Power to the People...technology and development

Elizabeth Israel — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 23:20:23 +0100

Power to the People

Energy in the Developing World
Sept. 2 2010 THE ECONOMIST
Technology and development: A growing number of initiatives are promoting bottom-up ways to deliver energy to the world’s poor .

Around 1.5 billion people, or more than a fifth of the world’s population, have no access to electrRead More...

Carbon-Neutral Biofuels - Addressing Climate Change and Microfinance

Elizabeth Israel — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:19:40 +0100

USAID MicroLinks Note from the Field

Honduras: Blending Finance, Technology, and Training to Encourage Responsible Growth

La Mosquitia, one of the last remaining tropical forest areas left in Central America, is the most impoverished region in Honduras. Local communities, including the indigenous Miskito (or Read More...

"Microfinance and Climate Change" USAID Forum Summary by Betsy Teutsch

Elizabeth Israel — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:38:00 +0100

Microfinance and Climate Change: Can MFIs Promote Environmental Sustainability The Summary was authored by our own Betsy Teutsch, GreenMicrofinance, Director of Communication. Great work, Betsy!

This report summarizes key themes and “lessons learned” from the “Microfinance and Climate Change: Can MFIs Promote Environmental Sustainability?” Speaker’s Corner, held November 18-20, 2008. Nearly 200 participants from over 40 countries participated Read More...

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

Betsy Teutsch — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 01:40:18 +0100

William Kamkwamba, raised in a village in Malawi, one of the world's poorest countries. He dropped out of school at age 14 due to famine - his family was forced to choose between food or school for their son. He poured through books at a local mini-library, and - inspired by a picture of a windmill - Read More...

Announcing: the GreenMicrofinance Jamii Bora Collaboration!

Betsy Teutsch — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:21:55 +0100

Monday night GreenMicrofinance and Jamii Bora announced their intent to work together on the Jamii Bora gamechanger: Kaputei, its eco-village outside Nairobi, eventual home to 10,000 Jamii Bora members. This microfinance institution, which has grown to nearly a quarter million borrowers in just a decade, is headed by the indefatigueable Ingrid Munro. Read More...

World's Poor are the Most Vulnerable Victims of Global Warming

Betsy Teutsch — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 03:08:24 +0100

Some headlines just fail to surprise, like the recent one announcing that "low income workers are often cheated out of their wages." Unfortunately, the fact that global warming's greatest impacts are on the world's poor is not really news; we at GMf are well aware of this terrible truth. But this recent article in mainstream USA Today sums the situation up well:

Energy Meeting Women's Needs!

Elizabeth Israel — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:45:12 +0100

Why Women's Rights Are the Cause of our Time
New York Times Magazine
August 23, 2009

WHY DO MICROFINANCE organizations usually focus their assistance on women? And why does everyone benefit when women enter the work force and bring home regular pay checks? One reason involves the dirty little secret of global poverty: some of the most wretchedRead More...

Barh Koh ESDA in Chad: Preserving Forests while Enhancing Quality of Life

Betsy Teutsch — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 20:14:07 +0100

Barh Koh ESDA in Chad approaches poverty relief through environmental protection, working to provide environmentally safe alternative energy sources to the disadvantaged inhabitants and refugees in the region of Maro in southern Chad. The group's focuses on cooking and indoor lighting, to help reduce dependence on firewood, thereby reducing deforestation.

Their plan of action shows theRead More...

Bedouins Meet Biodigesters

Betsy Teutsch — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 22:13:40 +0100

[video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSr6oLw-X4U 300x250]

"Approximately 50% of the 180,000 Bedouin residents of Israel’s Negev live in unrecognized villages without sewage systems, with no way to effectively treat human and animal waste products. This lack of basic facilities leads to documented high rates of urinary tract infections, respiratory diseases and burns, primarily among women and children. Beyond the personal toll on the health of the residents, above-groRead More...

Great Chart on Energy Poverty, Gender, and Health

Betsy Teutsch — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 06:14:26 +0100

This chart which I came across is from 2002 - things haven't changed much, though now we know that black smoke emissions from burning dung et al are actually very toxic, and big contributers to GHG-caused global warming.

You can see the whole article - extremely informative - here.

A Good Read - Portfolios of the Poor

Elizabeth Israel — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:20:04 +0100

(Please see Sarah Ban's blog post on June 18!)

Portfolios of the Poor How the World’s Poor Live on $2 a Day

By Daryl Collins, Jonathan MorducRead More...

Nobel Laureate 2006, Dr. Muhammad Yunus Joins Dr. William Yager at Microcredit Summit Colombia!

Elizabeth Israel — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 19:07:51 +0100

MICROCREDIT SUMMIT CAMPAIGN CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA

GreenMicrofinance has organized four panels for the Microcredit Summit Campaign...
from Halifax, Chile, Bali and now Colombia!

GreenMicrofinance appreciates the support of USAID, microLINKS, and the Microcredit Summit Campaign in collaborating with us over the past years in promoting 'environmentally sustainable microfinance'.

You can download the entire iRead More...

MicrofinanceGatewayTells the World about Environment and Microfinance

Betsy Teutsch — Tue, 12 May 2009 04:08:37 +0100

We are thrilled that MicrofinanceGateway has launched its new elegantly redesigned site with a lead article which we developed together entitled "Microfinance and the Bottom Line". We're so proud we're reproducing it in full here, but of course check the link so you see how great it looks. Thanks CGAP! Great job. Shout out to Sara Yamaka, CGAP writer.

Microfinance and the Environmental Bottom Line
The Microfinance Gateway

Growing the green agenda

BackYard BBQ's and Improved Cookstoves....

Betsy Teutsch — Fri, 01 May 2009 04:00:00 +0100

Last Sunday's supplement ran an ad which really stuck with me, so much so that a few days later, I went back to my recycled newspapers to confirm my recollection: Wal-Mart is selling spiffy, stainless steel backyard BBQ gas grills for $298. Such grills have long been a suburban status symbol of macho domesticity, much evolved from the little kettle-style charcoal burning versions of my childhood. My firsRead More...

Thanks, Hillary Clinton!

Betsy Teutsch — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100

It was very exciting to read this in this morning's paper. From the perspective of GreenMicrofinance and the 1.6 billion people waiting for distributed energy - which can be delivered more efficiently and cheaply through renewable sources - BRAVO! Now let's bring it on.

Mrs. Clinton said there was no longer any question that growing atmospheric concentrationsRead More...

GMf Will Be at Wesleyan University Monday 4/27

Betsy Teutsch — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100

If you're near Middletown, Connecticut, join us at Wesleyan for this informative panel discussion:

"On Thin Ice" ...climate change and glaciers!

Elizabeth Israel — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100

Namaste! My four children have all graduated from Woodstock School located in the Himalyan mountains in northern India during the time we lived in rural Nepal. Over a span of 7 years various family members trekked and enjoyed these majestic mountains.

It was with great interest I watched "On TRead More...

Blog entries tagged Poverty