Pharmaceuticals in East Africa
By CDC In 2010, CDC committed €12m to the AfricInvest Fund II, which in turn made a €6.8m investment in Kiboko Holdings Limited, a manufacturer and distributor of pharmaceuticals. The benefits of a thriving local pharmaceutical manufacturing sector are manifest – skilled employment, potential for lower-priced products, technology and knowledge transfer. Domestic production in Uganda, […]
Job Creation In Kenya
“Now I have a steady income there is no hassle of meeting my financial obligations to the family or to dependents. In Africa, if you have a job, you usually have a lot of dependents, not only your family.” Christopher Wangul has been working at Athi Steel for more than 14 years. HAVING A JOB […]
Prosper – The Next Stage of SABMiller's SD Journey
Over the past decade, leading multinational companies have recognized that to effectively manage environmental, social and governance issues, they have to integrate them into their core business practices. This moves sustainability beyond compliance and community social investment, although these are still important elements of the whole. SABMiller has been one of the pioneers in this […]
Prosper – The Next Stage of SABMiller’s SD Journey
Over the past decade, leading multinational companies have recognized that to effectively manage environmental, social and governance issues, they have to integrate them into their core business practices. This moves sustainability beyond compliance and community social investment, although these are still important elements of the whole. SABMiller has been one of the pioneers in this […]
Prospering through Partnerships
Around the world, most of our beers are brewed locally, often with local barley, maize or other crops – and always with local water – by local people, for local consumers. Our brands are also mostly local, with more than two hundred local beers brands which have grown from national or regional identities. Beer is […]
GSK and Save The Children Healthcare Innovation Award
The GSK and Save the Children Healthcare Innovation Award is back, do you know of an innovative solution that’s helping to save the lives of young children in developing countries? Then GSK and Save the Children want to hear about it. A year ago in Malawi, a tiny baby was born prematurely at seven months, […]
Inspiring a New Generation of Intrapreneurs
Photo Credit*: Tim Maynard/VSO July 7th 2014: Public debate on the role of the private sector in poverty alleviation is longstanding, but there is no doubt that the lines between the private, public and non-profit sectors are becoming more blurred. Recently, Gib Bulloch, Executive Director of Accenture Development Partnerships, blogged on the Huffington Post about […]
Growing Responsibly: Olam's Corporate Purpose
By Sunny Verghese, CEO and Group Managing Director of Olam International There’s a temptation for companies entering milestone years, as we just have with our 25th anniversary, to lionise past achievements and eulogise key milestones. We’ll certainly and justifiably be doing some of that. But to only do that would be to miss the point. […]
Growing Responsibly: Olam’s Corporate Purpose
By Sunny Verghese, CEO and Group Managing Director of Olam International There’s a temptation for companies entering milestone years, as we just have with our 25th anniversary, to lionise past achievements and eulogise key milestones. We’ll certainly and justifiably be doing some of that. But to only do that would be to miss the point. […]
Mobile4Development And The Triple Bottom Line
George Soros heralds Africa as the last bright light on the economic horizon. It is boom time for companies wanting to grow their market share – and mobile is the only true mass media channel in Africa to speak of. Juxtapose the Triple Bottom Line principle and the well accepted term “doing good is good […]
Lessons On Supporting Energy Access Enterprises
Lessons on Supporting Energy Access Enterprises – how best can you support enterprises that provide access to clean energy? Last week I hosted a panel event, inviting a group of experts to discuss the findings and recommendations of a joint Christian Aid and Ashden report that aims to answer this question. The definition of energy […]
Profit Needn’t be a Dirty Word in Impact Investing
Interview with Edward Hanrahan, Director of Climate Care, on the barriers to scaling-up impact investment. Interview conducted by Duncan Jefferies is Assistant Editor, Green Futures. What are the barriers to scaling up impact investment on sustainability issues from ClimateCare’s point of view? We believe that it is absolutely essential for a truly sustainable business to […]
How Can Markets Identify The Better Farmers?
The answer to this question is not trivial. In fact, it might mean the difference between a healthy, vital and sustainable agricultural sector and a poor, desperate and very unsustainable one. Ashoka Fellow Lucas Simons explains. In the next 40 years we need to almost double our food production to feed our fast growing world […]
Shell – Relief & Rehabilitation For Haiyan Victims
In the wake of Typhoon Haiyan, Shell mobilised immediately to provide relief and support long-term rehabilitation of the affected communities. Social impacts $3.5 million in funding and in-kind support provided immediate assistance for basic necessities (water, food, medicine, shelter), as well as sustainable livelihood opportunities, access to energy, environmental protection and community redevelopment programmes. Regional […]
Shell – Relief & Rehabilitation For Haiyan Victims
In the wake of Typhoon Haiyan, Shell mobilised immediately to provide relief and support long-term rehabilitation of the affected communities. Social impacts $3.5 million in funding and in-kind support provided immediate assistance for basic necessities (water, food, medicine, shelter), as well as sustainable livelihood opportunities, access to energy, environmental protection and community redevelopment programmes. Regional […]
Ferrovial – Social Infrastructure Program
Ferrovial uses its expertise in infrastructure to improve the water and sanitation systems in disadvantaged communities in Africa and Latin America. Social impacts €3,145,591 invested, nine projects developed or in progress, with 153,743 beneficiaries. More than 300 infrastructure systems – mainly clean water and sanitation – constructed in six countries in Africa and Latin America. […]
Credit Suisse – Microfinance Capacity Building Initiative
Credit Suisse, through the Microfinance Capacity Building Initiative (MCBI), enable microfinance institutions to develop the people, products and processes which are needed to serve the financially excluded. Social impacts MCBI projects have trained over 13,000 microfinance industry staff and improved financial services for over 2.3 million individuals, resulting in improved livelihoods, access to health, nutrition […]
Danone – Ecosystem Fund
Danone created the Ecosystem Fund to create social and economic value for the partners who make up Danone’s ecosystem: farmers, suppliers and subcontractors, transport and logistics operators, distributors, territories and local authorities . Social impacts Danone’s Milk collection communities project in Egypt allow a real ownership of centers by the local farming community, taking in […]
What Support Do Energy Access Enterprises Need To Thrive?
Many enterprises are working to solve the huge problem of energy poverty in the developing world by delivering electricity to the 1.3 billion who live off the main grid, or by selling improved cook stoves to people cooking over smoky stoves or open fires that damage their health. Lots of donors, NGOs, investors and others […]
Amplifying Innovation Through Collaboration
DFID’s Innovation Hub team were faced with a challenge. How could they bring in new partners to gain fresh perspectives and improved outcomes on tackling poverty whilst enabling true collaboration, end-user involvement and iteration in the innovation process? To answer this, the team worked with their partners IDEO.org to develop a flagship programme called Amplify. […]