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Good Food, Good Business: How African ‘Superfoods’ Can Boost Women Entrepreneurs and Their Communities
Africa has one of the largest youth populations in the world – and it's projected to double by 2055. To support this young generation of tomorrow, we need to invest in their mothers today, says Oumar Barou Togola, the founder of Farafena Health Inc. He explores how Farafena is partnering with women farmers in Mali and Malawi, helping them start micro-businesses that bring nutrient-rich African "superfoods" to North American markets.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Social Enterprise
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New partnership to boost financial inclusion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
FSD Africa and Equity Bank Congo have entered into a new partnership that targets unbanked people in rural areas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Digital Inclusion by Way of Backpack: A Q&A with Imcon International CEO Rob Loud
Internet access has the potential to transform livelihoods in a myriad of ways – and financial inclusion, entrepreneurship and education are just a few of the sectors that stand to benefit. However, despite growing global internet use, billions in rural, hard-to-reach areas still lack access, representing a massive missed opportunity. In this Q&A, Imcon International CEO Rob Loud shares how his company is partnering with governments and NGOs to increase connectivity in the last mile through an affordable, simple device – the humble backpack.
- Categories
- Education, Social Enterprise, Technology
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Press release: New €200 million impact fund launched to scale agribusiness in developing countries
Small scale farming is one of the biggest industries in the world, with 500 million small farms and 2.5 billion people relying on small scale farming on a daily basis. The demand for impact investing in rural agriculture is growing as investors strive to end poverty and hunger to support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The ABC Fund will also focus on creating employment, particularly for young people in Africa, to offer them an alternative to migration.
- Source
- Press release
- Categories
- Agriculture, Investing
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Average deposits in Indian PM Modi’s Jan Dhan accounts jump by over 145%
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious financial inclusion programme – Jan Dhan scheme, which was once criticised for zero balance or no deposits in a large number of accounts, has been gradually changing the saving behaviour of poor and rural people in the country.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- South Asia
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The Rural Credit Rush in India
Data released by Microfinance Institutions Network, a national body for non-banking finance company-micro finance institutions (NBFC-MFIs), shows that NBFC-MFIs, which focus on lending in rural India, account for the largest chunk of the loan portfolio of the microfinance industry.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- South Asia
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Stupid Stoves: Why Rebranding Won’t Solve the Clean Cooking Alliance’s Problems
In her recent interview with NextBillion, Clean Cooking Alliance CEO Dymphna van der Lans described the organization's ambitious new vision. But her words didn't sit well with Warm Heart Worldwide founder Michael Shafer, who raises a pointed question: After nearly 10 years of massive investment, hype and exposure, he asks, "Where is the Clean Cooking Alliance now? Getting rebranded and starting over!" Shafer argues that the Alliance's current efforts fail to address the major issues that have hampered it from the start – and proposes a different way forward – in this provocative post.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment, Social Enterprise, Technology
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More Than a Job: Helping Livelihood Programs Reach Their Development Potential
“Livelihood” is regularly cited as a focus of development work. But its definition is often vague, including projects that span multiple sectors and objectives, from skills training to financial security. According to Lexi Doolittle at S3IDF, while livelihood is a complex and flexible concept, it’s important to remember that it isn’t the same as employment. She discusses the multi-faceted nature of the livelihood approach, using the example of S3IDF’s work with small farmers in rural India.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
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