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The Key Ingredients of COVID-19 Adaptation: How Non-Profits Leveraged Flexible Funding to Navigate the Pandemic
In October 2020, Instiglio, an anonymous donor and the Global Development Incubator launched the COVID-19 Adaptation Fund, which supported the efforts of nine non-profits in Kenya and Rwanda to adapt their programming to the challenges of the pandemic. These non-profits recently shared their experiences utilizing the funding, and Mateo Zárate and Sebastian Chaskel at Instiglio highlight some key takeaways that can be useful to other impact-focused organizations working to maintain services during the pandemic – and prepare for future crises.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Impact Assessment, Technology
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Press Release: Zenlayer Receives C+ Funding from Telkom Indonesia
Financing Solidifies Zenlayer’s Position as a Leading Edge Cloud Services Provider in Southeast Asia.
- Categories
- Technology, Telecommunications
- Region
- South Asia
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Google.org Announces $1.3 Million in Grants To Equip Persons With Disabilities, Women and Refugees With Digital Skills in the Middle East and North Africa
Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, announced grants totaling USD 1.3 million for three non-profit organizations in the Middle East and North Africa to help equip entrepreneurs and job seekers with digital skills over the next two years.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Global
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How Low- to Middle-Income Internet Users View Data Privacy and Protection: New Research From India and the United States
One side effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the increased adoption and expansion of digital services, including among low- to middle-income users. Decodis CEO Daryl Collins argues that it is becoming increasingly important to create a sense of inclusion and confidence among these consumers, as their usage of these services grows. She shares research findings that show how a sample of low- to middle-income customers in the U.S. and India are navigating the digital world – and what they think about the data-sharing these services are based on.
- Categories
- Technology, Telecommunications
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Local Context Matters: Why Localization is Key to Accelerating Financial Inclusion in Africa
Mobile technology has proven to be an effective tool for broadening financial inclusion in Africa. But as Kenny Orisanaiye at HollaTags Limited points out, the continent’s cultural diversity complicates these efforts, as Africa has several thousand ethnic groups and over 2,000 distinct languages. He explores how financial service providers can design innovative solutions to this challenge by embracing localization and adapting their products and user engagement content to serve the specific cultural requirements of the African market.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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Analysis: Digital Generation, Our Generation: Girls Need Access to Digital Devices and Services
On the occasion of the International Day of the Girl Child, millions of girls are coming together with organisations like UNICEF to call to close this digital gap and accelerate opportunities for girls.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- North Africa & Near East
- Tags
- accelerators, digital inclusion, SDGs, youth
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Fintech is Not Enough: Why Startup Investments in Africa Must Diversify Across Sectors
Africa is often considered one of the world's largest untapped venture markets, and this potential has fueled interest in the region's tech startups. But as Elo Umeh of Terragon Group explains, though investments have been increasing, they have typically focused only on certain sectors, like fintech and off-grid tech. He explores the value in diversifying these investments across other growing industries, including edtech, agritech and martech, and urges founders and investors to extend their resources to build a robust and complementary technology ecosystem on the continent.
- Categories
- Investing, Technology
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Analysis: Digitizing Africa’s Small and Midsize Businesses
To ensure Micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) don’t get left behind and to accelerate digitization on the continent, startups, corporations, and policymakers should encourage digital solutions for consumers and business owners.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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