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Harnessing Mobile Technologies to Make Matatus, and Kenya, Safer
Kenya's roads are deadly due in no small part to accidents involving "matatus," the ubiquitous minibuses. A key problem: The more passengers they pick up, the more matatu drivers get paid. So Echo Mobile and a team from the University of California at Berkeley recently launched the SmartMatatu project to study driver behavior and how they might be incentivized differently.
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- Health Care, Technology
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Weekly Roundup: Keeping Talent, Seeking Another Uber, Auctioning Vegetables, Watching for Seagulls
In this week's Roundup: The talent dilemma in social entrepreneurship; a discussion about whether there will ever be an Uber for health care; a smallholder farmer turned WhatsApp auctioneer; and the revelation that the highest use of drones is probably not as sunscreen-pooping seagulls.
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- Health Care
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Americans’ Financial Capability Growing Stronger, but Not for All Groups: FINRA Foundation Study
While Americans as a whole are feeling less financial stress, making ends meet remains a daily struggle for millions — particularly women, millennials, African-Americans, Hispanics, and those lacking a high school education. These findings come from the National Financial Capability Study (NFCS), released today by the FINRA Investor Education Foundation (FINRA Foundation).
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- North America
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M-Pesa enabling transactions for self-help groups in West Bengal, India
Vodafone India has tied-up with West Bengal State Rural Livelihood Mission (WBSRLM) to empower women of Self Help Group (SHG), as an initiative of financial inclusion. The partnership facilitates instant deposits to the bank account of the SHGs by the SHG, using the mobile wallet M-Pesa.
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- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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Research reveals that mobile banking increases financial inclusion
The report, ‘A Quantum Leap Over High Hurdles to Financial Inclusion: The Mobile Banking Revolution in Kenya’, focuses on sub-Saharan Africa, through the lens of Kenya. It reveals that as a result of mobile banking Kenya’s financial inclusion rates have increased dramatically; however, the research also states that Kenya’s success may not be easily replicated in other developing countries.
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- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Beyond the Lending Club Scandal – Why Marketplace Lending is Still Needed in Emerging Markets
Renaud Laplanche, the CEO of industry pioneer Lending Club, resigned in May amidst rumours of fraud and malpractice. Since then, critics have been trying to write off marketplace lending as a flawed business model. But it's too early to discount the value of the entire industry – especially as it emerges in markets like India and China to address the critical needs of SMEs.
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- Uncategorized
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Weekly Roundup: Appreciating banks, emojis for health, d.light’s destination
This week in our roundup: A major new study shows mobile finance is essential, but highlights the role of old fashioned banks; the language of emojis could improve global health; and solar lamp pioneers d.light are well on their way to reaching their goal of 100 million customers by the start of the next decade.
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- Health Care
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New IIF, CFI study shows banks’ contributions to financial inclusion
The study--based on in depth interviews of 24 banks in 19 countries--includes insights and innovative solutions to the business challenges of financial inclusion.
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- Uncategorized