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One Village at a Time: A Women-Led Model for Bringing Digital Services and Financial Inclusion to Rural Bangladesh
Women customers constitute a huge market in rural Bangladesh, where many men have migrated to cities or foreign lands in search of work. Garima Singh at FinValue Advisors explores how the Bangladeshi financial services company Zaytoon Business Solutions is expanding access to digital financial and government services in rural communities — while boosting women's empowerment and employment — by extending its agent network to include "village digital booths" staffed by local women.
- Categories
- Finance
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Replacing Old Technologies or Creating New Markets?: The Pros and Cons of Two Paths to Impact for Productive Use of Energy
Productive use of energy (PUE) technologies have the potential to unlock higher incomes and reduce reliance on more costly, non-renewable energy sources in rural and low-income communities. Dan Waldron, Chris Emmott, Yash Vardhan Gaddhyan and Ruth Wairimu at Acumen discuss the advantages and disadvantages of two different paths to impact for PUE: replacing inefficient, fossil fuel-based incumbent technologies, vs. disrupting entire markets with innovative PUE approaches.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment, Investing, Technology, Transportation
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Report: Job Creation Through Solar-Powered Farm Equipment Could Boost Employment in Rural Communities
New research from Efficiency for Access highlights the transformative impact of solar-powered farm equipment by providing the first comprehensive analysis of employment trends in India, Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda, along with actionable recommendations for governments and industry stakeholders.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Energy, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Hotspot Network and Solarkiosk Solutions Ink Joint Venture for Rural Connectivity and Energy in Nigeria
The joint venture (JV), known as Hotspot-Solarkiosk, will function as both an Energy Service Company (ESCO) and an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contractor.
- Categories
- Energy, Telecommunications
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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d.light Launches Loyalty Programme for Off-Grid Solar Customers in Kenya
The company launched the loyalty scheme, called the d.light Points Programme, in Kenya this month with plans to extend it to customers in Uganda, Tanzania and Nigeria later this year.
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Karma Primary Healthcare Raises $1.3 Million in Series A in India
Karma aims to reach 100 locations serving over 150,000 patients annually by 2027.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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World Bank Commits $100 Million to Zambia’s Digital Transformation Initiative
A Project Implementation Unit will be set up within the Smart Zambia Institute to manage the project.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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ABC Fund Invests €1.1 Million in Colombia’s MiCreditoYa Microfinanciera SAS
The Agri-Business Capital Fund (“ABC Fund”) today announces an investment of EUR€1.1m in MiCreditoYa Microfinanciera SAS, a leading Microfinance Institution operating in the Nariño department in the South West of Colombia.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Investing
- Region
- Latin America
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