Articles by Bryan Farris
-
Guest Articles
Monday
January 9
2012Best Ideas of 2011: Understanding Three Affordable Housing X-Factors
I spent most of 2011 in Pakistan working at Ansaar Management Company on affordable housing projects in the flood-affected areas. Reflecting on the year, there are three distinct lessons that stand out. I call them X-Factors; lessons that, if understood broadly, could make a significant difference in the way in which housing is provided for all.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
Tuesday
July 5
2011How Social Entrepreneurs Are Doing More for the Environment Than Tree Huggers
Could it be that by working to cure the ills of poverty, we are in fact "saving the planet?" Is it possible that #SOCENT is doing more to save the polar bears than solar roofing companies? My answer: maybe, probably. It’s not that the environmental movement is erroneous, but rather that it lacks an emphasis on poverty reduction.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
Monday
June 27
2011Visiting Akilah: A Girls? Education Success Story and More
If social sector nerds like me were deflated to learn that some of Greg Mortenson?s schools don?t actually exist, they should be elated to find that not only is Akilah succeeding as a college, it is also setting new standards of excellence in education in Rwanda.
- Categories
- Education
-
Monday
June 6
2011NexThought Monday: Building a Better Value Pump
Social entrepreneurship should not just be about creating products and services that offer a value proposition to the poor. Social entrepreneurs should be focused on enhancing the poor?s value proposition to society. There are two ways do accomplish this: making the poor more useful to society or by reducing the costs faced by the poor.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
Wednesday
May 11
2011After Mother’s Day, Lets Talk About The Human Leaky Faucet
Drip, drip drip. This isn’t a loose pipe ... it’s your body. Try as you might, you can’t stop the urine and feces from dripping down your legs. With your private parts torn apart, you now have a steady stream of human waste trickling out of you. You have a fistula. It’s time this cringe-worthy word becomes a part of the anti-poverty conversation.
- Categories
- Agriculture
-
Monday
April 25
2011Charting the Future at Women’s World Banking
In the final post of a wide-ranging interview, Mary Ellen Iskenderian, president and CEO of Women’s World Banking, discusses expansion at the organization to include multi-product servcies to individuals and explains why consolidation in would benefit the microfinance sector in the long term.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
Wednesday
April 20
2011Mobilizing Savings Through Insurance
Mary Ellen Iskenderian, President and CEO of Women’s World Banking, discusses the challenges and opportunities of match-savings programs and micro-insurance, and the importance of understanding clients. In Jordan, WWB is piloting a health insurance program where insurance products are coupled with loans, resulting in strong customer relationships.
- Categories
- Health Care
-
Tuesday
April 12
2011Moving Beyond Microcredit – While Keeping Lending Costs In Check
The microfinance sector needs to move beyond microcredit. Yet, how can it reduce costs and expand offerings? How will MFIs encourage the poor to save for the long run? Can programs like match savings and financial education have an impact on behavior? Mary Ellen Iskenderian, President and CEO of Women’s World Banking, answers some tough questions.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
