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February 1, 2013
Why toilets, not cell phones can facilitate education in the world
John Kluge, social entrepreneur, philanthro-‘punk’ and ‘toilet-hacker’, has taken on the issue of low awareness about the availability of toilets in the developing world, through his ‘Give a Sh*t Manifesto’. This post is a Q&A with the rich entrepreneur. Read more here.
February 1, 2013
Nigeria: Central Bank renews commitment to aggressive financial inclusion agenda
According to the Central Bank of Nigeria, this year it will devise a strategy to financially include the 39.2 million Nigerian adults in the country’s mainstream economy. Read more here.
February 1, 2013
Zambia: MFI interest rates capped at 42 per cent
The Bank of Zambia has put a cap on the annual rates of interest that licensed NBFCs or Non-Banking Financial Institutions can charge their customers. This ceiling has been fixed at 42 per cent and is effective immediately. NBFCs in Zambia have in the past charged exorbitant rates. Read more […]
February 1, 2013
How India aims to keep money for poor out of the pockets of other exploiters
India is known for corruption and exploitation of the poor, who cannot defend their rights. Typically, government money meant for poor has always garnered the pockets of the rich involved in implementation. However the Indian government is now launching a new scheme which aims to change the modalities of cash […]
February 1, 2013
Microfinance organization FINCA launches US data centre
FINCA International, an international organization dedicating to financing low income micro entrepreneurs recently opened their Americas’ Data Centre (ADC). This centre is based in Washington DC and processes data for Latin American borrowers. It has other centres in Frankfurt, Germany to process data of African borrowers. Read more here.
February 1, 2013
Opportunity Ghana innovates to reach more marginalized clients
Opportunity Ghana, part of Opportunity International, an organization that is engaged in microfinance, is using the medium of technology to be able to scale access to financial products to a greater number of the marginalized rural Ghanaians. Read more here.
February 1, 2013
Study shows microfinance has empowered women
According to a study by the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, on the impact of microcredit given out by the MFI Bandhan, women benefited the most. The benefits were quantified by an increase in the say of the women in children-related decisions like educational expenses, girl-education and more. Read more […]
February 1, 2013
Cambodia: Bank accounts, even for the rich are rare
Fewer than one in 20 Cambodians has a formal bank account, despite advances in an expanding financial sector market, according to a paper by the World Bank. According to this paper, lack of financial inclusion is a barrier to Cambodia’s economic progress. Read more here.
February 1, 2013
Myanmar eyes private sector development and microfinance
A newly opened Myanmar has recognized as national priorities the setting up of microfinance institutions and other private organanizations under the leadership of its President, Thein Sein. This will be done under the organizational guidance of the First Myanmar Development Cooperation Forum. Read more here.
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06 Key Lessons for informing policy decisions: Mainstreaming tribal-specific climate adaptive capacities in vulnerable coastal regions within National Action Plan on Climate Change
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Four Key Lessons for Policy Consideration: Scaling Climate Adaptive Capacities among Small and Marginal Farming Communities in the Sundarbans
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Five Key Lessons for Policy Consideration: Scaling Climate Action Programs for Landless Rural Communities in Semi-Arid Ganges-Brahmaputra Basin in South Asia
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View Blog Posts
GST 2.0 and Tax Cuts: Can They Make Growth Fairer and Greener?
India's latest GST reform, being termed as GST 2.0, is more than just slashing rates. By simplifying the tax structure, cutting levies on essentials, and supporting renewable infrastructure, it's open..
Reimagining Sports in CSR: From Tokenism to a Vehicle for Multiplying Impact
In 2023–24, Indian companies spent about ₹1,396 crore of their CSR budgets on sports — just 4% of the total ₹34,909 crore Indian corporates spent on CSR that year. Most of the rest went to edu..
Interactive SHG Map of India: 7.5 million Women Self Help Groups are spread across 27 States and 6 UTs in India
Under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), India has 7.5 million Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) spread across 27 states and 6 Union Territories. Each of these small, self-governed, and peer-co..