Archive for January, 2011

New research conducted by a Stanford research team concludes that with current available technology, the whole world could switch to 100% of its energy needs from renewable sources within 40 years. How can this be done? By ensuring all new energy production plants use renewable energy by 2030 and converting older plants by 2050. Everything would then run off of electricity: 90% of energy production would come from wind and solar energy, while 10% would come from hydro, geothermal and tidal power sources. In this brave new world, planes, trains and automobiles would run on hydrogen fuel. » Continue reading “The New World Order”

In India since 1949, private healthcare has grown from just 8% of healthcare services to 93% of hospitals and 85% of doctors. Private financing makes up 78% of total health spending, which is one of the highest in the world. Approximately 40% of India’s population must either borrow money or sell assets to pay for hospitalization and, each year, nearly a quarter of that number fall into poverty due to medical expenses.

In an article published last week by Guardian reporter Rosalind Miller, Indian cardiac surgeon Dr. Devi Shetty may have found a solution. Globally, Shetty has received acclaim as the chairman and founder of the Narayana Hrudayalaya Hospitals in Bengaluru, India, a 1,000-bed “heart factory.” Here, open-heart surgery costs significantly less than anywhere else in the world. Low-cost surgery is not Shetty’s only proposition: he provides free care to patients who cannot afford to pay and subsidizes their care by charging those who can pay a higher rate. The Bengaluru hospitals have coined the nickname “health city.” » Continue reading “The IKEA of Healthcare”

Dear Reader,

A continent of promises, bestowed with natural resources, human capital, amazing landscapes and more, Africa is also a land of controversies and hardships.

The current economic situation of its nations and people do not reflect the sheer bounty gifted to it by nature. The continent grapples with issues in health, food and education. As in many other developing countries, on a day-to-day basis, the average African is faced with meeting his/her basic needs, and building a sustainable livelihood.

Africa is an oft-misunderstood continent. Plagued with a long history of low self-esteem and economic and socio-political trials, tremendous effort is currently needed from individuals ready to focus on being mediators between African citizens, and the prospects for growth and development. Social entrepreneurs working in Africa have donned the mantle of being the custodian of people’s hopes and, in the near future, will hopefully bring about the paradigm shift essential for Africa’s survival and progress.

Chesta Shah

Managing Editor » Continue reading “Focus on Africa”

This story originally appeared in our January 27, 2011 e-magazine. Click here to subscribe.

The 2010 documentary The Lazarus Effect shows how two pills costing just US$0.40 per day can transform the lives of people living with AIDS. It also highlights the need for enterprises operating in the medical delivery space in Africa.

Miracle of Lazarus

Every day 3,800 people die of AIDS in Africa. By the end of 2009, 22.5 million people were living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa- including 2.3 million children.

In the bible, Jesus Christ brought Lazarus back to life four days after his death. In today’s world, the miracle of Lazarus has assumed a new significance for people living with AIDS. Very simply, the Lazarus effect is the physical transformation an AIDS patient undergoes after having access to antiretroviral (ARV) medication. In as few as 40 days, a person can reclaim stronger health and lead a more productive life. Life-saving ARV medications cost as little as US$0.40 per day. » Continue reading “Lazarus in Africa”

This story originally appeared in our January 27, 2011 e-magazine. Click here to subscribe.

The Technology Business Incubation program at the Kigali Institute of Science and Technology in Rwanda assists graduates and their fledgling businesses.

What exactly does the Technology Business Incubation Facility do?

RA: We are assisting young college graduates to start their own business in the area of technology. We provide the incubation: mentoring, coaching, information sharing and advice. We also provide funding for young graduates so they can start their own businesses—start-up capital. » Continue reading “Incubation Supports Youthful Endeavors”

This story originally appeared in our January 27, 2011 e-magazine. Click here to subscribe.

These are five of the top social entrepreneurs currently working in Africa.

By Dipika Prasad

Issac Durojaiye

Founder of the first mobile toilet service in Nigeria. Durojaiye started Dignified Mobile Toilets (DMT) in the late 1990s. Today, each DMT toilet services 100 people at a cost of US$0.10 (INR 5) per person and generates US$15 (INR 680) in revenue per day. Of this, 60% goes to the toilet manager and rest to DMT. » Continue reading “Leading African Social Entrepreneurs”

This story originally appeared in our January 27, 2011 e-magazine. Click here to subscribe.

By Abby Callard and Nisha Kumar Kulkarni

By The Numbers

20.5%

Percentage of African population between the ages of 15 and 24.

350 million

The estimated number of youth aged 15 to 24 in Africa by 2050. » Continue reading “Data — Focus on Africa”

This story originally appeared in our January 27, 2011 e-magazine. Click here to subscribe.

Educate! will create the first social enterprise curriculum to be scaled to a national level.

When Jean Paul Amani was fleeing the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) he found a young girl named Alice Munguiko. He carried her across the border to Uganda. In 2006, both Amani and Munguiko were recipients of scholarships from Educate!, an educational foundation based in Colorado and Uganda.

Today, Amani volunteers with Think Humanity, a US-based organization working to improve the lives of refugees in Africa in the Kyangwali refugee camp in Uganda. Along with several other refugees and fellow Educate! students, he started COBURWAS. COBURWAS, a community organization, partnered with Think Humanity to build an orphanage, counsel members of the community and raise money to send more than 30 students to school. » Continue reading “How to Teach a Nation”

This story originally appeared in our January 27, 2011 e-magazine. Click here to subscribe.

Thirty percent of the population in 92 countries are young people between the ages 10 and 24. Policy-makers need to take notice.

In 2003, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) conducted its first analysis of young people’s feedback to national poverty reduction strategy papers (PRSPs). At that time, it was discovered that approximately 55% of PRSPs consulted young people in strategy development. In 2010, only 33% of PRSPs consulted young people.

The UNFPA’s 2010 paper The Case for Investing in Young People as part of a National Poverty Reduction Strategy emphasizes the case for why youth involvement in poverty reduction strategy is essential in developing countries. A telling indicator is that more than 30% of all PRSPs do not recognize youth as a group in poverty at all. However, today’s statistics emphasize the legitimacy of youth poverty: of the 1.8bn young people between the ages of 10 and 24 in the world, about 550m live on less than US$2 (Rs 90) per day. Why then is the youth demographic being ignored? » Continue reading “Ignoring the Youth”

This story originally appeared in our January 27, 2011 e-magazine. Click here to subscribe.

Living Goods is bringing affordable healthcare products to the homes of residents throughout Uganda.

By Jonathan Kalan

“Hold on. I think [Gertrude] has stopped to sell some drugs,” said Betty, the Kawempe Branch Manager for Living Goods.  I stopped for a moment to check my surroundings. Normally, hearing that in an African slum would make me feel slightly uncomfortable. But not this time. I was in Tule, a slum in Uganda’s capital city of Kampala, shadowing Living Goods Community Health Promoter (CHP) Gertrude Nambaliwa as she made her daily rounds checking on newborn infants and selling health products to her community. » Continue reading “Door-to-Door Healthcare”