplies.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance, Health Care, Transportation
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Preparing Community Health Workers to Deploy the COVID-19 Vaccine: Five Lessons on Digital Training Learned From the Ebola Crisis
Though COVID-19 deaths continue to rise around the globe, growing access to vaccines provides a ray of hope. As Monica Amponsah, Bobbi Gray and Gigi Gatti at Grameen Foundation explain, community health workers can play a key role in bringing the vaccine to vulnerable communities in the developing world. They discuss the digital solutions Grameen Foundation developed to help community health workers support the Ebola vaccine trials in Sierra Leone, and share five lessons for leveraging mobile tools to help these workers deploy COVID-19 vaccinations.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Health Care, Technology
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Adapting to Survive: New Study Reveals the Importance of Digital Payments to Small and Micro Businesses in Mexico
An estimated 95% of businesses around the world are micro, small and medium enterprises, and they've been hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 crisis. Devin Olmack and Ashley Speyer at 60 Decibels discuss a new study of 750+ small and micro businesses owners in Mexico, which illustrates how digital payments can help these businesses grow and weather unpredictable storms like the pandemic. They share personal stories of small business owners who have benefited from digital payment systems, and detail some remaining obstacles and opportunities for growth.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
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COVID-19 Is Showing Small Businesses the Benefits of Digital Financial Services: Here Are Three Ways Providers Can Use Data to Better Serve Them
Digital access to financial services has been growing in recent years, but COVID-19 has made it all the more necessary. BancoSol, a commercial bank serving 1.5 million Bolivian microentrepreneurs, saw its digital transactions rising over the last year and wanted to extend this trend beyond the pandemic — but it wasn't sure how. Kathleen Yaworsky at Accion and Aaron Lewin at Mastercard discuss how their organizations are supporting BancoSol through data-driven insights, and share three steps microfinance institutions can take to better serve the needs of their micro and small business customers.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
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Leveraging Tech During the Pandemic: How Apps Can Protect Lives in Developing Countries
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, vulnerable communities in many developing countries are dealing with a lack of accurate information about the virus – and facing the broader challenge of limited healthcare access. Bowen Khong at ForexToStock profiles some organizations that have responded to these challenges with innovative, healthcare-focused apps. He explores how these apps are fighting misinformation and connecting people in hard-hit communities to the care they need, and explains why impact investors should keep a close eye on these health tech solutions.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Education, Health Care, Technology
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Reimagining Agriculture in Kenya: Five Steps for Building Resilience and Food Security After a Catastrophic Year
Multiple crises in 2020 – from the COVID-19 pandemic to a desert locust upsurge and massive flash floods – served as a wake-up call about the fragility of Kenya's agricultural sector. And as Michael Omega, Daniel Kitwa and Racheal Wangari of Intellecap Africa explain, climate change makes future crises more likely, heightening the need for increased productivity and greater food security in the country. They explore five ways to reimagine Kenya’s agricultural value chain and food system, to build resilience and improve livelihoods for farmers and vulnerable communities.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Coronavirus
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The COVID-19 Effect: Why Latin America Needs a Workplace Wellness Revolution – and How Technology Can Enable It
Remote work is growing in Latin America, as it is around the globe, and the COVID-19 crisis has accelerated this shift. But as Greg Mitchell of Angel Ventures explains, working from home combined with the stressors of the pandemic is causing increased anxiety and burnout for workers. He shares how many companies in the region are adopting digital solutions to support employee mental health — from on-demand counseling and monitoring services to apps and chatbots — and discusses the market potential for this burgeoning solution.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Health Care, Technology
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Why Hand Hygiene Is the Perennial Third Wheel of WASH – and How It Can (Finally) Become a Global Development Priority
There has long been an imbalance in the global WASH sector, with water and sanitation prioritized far more than hygiene. As Geoff Revell at HappyTap explains, this lack of emphasis extends to both money and mentality – even as the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the crucial importance of handwashing and other hygiene measures. He shares three options that could improve the prospects for hygiene initiatives in developing communities — and explains why the best option might be the least flashy.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, WASH
- Tags
- COVID-19, global development, hygiene, water
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