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(Bottom of the) pyramid selling
IS THERE anything more prestigious than business?” What would sound tin-eared from the mouth of Mitt Romney reads very differently when attributed to a woman of long-standing poverty, discussing her newly found self-respect. The quotation comes from a recent paper by a trio of female researchers from Oxford University's Saïd Business School—Catherine Dolan, who lectures in marketing and corporate social responsibility; Mary Johnstone-Louis, a doctoral candidate; and Linda Scott, of the Oxford Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The researchers studied a sales programme that employs Bangladeshi women at the proverbial bottom of the pyramid, run by the Bangladesh arm of CARE, an NGO. Its Rural Sales Programme (RSP) focuses on women who are destitute due to abandonment by their family or the deaths of their husbands. CARE calls the women aparajitas (a Sanskrit term meaning “she who cannot be defeated”) and offers them jobs selling household goods, such as soap, household goods, even saris. Begun in 2005, RSP now employs more than 2,400 women across Bangladesh and has partnerships with companies such as Unilever, Danone and Bic.
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Environmental Index Could Save Rural Communities
By creating the world's first long-term record of ecosystem health, Chinese and UK researchers have identified where specific social and economic policies have damaged the environment in eastern China.The work shows that wealth generation over recent decades is damaging essential ecosystem services on which the poorest rely - things like food, fuel, and clean water.
- Categories
- Environment, Impact Assessment
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Villgro Innovation Marketing Raises Seed Capital
Chennai based Villgro Innovation Marketing Private (VIM), an innovative rural distribution company, has raised a significant seed series investment from US-based investment firm Unitus Seed Fund and a group of angel investors to further expand its operations in South India.
- Source
- Press Release
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Region
- South Asia
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Cisco Invests in Rural Venture Capital Firm
Cisco today announced an investment in Aavishkaar, a venture fund founded to promote development in rural and semi-urban India.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- South Asia
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Is Microfinance an Engine of Development? Finca Says Yes
The jury is still out on whether microcredit makes a difference to the lives of the poor, but stories of its success are compelling
- Categories
- Agriculture
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On World Water Day: Mapping the Water and Sanitation Sector
When considering the entrepreneurial landscape in the water and sanitation sector overall, there is an enormous opportunity for social investment to make an impact; however, in order to be successful, social enterprises will require innovative approaches to tackle the serious challenges that remain.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Health Care
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Economists Demonstrate One Size Does Not Fit All for Microfinance Programs
New Study Reveals Wide Variance in Results from Thai Million Baht Village FundLarge-scale microfinance programs are widely used as a tool to fight poverty in developing countries, but a recent study from the Consortium on Financial Systems and Poverty suggests that they can have varying results for participants and may be the most cost-effective use of funds only in limited situations.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Symbiosis Project to Help Light Up Village Homes
PUNE: Students from the Social Entrepreneurship and Consulting Cell of Symbiosis Institute of Business Management ( SIBM) have come up with a project to provide low-cost lighting units to rural households without electricity.
- Categories
- Energy, Impact Assessment
- Region
- South Asia
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