Microfinance, Innovations, Sustainable Development - NGOs

Scientists Say Africa Sits on Huge Reservoir of Water

Gerard — Wed, 02 May 2012 14:48:09 GMT

Scientists say a new study shows that Africa sits on a vast reservoir of groundwater that could provide a reliable source of water for drinking and agriculture.

Scientists say an estimated 300 million people in Africa do not have access to safe drinking water and with climate change making rainfall less predictable, their plight is even more precarious.

So research into a vast reservoir of groundwater beneath the continent is meaningful.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Rwanda: Rwf400 Million Fund to Boost Innovation

Gerard — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 21:26:40 GMT

Government has set aside a basket fund of about Rwf400 million to cater for scientific innovations, especially in the areas of Information Communication Technology (ICT), Agriculture and Manufacturing. The fund, known as Rwanda Innovation Endowment Fund (RIEF), was initiated by the Ministry of Education in partnership with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) sub regional office under the One UN Rwanda. It will support projects that promote innovations in science, technology and research which could transform the social and economic development of the country.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

New generation of social entrepreneurs put skills to transforming Asia

Gerard — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 20:28:23 GMT

Social enterpreneurship grows in area where neither innovation nor social and environmental problems are in short supply

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Green Microfinance Encourages Sustainable Economic Development

Gerard — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 20:38:26 GMT

The conventional path to economic development is through the use of fossil fuels and the associated negative environmental impact. One alternative to encourage actual sustainable development is green microfinance, using small loans for environmentally beneficial or neutral business enterprises. Unlike traditional micro loans, conditions or incentives placed are placed on the loan condition to encourage the sustainable use of resources.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Canada: Engineering students encouraged to think globally

Gerard — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 20:15:25 GMT

Some 15,400 kilometers away from Vancouver, B.C., farmers in the southern African nation of Zambia have seen their crop yields improve thanks in part to a small group of Canadian engineers. Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/Engineering+students+encouraged+think+globally/6232493/story.html#ixzz1oSpxEsW4

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Two Young University Of Washington Graduates Launch An Innovative New Type Of Microlending Company Called Lumana Helping E

Gerard — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 20:18:16 GMT

Two young University of Washington graduates launch an innovative new type of micro-lending company called Lumana, helping entrepreneurs in rural Africa to create sustainable businesses.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

World Food Day Is Not a Time for Celebration, But a Time For Action

Gerard — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 20:50:59 GMT

Famine is not simply caused by a lack of food in the global supply. We must -- and can -- do better.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

ONE Launches Effort to End Famine

Gerard — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 20:43:42 GMT

"ONE is about justice, not charity," he says. "It's about the shared value of every human life. That's why we're here -- to bring this to people's attention and to do something about it. …Your voice together with mine together with millions of others makes a big difference."
Advocacy group ONE is gaining support for its efforts to end the critical famine in Somalia with its new PSA effort, "The F Word: Famine Is the Real Obscenity." The PSAs, which debuted last week online and on TV, have already inspired more than 200,000 people worldwide to sign the organization's petition to end famine.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

UK - Africa: Radio 4 Appeal for Microloan Foundation

Gerard — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 11:16:07 GMT

Gabby Logan presents the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of the MicroLoan Foundation. The MicroLoan Foundation is a specialist ‘not for profit’ UK microfinance charity that provides microfinance (small loans of on average £70), business education and ongoing mentoring support to impoverished women in sub-Saharan Africa. This provides them with a “hand-up not a hand-out” so they can develop self-sustainable livelihoods for themselves and their families, and work their own way out of poverty. 99% of the loans are repaid and then recycled in full to help more women year after year.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Grameen Foundation and USAID Providing $3 Million for Peruvian Microfinance Institutions

