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Social Business Roundup: Laureate Education Goes Big, Omidyar Gives Directly, Surdna Foundation Embraces Impact Investing
In social business news this week, the world's biggest for-profit college company raised $490 million in its public debut, Omidyar Network gave a $493,000 grant to support GiveDirectly's mission of sending unconditional cash transfers to the poor, and the Surdna Foundation announced plans to dedicate 10 percent of its endowment ($100 million) to a new impact investing fund. Read about these developments and more in our news roundup.
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- Education, Health Care, Investing, Social Enterprise
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Pakistan government to launch $130m financial inclusion project
The government is embarking on the Pakistan Financial Inclusion and Infrastructure Project aimed at increasing access to financial services for households and businesses by improving usage of digital payments in the country. Two World Bank institutions — International Bank for the Reconstruction and Development and the International Development Association — will jointly provide $130 million finance for the project.
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- Technology
- Region
- North Africa & Near East
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How Jack Ma’s Acquisition Of US-Based MoneyGram Could Be Good For Africans
China’s richest man, Jack Ma, and his acquisition of U.S.-based money transfer firm MoneyGram show the importance of remittances as a powerful driver of economic change at both the individual and international level, according to the competition.
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- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Common Cents Report: Behavioral Interventions Helping Americans Save More
The report details findings from seven completed behavioral intervention programs and ongoing research begun in 2016. The work is part of Common Cent Lab’s three-year effort to improve the financial well being for 1.8 million low-to-moderate income (LMI) households in America.
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- Uncategorized
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Cash Defenders are Wrong: Digital Finance Truly is ‘Pro-Poor’
Digital economies are gaining momentum, says Njuguna Ndung’u, former governor of the Central Bank of Kenya, and poor households benefit the most. He's concerned that "the uninformed defenses of cash-heavy economies risk unnecessary distraction from the real issue of how to ensure digital economies maximize the benefits to people in poor communities around the world."
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- Uncategorized
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Top 11 Reasons Why Fintech StartUps in South East Asia Fail
You have an incredible fintech balance marketable strategy. You gather your group and make your start-up. Here are ten regular missteps you ought to keep away from on the off chance that you need to have an opportunity to experience one more day in South East Asia.
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- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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Microfinance major Ujjivan commences its small finance bank operations in India
India-listed microfinance major Ujjivan Financial Services Ltd has begun the process of restructuring its business to becoming a small finance bank, following the Reserve Bank of India’s approval of its bank licence in September 2015. The new banking entity Ujjivan Small Finance Bank (Ujjivan SFB) began operations with effect from February 1, 2017.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
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African Development Bank and Alliance for Financial Inclusion Partner to Promote Financial Inclusion in Africa
The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance access to quality financial services on the continent on Tuesday, January 31, 2017, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The agreement aims to create a collaboration framework to promote financial inclusion in Africa.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa