Banking on Africa: Social and Economic Impact
All eyes are on Africa. Over the past decade, the continent has consistently grown faster than the world as a whole. And unlike previous resource-driven booms, this time Africa’s success is built on foundations that should be sustainable for the long term. A new and confident African middle class is emerging, and trade is expanding […]
Mobile Driving Voice, Participation, Active Citizenship
Coca-Cola Gets Everywhere. Medicines Don’t. Why?
I am hugely exciting about a new partnership between ColaLife and International Development Enterprises which aims to answer this question. Together we are investigating the best ways to take ColaLife’s award winning anti-diarrhoea kit – Kit Yamoyo, the ‘Kit of Life’ – to scale across Zambia and potentially across the world. We have set an […]
Solving the World’s Water Issues
Want to campaign for change with the private sector
Want to campaign for change with the private sector…read on Increasingly, NGOs are moving towards an approach to campaigning for social change that works with business. CARE, Barclays and Plan are recruiting for a strategic campaigner to help develop an alliance built around new international principles to responsibly link informal savings groups to financial institutions […]
The Challenge of Scale – It’s about Markets
The SEEP Network is a global network of practitioner organizations dedicated to combating poverty through promoting inclusive markets and financial systems. Members are active in 170 countries and engage with nearly 100 million households worldwide. From September 22-25, practitioners and thought-leaders from around the world will gather outside Washington, DC to discuss the challenges and […]
World Gold Council – Combatting Malaria
In a film, Gold for Health: Ghana Spotlight, released today, the World Gold Council is highlighting the role gold, and the gold mining industry, can play in the prevention of diseases such as malaria. The World Gold Council is the market development organisation for the gold industry, and our members are 21 of the world’s […]
Economic and Social Prosperity Must Go Hand in Hand
Can One Village Make a Difference?
When we launched our handwashing programmes in March 2013 in Thesgora, a village in Madhya Pradesh, India, which has one of the highest diarrhoea rates in the country, some people questioned our approach: “What’s the point of helping just one small village? What does this achieve when the biggest issue in global development today is […]
Innovation: Africa’s Great Leap Forward
In terms of innovation, Africa’s outlook is more positive than ever and the continent is leapfrogging its global counterparts in various sectors. The amplification of GDP growth in some parts of the continent (such as Nigeria) and the overall stability of African economies during the worrying economic downturn of recent years speak volumes for Africans’ […]
ANDE Celebrates Five Years of Supporting Small and Growing Businesses
The Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) was founded in 2009 when a group of likeminded individuals recognized that a growing number of organizations were beginning to focus on small and growing businesses (SGBs). These organizations were driven by the belief that supporting this sector—businesses too large for microfinance and too small for venture capital—could […]
Mobile as a Catalyst for Learning & Skills Development
In the first of our blog series, we spoke about the fundamental benefits and impact of mobile in development. Mobile – in terms of social impact – is key to facilitating 3 essential elements: communication, action and measurement. In this article, we go more in-depth; focusing on how mobile is a catalyst for learning and […]
Mobile as a Catalyst for Learning & Skills Development
In the first of our blog series, we spoke about the fundamental benefits and impact of mobile in development. Mobile – in terms of social impact – is key to facilitating 3 essential elements: communication, action and measurement. In this article, we go more in-depth; focusing on how mobile is a catalyst for learning and […]
Scaling Up Safe Water Provision
Three years ago, we were celebrating the launch of LifeStraw Carbon for Water – a ground breaking project developed by global health company Vestergaard, which invested US$30million to distribute gravity-fed water filters throughout the entire Western Province of Kenya. ClimateCare developed carbon finance that made the project possible and which provides a return on the […]
Moving Beyond Corporate Social Responsibility
In 2009, in the middle of the economic crisis, Danone CEO Franck Riboud made the following statement: “It is a common sense observation that no living organism can grow and develop in a deprived environment or a desert. It is in a company’s best interests to take good care of its economic and social environment, […]
The Ripple Effects of Investing in Women
On International Women’s Day, people around the world celebrate women’s achievements. In my home country of Papua New Guinea (PNG), there has never been a more important time to highlight the progress that is being made and the important link between investing in women and strengthening community and economic development. In 2012, I participated in […]
Making a Difference in Eye Care
Around 90% of the world’s visually impaired live in developing countries, according to the World Health Organization[i]. Although eye care professionals frequently dedicate their time to visit developing countries and help the local populations, the effects are not long-lasting as their skills often leave with them. The eXcellence in Ophthalmology Vision Award (XOVA), sponsored by […]
The Difference a Day in a Year Makes
We all know time is our most precious commodity. We all struggle to find enough time to dedicate to our families, hobbies, interest, work and friends. So when it comes time to embark on something new, we often get scared by the time commitment involved. “Will I have enough time for it? What is the […]
H&M Creates A New Paradigm For Skilled Labour In Bangladesh
H&M has announced its commitment to the Business Call to Action (BCtA) as part of its goal to make continuous and lasting improvements for the garment industry in Bangladesh. The company will invest in skills training that will benefit an estimated 5000 individuals by 2016. H&M plays an important role in Bangladesh’s economy and is […]
Growing Sweet Prosperity in Peru
TechnoServe’s Simon Winter visits Peru and discovers a burgeoning cocoa industry. On a recent trip to Peru, it was a mouthwatering pleasure to see how the formerly coca-cultivating San Martin region is now home to an emerging cocoa and chocolate industry. At TechnoServe, our mission is to work with enterprising people in the developing world […]