Gerard — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 12:45:19 GMT

Grameen Foundation and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) today announced that they are jointly providing a $1.5 million credit guarantee to the Peruvian savings and credit cooperative Cooperativa de Ahorro y Credito (ABACO) to support approximately $3 million for local currency financing to two socially-focused Peruvian microfinance institutions (MFIs). Peru has an established microfinance sector, with mature institutions having relatively easy access to international capital markets. However, there continues to be a great need for local currency financing, especially among smaller microfinance institutions, which traditionally have not been eligible for loans from local banks.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

SHE: Scharpf's simple way to empower women

Gerard — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 19:16:17 GMT

While interning in Africa in 2005, Elizabeth Scharpf was appalled to find that women were missing work and school because they couldn’t afford pads to wear during their periods. “I felt like it was an obstacle for women and girls — to their freedom” and one that shouldn’t exist, she said.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Cultivating Knowledge and Crops: Women Are Key to Sustainable Agricultural Development

Gerard — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 18:42:42 GMT

Women account for 75 percent of the agricultural producers in sub-Saharan Africa, but the majority of women farmers are living on only $1.25 per day, according to researchers from the Worldwatch Institute. Despite the challenging circumstances that women in developing countries face, important innovations in communications and organizing are helping women play a key role in the fight against hunger and poverty. "Access to credit, which provides women farmers with productive inputs and improved technologies, can be an effective tool in improving livelihoods in Africa and beyond," said Worldwatch Institute's executive director Robert Engelman.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

G20 faces obstacles in its efforts to spread good farming practices

Gerard — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 18:56:49 GMT

A lack of coherence among agricultural research bodies hinders the G20's goal of promoting farming in the developing world. Spreading good ideas and practices in farming sounds like a simple enough goal, but can be immensely complicated not just on a global level but also locally.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Book: Reinventing economics

Gerard — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 19:04:49 GMT

Economic analysis is about understanding the workings of the economic system. Many elegant economic theories exist to analyse wealth-creating productive activities. Conventional economic theory focuses on a one-dimensional world.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Microfinance: What role in Africa's development?

Gerard — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:43:30 GMT

The honeymoon with microfinance is over. Since the idea of lending or giving very small sums of money to poor people was introduced to the world by the pioneering Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, the approach has been taken up by many non-governmental organizations, donor agencies and the United Nations as an essential part of their poverty-reduction efforts. Microfinance has provided countless people with access to financial services.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Dr. Sabine O'Hara Recognized by Cambridge Who's Who

Gerard — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 18:43:16 GMT

Dr. Sabine O'Hara, Owner and Principal of Global Ecology LLC, has been recognized by Cambridge Who's Who for showing dedication, leadership and excellence in international business education and sustainable development.

Dr. O'Hara is principal of Global Ecology LLC, and managing director and vice president of Professors Beyond Borders. Global Ecology positions higher education institutions and private, public and non-profit sector organizations for success by providing educational tools and planning and assessment services for negotiating a complex world and marketplace.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Microfinance Is Much More Than Just Credit

Gerard — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 18:46:08 GMT

A day after U.S. assistant secretary of state for south and central Asian affairs Robert Blake appealed to the Bangladeshi government to reconsider its dismissal of 70-year-old microfinance guru Muhammad Yunus from the Grameen Bank, IPS spoke with the president and CEO of Women's World Banking (WWB), currently the most comprehensive network of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in the world. She dismissed the notion, which is swiftly gaining momentum in many quarters, that microcredit is ineffective as a sustainable method of poverty alleviation and must be replaced.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Microfinance USA: Conference 2011

Gerard — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 22:43:45 GMT

Microfinance USA is the conference where the nation's leading microfinance champions exchange ideas and information that set the agenda for the future of the field. Join the conversation with expert practitioners, top investors, and frontline researchers to explore and expand microfinance in the U.S.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

The Role Of Microfinance In Women's Entrepreneurship

Gerard — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 16:30:48 GMT

7 Women Leaders Speak On The Role Of Microfinance In Women's Entrepreneurship

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Davos: Warning of ‘global suicide,’ Ban Ki-Moon calls for Revolution to Ensure Sustainable Development

