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Value Chains

Cutting the strings: Why some aid orgs want to give money away

Poor people are poor because they don’t have money. A new charity sees a simple solution: give money to those who need it most. Despite some controversy, the program has started to turn heads, largely because it might just work.

Value Chains

How to survive on less than five acres in India: Three ways farmers can go mobile

Smallholder farmers are overwhelmingly poor and have little control over the ups and downs of the marketplace. Three organizations are helping smallholder farmers turn the tables through mobile technology.

Value Chains

Is charity: water the Expedia of philanthropy?

Aid agencies and their donors debate: Is it more effective for a charity to build and maintain wells or help people get loans to buy materials for wells and their upkeep? The decision might be made by the charity with the biggest coffers.

Value Chains

How to make markets work for the poor--and measure the results

Despite local demand for hay, Kenyan dairy farmers face milk shortages due to lack of quality supply. But instead of handing over the hay, why not bring the hay market to the farmers?

Value Chains

Mercy Corps Perspective: Why large international dev orgs should be in the business of innovation

The challenges that face the bottom billion seem intractable, but large NGOs can create a culture of innovation to find unique solutions and unconventional partners to make long-term change. An interview with Mercy Corps' CEO by Yale Insights.