[Microfinance works in different ways across the world. MFIs in East Africa routinely expect physical collateral (as opposed to the basic principle of social collateral that it was founded on), charge predatory interest rates (18% – 60%), and seldom provide ongoing support through capacity building and business mentoring.]
Frame Changers #159: Death by Regulation
[Fair Trade Coffee is a great idea, and so is regulation to ensure equity across the supply chains. However, when coffee farmers are expected to meet 100+ rules and regulations, the process can be burdensome and expensive. That’s one of several problems with Fair Trade Coffee.]
Frame Changers #158: (Reverse) Digital Divide
[In Kenya, you can use M-Pesa on your cellphone to buy airtime or airline tickets, pay your electricity or water bill, send money to friends or the security guard looking over your car.]
Frame Changers #157: Emerging Markets, Reframed
[Americans love hand sanitizers; some are addicted to using them while others (mostly teenagers) have been consuming them for the alcohol content. On a different note, post-crisis reconstruction efforts often have interesting business dynamics.]
Frame Changers #156: Orphans as Customers
[Sub-Saharan Africa is home to more than 50 million orphaned children…and that number continues to rise. The discipline, transparency and integrity of a well-run social enterprise might actually curb the system-wide abuses in the current methods to address this longstanding crisis.]
Frame Changers #155: Not Invented Here Syndrome
Frame Changers #154: Pivot Until Successful
Frame Changers #153: Different Strokes for Different Folks
[While development orgs, non-profits, and governments care about environmental sustainability, for the common man trying to eke out a living, its a job – a source of income. Your value proposition needs to be customized to the needs of specific stakeholders.]
Frame Changers #152: Good Vaccine; Bad Spirit
[Coordination between health ministries, large non-profits, UN agencies, and small faith-based and community-based organizations is a perennial challenge. Excellent progress has been made in some countries in recent years by channeling all aid and resources through one of the parties.]
Frame Changers #151: Neglected Tropical Diseases
[Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are a group of diseases that impact over 1.4 Billion of the poorest people in developing countries. They don’t get as much attention because the market is not as lucrative or accessible.]