Gerard — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 22:37:54 GMT

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for “revolutionary action” to achieve sustainable development, warning that the past century’s heedless consumption of resources is “a global suicide pact” with time running out to ensure an economic model for survival.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

UK: NGOs call for stronger role for Parliament in sustainable development

Gerard — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 21:27:38 GMT

Last week's report from the Environmental Audit Committee : "Embedding Sustainable Development across Government" confirms that sustainable development has not been fully embedded across Government because the political will to do so has not been maintained. However, it does not go far enough in calling for urgent institutional reform to make this the "greenest government ever", say WWF-UK and FDSD.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Donations: NetSuite.org Enables Social Enterprises To Do Good, Better

Gerard — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 21:06:34 GMT

NetSuite Inc., the industry’s leading vendor of cloud-based financials / ERP software suites, today announced the latest social enterprises to benefit from a NetSuite.org product donation. NetSuite.org is NetSuite’s unique corporate citizenship program, which enables growing social enterprises to access product donations of NetSuite’s cloud-based business software service that helps deliver increased productivity, reduced operating costs, and improved organizational flexibility.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

FAO: Record high global food prices triggers fears of unrest

Gerard — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 20:19:14 GMT

Food prices hit a record high last month, outstripping levels that prompted riots in 2008, and key grains could climb even further as weather patterns give cause for concern, the UN's food agency said on Wednesday. Record high food prices are moving to the top of policymaker agendas, driven by fears it could stoke inflation, protectionism and unrest and dent consumer demand in key emerging economies.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

World Council of Credit Unions

Gerard — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 23:52:55 GMT

World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) is the leading international trade association and development agency for credit unions. WOCCU promotes the sustainable development of credit unions and other financial cooperatives around the world to empower people through access to high quality and affordable financial services. WOCCU advocates on behalf of the global credit union system before international organizations and works with national governments to improve legislation and regulation. Its technical assistance programs introduce new tools and technologies to strengthen credit unions' financial performance and increase their outreach.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

World Concern: Reaching 153,000 AIDS orphans

Gerard — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 17:59:45 GMT

While it's sometimes hard to quantify success, one thing is certain – the ripple effect and long-term effects of good development work impact more people for generations to come than any of us will know.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Afganistan: Microfinance faces hurdles in empowering women

Gerard — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 08:42:42 GMT

More than 1.5mn loans worth $831mn have been given out in the past seven years, said the Microfinance Investment Support Facility for Afghanistan (MISFA), which was set up by the government in 2003 to coordinate the sector. Thirty years of conflict have shattered Afghanistan’s economy and infrastructure, leaving two-thirds of the roughly 30mn population illiterate and at least a third in dire poverty.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Sri Lanka: Harassment of women will be eradicated - Minister Tissa Karalliyadde

Gerard — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 20:17:34 GMT

"Harassment of women and domestic violence goes back to centuries. It continues to be in force today in many parts of the world including Sri Lanka. It must be eliminated at all costs" said Child Development and Women Affairs Minister Tissa Karalliyadde addressing the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD) held in Port Macquarie, Australia on the theme 'Prevention of violence against women'.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Kiva.org and KIEDF Partner to Bring Online Microfinance to Israel

Gerard — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 16:00:19 GMT

Kiva, the world's first personal micro-lending website, has teamed with KIEDF (Koret Israel Economic Development Funds) to launch its first and only partnership with an Israeli microfinance institution. This alliance will allow individuals anywhere to make small loans through the Kiva website to Bedouin women of the Negev, Arab Israelis in northern Israel, and other low-income populations throughout Israel.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Opinions: How Microfinance Lost its Soul

Gerard — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 16:46:20 GMT

Microfinance has lost its soul. Six fundamental shifts in the practice of microfinance have left it operating more like a for-profit bank and less like an innovative pro-poor movement.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Muhammad Yunus: Microfinance Guru under Pressure

Gerard — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 20:29:39 GMT

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus is under pressure after critics accused him of misusing development aid. The father of microfinance told SPIEGEL ONLINE the allegations are "a total fabrication."

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

An appeal from Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales

Gerard — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 21:30:26 GMT

Jimmy Wales founder of Wikipedia is appealing for donations to support the activity of the open encyclopedia

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Zambia: Gender and Rural Finance workshop at Lusaka

Gerard — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 21:57:14 GMT

The grant funded a one day workshop in Lusaka to look at gender issues in rural microfinance programmes. 43 people participated in the workshop, including managers and gender specialists from government ministries, financial institutions, community based organizations and NGOs, donors and colleges. There was also participation from IFAD and FAO.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Cyprus : Females in the Arts announce Nicosia Regional Branch

Gerard — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 22:47:28 GMT

Since the launch of FITA in January 2010, the Group has rapidly expanded with new Members teaming-up together to generate awareness in Cyprus of female artists, artisans and designers.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Opportunity International Encourages Citizen Diplomacy and Economic Empowerment

Gerard — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 22:17:24 GMT

Claudia Kennedy, Member of Opportunity's Board of Advisors and First Woman U.S. Army Lieutenant General, Encourages Individuals to Recognize Their Power to Improve People's Lives Around the World.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Big concerns over small loans

Gerard — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 17:03:50 GMT

The recent controversy surrounding the microfinance sector has entirely eclipsed the fact that it is the first effort in India to have delivered financial services to remote corners of the country in a self-sustaining manner. The stakes are high for India’s poor, and we have to pave the way for orderly growth in the sector. Here is our view on some key issues that have featured in the current debate.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Opportunity International: Giving the Poor a Working Chance

Gerard — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 16:49:10 GMT

Opportunity co-founder and former president of Bristol Myers International Corporation, the late Al Whittaker, encountered poverty as he travelled throughout the world in the 1960’s and 70’s. He asked the people he met: “What do you need?” They replied: "Work. With jobs, we will solve our own problems."

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Azerbaijan familiarizes with best practice for successful transformation of microfinance organizations into bank

Gerard — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 16:47:11 GMT

The International Financial Corporation (IFC), entering into the World Bank (WB) Group, together with the Financial Commission on Regulation of Mongolia and Micro-Finance Development Fund (MFDF) has organized awareness-raising tour to Mongolia on studying of legislative practice on microfinancing for regulators from Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Branchless Banking 2010: Is the hype justified?

Gerard — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 17:23:23 GMT

After several years of very high profile attention on mobile money and other branchless banking schemes, we think it’s time to test the hype. Or more accurately, we’ve wanted to for awhile. But acquiring good data is really, really hard. We’ve been unable to say in anything but a fragmented, mostly anecdotal way whether the unbanked really use branchless banking, what they use it for, if it saves them any money, and what more they might want (but aren’t getting yet). Just because we are excited about branchless banking doesn’t mean it is living up to the promises we make on its behalf.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Norwegian Microfinance Initiative (NMI) Invests $4.5m in Kenya Women Finance Trust – Deposit Taking Microfinance (KWFT-DTM) and Uganda Finance Trust (UFT)

Gerard — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:41:19 GMT

The Norwegian Microfinance Initiative (NMI), a partnership between the Norwegian public and private sectors that provides assistance for microfinance institutions (MFIs) in developing countries, recently loaned KES 325 million (approximately USD 4.03 million) to Kenya Women Finance Trust – Deposit Taking Microfinance (KWFT- DTM), a microfinance institution based in Nairobi, Kenya, and UGX 1.25 billion (approximately USD 548,000) to the Uganda Finance Trust (UFT), an MFI in Kampala, Uganda, to support microenterprises.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

African Development Bank Supports African Women Entrepreneurs

Gerard — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 15:18:59 GMT

Women entrepreneurs constitute one of the key drivers of Africa's sustainable growth. As Africa's lead development partner, the African Development Bankactively supports women entrepreneurs.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Canada pledges $43.4M in aid to Francophone African countries

Gerard — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 17:59:53 GMT

Canada will invest $43.4-million in new aid to Francophone African countries, the most tangible product of Stephen Harper’s trip to the weekend’s summit of Francophone nations. The funding, part of $1.1-billion in aid that the Conservative government promised in June to protect mothers and their children at the G8 summit of leading developed nations in Huntsville, Muskoka, will help protect 1.1 million women and children from malnourishment and sexual violence.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

South India: Samasta Microfinance

Gerard — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 08:46:10 GMT

Samasta Microfinance is a public limited, for profit Non Banking Financial Company, established in March 2008. We offer microfinance solutions to the urban and rural poor in South India, and currently operate in the states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Their aim is to drive social change and be a catalyst for entrepreneurial ambition by providing a host of financial and non-financial products to our members. Their loan products are geared towards income generation supplemented by loans for education and social commitments. Samasta's operations use the Joint Liability Group (JLG) model.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)

Gerard — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 07:27:56 GMT

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) at Colorado State University provides innovative training in community-based development (online and face-to-face), consultation, evaluation, and project support services for individuals and governmental, international non-governmental, and community-based organizations around the world.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Village Earth : Sustainable Village Based Development

Gerard — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 07:39:48 GMT

Village Earth's mission is to help reconnect communities to the resources that promote human well-being by enhancing social and political empowerment, community self-reliance and self-determination.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Rural Finance Learning Centre

Gerard — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 08:33:45 GMT

Rural Finance is about providing financial services for people living in rural areas. This Learning Centre aims to assist organisations in developing countries to build their capacity to deliver improved financial services which meet the needs of rural households and businesses.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Asian Microfinance Forum 2010 concludes with success

Gerard — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 09:25:41 GMT

The three-day Asian Microfinance Forum 2010 wrapped up bringing to a close three full days of conferences, panel sessions and seminars all of which were well attended by almost 500 delegates from 50 countries who were in Colombo for the event as well as many local industrialists, bankers and other interested parties.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Banks encouraged to target small businesses

Gerard — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 04:59:55 GMT

Thirty-five bankers and trainers from 15 institutions in Cambodia, Laos and Viet Nam yesterday participated in a training programme on building sustainable small and medium-sized banking operations in HCM City.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Cameroon’s Banks, Microfinance Institutions Required to Increase Capital Reserves

Gerard — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:08:30 GMT

A group of financial experts has ordered all commercial banks in the Central African Economic and Monetary Community, CEMAC, to raise the minimum amount of their capital reserves.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Few Sub-Saharan Africans Aware of Local Microfinance Options

Gerard — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:40:55 GMT

Residents in sub-Saharan African countries report a wide range of awareness about the availability of microfinance lending in their communities, suggesting these institutions remain locally inaccessible to many who would benefit most from using them. Malawians (65%) and Ugandans (63%) are the most likely to say they are aware of these institutions in their communities, while respondents from Ivory Coast (18%), Democratic Republic of the Congo (16%), and Zimbabwe (15%) are the least likely to say the same.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.

Africa: Book Notes

Gerard — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 22:33:55 GMT

This AfricaFocus contains a diverse selection of recent books likely to be of interest and new to AfricaFocus readers. You will find, for example, new books by Africa's distinguished elders, such as Achebe, wa Thiong'o, and Mandela. Selected new books from publishers such as Africa World Press, HSRC Press, and Aflame Books. Books on topical themes such as SMS activism and other ICT developments, on India and China's relations with Africa, and on xenophobia and migration. And more.

This weblog is sponsored by Avgo.org and Photo Cyprus.