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A New Take on Silicon Valley: Why it’s Time for the Tech Sector to Embrace Social Impact
From the rise of B Corps to the emergence of social enterprise, the world is experiencing a true revolution in what business can be. Now, according to Tristan Pollock at CTO.ai., smartphone proliferation has brought this shift toward social impact to the technology industry. He discusses the ramifications of this trend, and why the tech sector should fully embrace it.
- Categories
- Technology
- Tags
- nonprofits, startups
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Fighting a Pandemic in the Dark: How SolarAid is Helping Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa Respond to COVID-19
As COVID-19 starts to spread through sub-Saharan Africa, John Keane and Sofia Ollvid at SolarAid point out that an estimated 600 million people on the continent live without access to electricity at home, and a staggering 75% of health facilities have unreliable power. They explore what solar providers are doing to help African countries respond to the pandemic.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Energy, Health Care
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Four Stories of Financial Exclusion: How Identity Barriers are Blocking Financial Access for Refugees and Other Vulnerable Groups
Venezuela's emigration crisis has reached epic proportions. And according to Anjali Ramachandran at Storythings, among the millions who have fled the country, countless people lack financial access because they struggle to prove their identity. She highlights the stories of refugees and others whose lives could be improved by alternatives to traditional ID requirements.
- Categories
- Finance
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A No-Brainer for SMEs: How Solar Can Help Small Businesses Recover from COVID-19 – And Save Money in the Long Term
The coronavirus lockdown is leaving many small- and medium-sized enterprises – especially in emerging economies – on life support. As businesses restart, they will be seeking ways to boost their cash position. According to Philippe Flamand at candi solar, shifting to solar can save SMEs money from day one – if funders can help them overcome a key obstacle.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Energy
- Tags
- COVID-19, energy access
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Chickens Are an Overlooked Risk to Child Health: Here’s Why We Have to Get Poultry Promotion Right
Bill Gates once wrote, “It’s pretty clear to me that just about anyone who’s living in extreme poverty is better off if they have chickens.” But despite the critical nutrition and income poultry can provide, Chris Prottas at the Water Trust raises a key concern: Chickens pose a significant threat to children’s health. He explores why the development community needs a better approach to poultry promotion.
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- Agriculture, Health Care, WASH
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New Era, New Data: Why ‘Financial Inclusion 2.0’ Will Require a Different Approach to Measurement
Financial inclusion is entering a new era, says Grant Robertson at FinMark Trust. The movement’s first era focused largely on boosting financial access – but its impact on poverty and wellbeing was limited. The new era – "financial inclusion 2.0" – will focus more on expanding real economic opportunity. But to support this goal, the sector will need a new approach to data.
- Categories
- Finance, Impact Assessment
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Banking on Human Capital: What Financial Institutions Need to Do – Now – to Enable a COVID-19 Recovery
Every crisis carries its own unique signature, and COVID-19 is likely to be defined by a series of flare-ups and lockdowns, says Elisabeth Rhyne at the Financial Access Initiative. Within that scenario, the financial inclusion sector needs to determine the most effective ways to reduce the pandemic's impact on vulnerable people and businesses – and it needs to start immediately.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
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Keeping the Lights On: How PAYGo Solar Can Offer Customer Relief During COVID-19
Off-grid solar delivers essential energy to millions of people, helping make households, business and institutions more resilient to the COVID-19 crisis. But as analysts at BFA, CGAP and GOGLA explain, the pandemic threatens the industry, particularly its very successful pay-as-you-go business model. They explore how companies could enable customers to continue using their solar home systems during the pandemic, with reduced – or even without – customer payments.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Energy
