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Big Data, Big Opportunity: Is Data Science the Key to Universal Energy Access?
Rural dwellers at the base of the pyramid are living largely "data-less," un-digitalized lives – but that's changing quickly with the spread of pay-as-you-go energy and the financial access it enables. In spite of the dangers of wrongly screening out customers as potential credit risks, denying them both further electrification prospects and access to credit, Guilhem Dupuy of GAIA Impact Fund and Thibault Lesueur of Solaris Offgrid take an optimistic view. They discuss why new off-grid energy data is an opportunity for increased investment, industry growth and economic justice.
- Categories
- Energy, Technology
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‘The Marketmakers’ – How Rural Bangladesh Became a Model for Solar Enterprise
It took just a decade for more than 15 million villagers to gain access to the benefits of solar home systems in Bangladesh. How did this happen? Nancy Wimmer explains the process in her new book, "The Marketmakers — Solar for the Hinterland of Bangladesh." While Bangladesh's success would be difficult to replicate in other countries, Wimmer is convinced it is not solely determined by a country or product. Rather, she says it stems from a market-oriented approach carried out by rural entrepreneurs, as well as the leadership and resources to see it through.
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- Energy
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White House Touts Help For Poor Areas — But Questions Endure Over Who’ll Benefit
Smith, who helps lead the White House efforts on the zones and other domestic policy matters, told NPR that the zones help cities and towns draw on private-sector investment in an innovative way. But the federal law does not specify how those funds should be used; investors might build affordable housing — or they might build high-end apartment buildings.
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- Finance
- Region
- North America
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Press Release: VisionFund International Celebrates 15 Years
Operating through a network of microfinance institutions in 28 countries, VisionFund works alongside World Vision to empower families living in impoverished communities with limited access to formal financial services to overcome poverty.
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- Finance
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Supporting Smallholder Farmers against Big Agriculture
Since most Ugandans live in rural areas, raising agriculture incomes is critical to reducing poverty, boosting prosperity and creating jobs, especially for women and youth.
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- Agriculture
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Our Obsession with ‘Systems Change’ Leaves Marginalized Women Vulnerable – Let’s Empower Them to Advocate for Themselves
Last December, while driving through rural Uganda, KadAfrica founder Rebecca Kaduru was gravely injured in a car accident. Taken to the district hospital, she faced a stark reality: There was no doctor, no medications, not even gauze and sutures. The experience highlighted the barriers to women's empowerment in the country, where hospitals like this are often the best option for maternal health emergencies, and care is only available to those who fight for it. Kaduru explores why gender equality requires less focus on changing systems, and more on helping women advocate for themselves.
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- Health Care, Social Enterprise
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How Technology Could Help Rural South Africa Turn Sunshine Into Income
If South Africa positions itself well, it could become a test bed for these technologies and thereby benefit from investments in research and development by major international corporations that have an interest in driving these trial runs.
- Categories
- Energy, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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The Man With a Tablet for Making Aid to African Countries Better
Struck by failings in the implementation of health projects, a Mozambican entrepreneur has turned to tech for a solution.
- Categories
- Education, Health Care, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa