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kenzabenessalah

Lumkani - Crunchbase Company Profile & Funding - 0 views

  • Lumkani is a social enterprise known for its fire detector and system designed to overcome the shack-fire challenge in urban slums in South Africa and across the globe with the use of a heat detection technology. It measures the incidence of harmful fires and alert families inside the shack of the danger, using the rate-of-rise of temperature
    • kenzabenessalah
       
      It was a great idea to introduce the device in urban slums since that is the region where most fires ignite.
kenzabenessalah

Lumkani - 0 views

  • As part of Lumkani’s mission to mitigate the loss of life and property caused by fires in South Africa and across the globe, we implement large scale roll-outs of our fire detection system into urban informal settlements and townships.
    • kenzabenessalah
       
      Before Lumkani was introduced, there was very little hope for people to rebuild their houses when fire erupted. Making this business known could help save plenty of lives.
    • kenzabenessalah
       
      Before Lumkani was introduced, there was very little hope for people to rebuild their houses when fire erupted. Making this business known could help save plenty of lives.
  • Before Lumkani introduced Fire Cover in 2016, there was little hope for households and businesses that had been excluded from insurance cover, to quickly rebuild, refurnish and return to a state of dignity.
    • kenzabenessalah
       
      This excerpt is important because it highlights how beneficial and essential the concept of the company is. It helped protect people's homes and reassure them that their households would return to their original state.
  • For only R60 per month, you get: A Lumkani Fire Alarm that warns you when fire breaks out. Cover for your home or business structure and all of your belongings/stock for up to R40,000 provided by Hollard. There is no waiting period, you are protected immediately after your first payment.Foreign Nationals may apply.No documentation required to apply..properties we protect: Informal homes Small homes and low-cost homes (RDPs) Small businesses
    • tahaemsd
       
      Details of what is covered by the LUMKANI company
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • Lumkani is a technology company which distributes insurance products to financially excluded households and businesses in townships and informal settlements. We use our award-winning fire detectors to mitigate the risk of fires and a world-first insurance product to cover losses when disasters occur. We have distributed tens of thousands of fire alarms to homes across South Africa which have drastically lowered the instances of fires in our communities, ensuring that those who are most vulnerable have a sense of security. Tens of millions of Rands of possible fire damage have been saved through our early-warning fire detectors.
    • aminej
       
      I think that this is an excellent idea since it will help many people in rural areas who very often suffer from losses due to weather or natural disasters and also a very weak infrastructure. It will also bring more unbanked people to learn about different services of insurance and finance.
  • Fires destroy homes, belongings and businesses which leads to personal and financial insecurity. We provide protection against fires to informal homes, small homes, RDPs and small businesses
    • kenzabenessalah
       
      Having such a concept is essential to the community because it deals with one of most popular issues in the world; financial insecurity
  •  
    LUMKANI launched indeed a networked heat detector to protect people's properties.
tahaemsd

AgroCenta - Disrupt 100 - 0 views

  • AgroCenta has four key strands to the business. First is its AgroTrade platform which enables smallholder farmers in remote farming communities to sell directly to buyers in the urban areas. Second, its TruckR on-demand shipping logistic service provides transport for goods at the click of a button. Third, AgroInfo gives smallholder farmers information on commodity pricing via SMS and Voice solutions, helping farmers make informed decisions on how to price competitively. Lastly, AgroPay is a financial-inclusion product for smallholder farmers, allowing them to easily access credit facilities, layaway some funds and transact using the power of mobile phones.
    • tahaemsd
       
      using its innovative technology which connects smallholder farmers to a larger market to trade and sell directly to buyers in the urban area
mehdibella

AgroCenta - Greentec - 0 views

  • AgroCenta brings all the stakeholders in Ghana’s agricultural value chain together to facilitate effective trading within its web and mobile platform. They target rural smallholder farmers and farmer-based organizations that have limited access to markets, logistics, or technology. AgroCenta works to improve the livelihoods of farmers by providing an all-in-one SMS based solution to access commodity pricing, offer goods for sale across Ghana, and an on-demand logistics service to ensure timely deliveries.
    • kenzabenessalah
       
      I really admire the concept of AgroCenta because it is able to give smallholder farmers an opportunity to expand their business, which would then aid in providing for their families.
  • Agrocenta tackles some of the main market inefficiencies and challenges to growth for smallholder farmers within the agriculture value chain in Ghana and West Africa. Agrocenta works to improve the limited access to market information, to reduce the exploitative behaviour of local buyers and middlemen and to improve the transportation and logistics linkages between small rural sellers of agri production and the larger urban markets.
  • Business Model
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • Agrocenta draws its revenue streams from the price difference between purchase prices (from smallholders) and prices sold to large off-takers. Agrocenta mobilizes a local network of agents and scouts, who work directly with the local farmer communities and engage in the pre/post-harvest process.
    • mehdibella
       
      Agrocenta's passion to change the face of agriculture in Africa is built on 3 core values, closely aligned with 3 SDGs. Agrocenta aims to create livelihood empowerement for smallholder farmers, help increase farmers' incomes and thus help reducing poverty.
  • Agrocenta’s passion to change the face of agriculture in Africa is built on 3 core values, closely aligned with 3 SDGs.
  • Agrocenta aims to create livelihood empowerement for smallholder farmers, help increase farmers’ incomes and thus help reducing poverty. Agrocenta aims to help ensure sustainable food security by working to reduce inefficiencies in the agricultural value chain. Agrocenta also aims to contribute towards gender equality by working with many female farmers.
    • kenza_abdelhaq
       
      AgroCenta is actively working on empowering small farmers, reducing poverty, ensuring sustainable food security, and contributing to gender equality.
  • Agrocenta draws its revenue streams from the price difference between purchase prices (from smallholders) and prices sold to large off-takers. Agrocenta mobilizes a local network of agents and scouts, who work directly with the local farmer communities and engage in the pre/post-harvest process.
    • sawsanenn
       
      this excerpt is important because it shows how agrocenta encourages smallholders farmers to develop their businesses and face challenges by offering them many financial solutions.
  • Products and Services A comprehensive agricultural services platform including: AgroInfo: provides realtime agricultural information and market prices to smallholder farmers AgroTrade: online trading platform offering ability to buy and sell agricultural commodities TruckR: on demand logistics solutions to deliver agriculture goods from rural aggregation points to urban markets and buyers AgroPay: financial platform allowing farmers to transact digitally
    • ghtazi
       
      these are the Products and services of agrocenta: agroinfo, agrotrade, truckr, and agropay.
mehdibella

AgroCenta : empowering smallholder farmers in Africa through technology and innovations - 0 views

  •  AgroCenta’s main competitors are Esoko (www.esoko.com), FarmerLine (www.farmerline.co) and Farm Radio (www.farmradio.org). These 3 competitors are “information-based” only, delivering market prices, weather information and extension advisory services via SMS to farmers.
    • aminej
       
      Some of the main competitors of AgroCenta's are Esoko , FarmerLine and Farm Radio. These 3 competitors are not really competitors because they do not provide the same services. These competitors are more "information-based" only, delivering market prices, weather information and extension advisory services via SMS to farmers.
  • AgroCenta came about when both co-founders identified the missing gap in the post harvest value chain, that is access to market for smallholder farmers. This gap gave way to exploitative buying from middlemen at the disadvantage to the smallholder farmer.
    • nouhaila_zaki
       
      This excerpt is important because it shows the need that AgroCenta founders identified in Ghana, and thus reflects the company's reason for existing.
  • AgroCenta’s core services are AgroTrade : Which is a sales platform that connects smallholder farmer directly to a larger market to trade fairly. AgroTrade matches smallholder farmers in rural areas to small, medium and large buyers in the urban areas. TrucKR : TruckR is the on-demand trucks & logistics aspect of AgroCenta where farmers can book for truck delivery services to cart their commodities from farms to markets just at a click of a button AgroInfo : Real time weather, market prices and extension advisory services are delivered via SMS and voice solutions to smallholder farmers using mobile technologies AgroPay : AgroPay is the financial inclusion platform for smallholder farmers where farmers in rural areas, without bank accounts, receive payments for goods and services via mobile money technologies.
    • nouhaila_zaki
       
      This excerpt is important because one can identify the different products and services proposed by the firm.
  • ...7 more annotations...
  • AgroTrade : Which is a sales platform that connects smallholder farmer directly to a larger market to trade fairly. AgroTrade matches smallholder farmers in rural areas to small, medium and large buyers in the urban areas.
    • kenzabenessalah
       
      I find this concept beneficial for all farmers because they will be able to have more direct access to larger markets. This way they could earn more and interact more.
  • Francis Obirikorang is the CEO/Co-founder of AgroCenta and Michael Ocansey is the CTO/Co-founder of AgroCenta. Francis and Michael are both ex-employees of Esoko, one of the largest market information platforms in Africa for smallholder farmers.
  • AgroCenta’s success factor is the elimination of the exploitative buying approach from the post harvest value chain, and putting the smallholder farmer at a pivotal position where they are able to sell their commodities to interested buyers fairly, generate enough income and become financially independent
    • mehdibella
       
      AgroCenta provides the "last mile" approach for the smallholder farmers, going a step further to help farmers sell competitively after the get market information only from existing e-agriculture products on the market.
  • AgroCenta’s core services are
    • kenza_abdelhaq
       
      AgroCenta's services include: -AgroTrade: platform connecting farmers to markets and promoting fair trade. -TrucKR: farmers can have access to transportation through this platform. - AgroInfo: platform that gives useful insights to farmers (weather, market prices) - AgroPay: a platform for financial inclusion, giving small and underbanked farmers the possibility to receive payments via their mobile.
  • AgroPay is the financial inclusion platform for smallholder farmers where farmers in rural areas, without bank accounts, receive payments for goods and services via mobile money technologies.
    • sawsanenn
       
      It is a good service because it is a good alternative for smallholders farmers to receive secure payments even without owning a bank account
  • AgroCenta provides the “last mile” approach for the smallholder farmers, going a step further to help farmers sell competitively after the get market information only from existing e-agriculture products on the market.
    • ghtazi
       
      AgroCenta gives smallholder farmers the "last mile" solution, moving a step further to help farmers sell competitively after only collecting demand knowledge from existing e-agricultural products on the market.
    • mbellakbail69
       
      It is a good service because it is a good way for farmers, even without getting a bank account, to get safe payments  This idea is great for all producers, so they will have direct access to bigger markets more effectively. They will gain more and engage with more.
tahaemsd

Product Insights at Lumkani jobs - Via - 0 views

  • Lumkani is a social enterprise that seeks to address the challenge of shack/slum fires in urban informal settlements in South Africa and across the globe. Lumkani aims to create social impact in two ways. Firstly by increasing the safety and security of people living in informal settlements with technology-based early-warning systems, and secondly with affordable relevant financial services products, such as our Lumkani short term fire insurance for informal homes.
    • tahaemsd
       
      this is creating high value in urban slums
mohammed_ab

Ethiopia: "Mobile money doubled my number of customers in just three years"Et... - 0 views

  • Bisharo’s story is one of the many urban merchants who have discovered the power of digital payments for their businesses. Over the past few years, technology providers such as BelCash with their HelloCash mobile money, product working closely with the Somali Microfinance Institution, have made significant progress in helping merchants like Bisharo realize the benefits of digitizing payments.
  •  
    This article shows how mobile money has enabled a small shop owner in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, has been able to generate more revenue just by letting its customers pay with mobile money. It also demonstrates the convenience that mobile payments have on its users especially for sellers. I really liked the story of Bisharo, the owner of that small shop, whose life has changed because of a fintech solution.
kenza_abdelhaq

AgroCenta raises US$ 790k of Pre-Series A Working Capital & Development Funding From Sh... - 0 views

  • Francis Obirikorang, AgroCenta’s CEO and Co-Founder Michael Ocansey highlight the importance and criticality of this investment: “This is a significant milestone for AgroCenta, having the support of leading institutions, particularly with the COVID-19 backdrop, underlining the strength of AgroCenta and the importance of its mission. The demand for agricultural raw materials from offtakers in the brewery, manufacturing and consumer sector is increasing exponentially because of the easing of the COVID-19 restrictions that were put in place by the government of Ghana, hence this capital injection will help to secure purchases at fair and transparent prices from smallholders — a much needed lifeline for many who are at the proverbial bottom of the pyramid”.
    • nouhaila_zaki
       
      This excerpt is important because it highlights how the investments received by AgroCenta from investors and partners (UK charity Shell Foundation, the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), AV Ventures and Rabo Foundation) helped the company mitigate the impact of the covid-19 pandemic, and allowed for its operations to continue and frow.
  • This funding, secured from UK charity Shell Foundation, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), AV Ventures and Rabo Foundation, will enable AgroCenta to further develop its smallholder farmer inclusion programmes and procure crops at transparent and fair market prices to service offtake contracts.
    • kenza_abdelhaq
       
      Agrocenta receives funding from diverse global institutions in order to invest in its inclusion programs.
  • In addition, lacking adequate infrastructure, logistics and transportation also limits their access to larger urban markets, where they could obtain much better pricing for their crops. Furthermore, the lack of basic data that enables KYC (Know Your Customer) and a limited or non-existent credit history means that smallholders have very limited access to finance. This prevents them from being able to utilise all of their land for growing crops or forces them to resort to using lower quality inputs — leading to stagnation at the bottom of the pyramid.
    • kenza_abdelhaq
       
      AgroCenta doesn't only help smallholder farmers to have access to markets and financing, but it also supports them with logistics, transportation, and infrastructure.
hibaerrai

Mukuru and WorldRemit Partner to Further Expand Remittance Service into Southern Africa - 0 views

  • Since the launch of the partnership in June 2020, WorldRemit customers in over 50 countries – including the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Europe – have been able to send money to their loved ones in Zimbabwe who are in need of financial resources as the coronavirus pandemic draws out. Beneficiaries can collect their WorldRemit remittance at any of Mukuru’s 150+ orange booths and multiple branches located across Zimbabwe in both rural and peri-urban areas.The cash pick up service is operational six days a week and customers will not have to endure long queues. They can collect their cash quickly and safely.
    • hibaerrai
       
      Mukuru and WorldMerit Partnership was very beneficial for Mukuru. It became more serious in the market especially the african one.
ayoubb

Fintech in Africa: Reshaping the financial sector - CGTN - 0 views

shared by ayoubb on 13 Feb 21 - No Cached
  • In the last decade, the impact of financial technology (fintech) on Africa's financial sector and other key sectors has been phenomenal. As a key driver of growth in the region, fintech is a viable alternative to traditional banking in urban and rural areas. In Africa, fintech creates an enabling environment that opens up the financial sector's value chain and promotes efficiency gains
    • ayoubb
       
      Fintech and Africa
nourserghini

MPESA, Safaricom voted Kenya's best brands - Nairobi News - 0 views

  • Ironically, MPESA came in handy in 2020 as the pandemic fueled an increase in mobile transactions.
    • kenza_abdelhaq
       
      M-Pesa voted as Kenya's leading superbrand for the 4th year in a row and it definitely played a major role in the context of the pandemic.
  • Mobile money transfer platform Mpesa has been voted Kenya’s leading superbrand.In a survey carried out by top urban consumers and undertaken by Kantar TNS in Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu, leading telecommunications firm Safaricom, which owns the MPESA brand, came in second.It is the fourth year on the trot that MPESA has won this accolade, coming at a time the Covid-19 pandemic has hit the country’s economy.
    • nourserghini
       
      Mpesa was able to maintain the leading superbrand in Kenya even with the whole pandemic affecting the economy. That was because many transactions were conducted through mobiles and this allowed the platform to strengthen.
  •  
    "Ironically, MPESA came in handy in 2020 as the pandemic fueled an increase in mobile transactions."
ghtazi

AV Ventures Invests in AgroCenta, Supporting Digital and Financial Inclusion of Ghanaia... - 0 views

  • AV Ventures, ACDI/VOCA’s impact investing subsidiary, recently completed its investment in AgroCenta, a technology-driven agricultural platform provider in Ghana. The funding made by AV Ventures is part of a US$790,000 pre-Series A investment round with other participating international institutions, including Shell Foundation, the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and Rabo Foundation, with support from AgroCenta’s strategic advisor, Qbera Capital.
    • tahaemsd
       
      With the newly secured funding, agrocenta will widen the reach of its smallholder farmer financial inclusion programs
  • The digital services AgroCenta provides along the selected cereals value chain also improve the repayment of loans by smallholder farmers. The services provide farmers with an end market through the offtaking of produce and through facilitating the provision of high-quality agricultural inputs, which maximize their yields and productivity. To date, the average farmer on CropChain has increased their income by 35 percent and their crop yields by 40 percent, while reducing their food waste by 25 percent. AgroCenta has also made strides to promote gender and social inclusion; nearly half of its CropChain users and more than half of its microloan borrowers on LendIt are female smallholder farmers. 
    • nouhaila_zaki
       
      This excerpt is important because it introduces the results of using AgroCenta on smallholder farmers, ranging between the maximization of productivity, of income, reduction of food waste,to gender and social inclusion.
  • Founded in 2016, AgroCenta operates two integrated digital platforms in Ghana, CropChain and LendIt, to help address challenges related to smallholder farmers’ access to markets and financial services.
    • kenza_abdelhaq
       
      Since 2016, AgroCenta operates 2 digital platforms: - CropChain: integrated agricultural supply chain management platform. - LendIt: allowing access to financial services like mobile payments, microloans, crop insurance.
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • Poor infrastructure and logistics prevent many smallholder farmers in Ghana from accessing large, urban markets where they could obtain better prices for their crops. Many of these farmers lack information on fair market prices, which leaves them susceptible to selling at low prices to middlemen. Without a strong credit history, many of them also have limited access to finance for purchasing high-quality agricultural inputs that would enable them to scale beyond subsistent production.  
    • sawsanenn
       
      this excerpt shows reasons why smallholder farmers should consider agrocenta to increase their profitability and their revenues
  • For AV Ventures, the investment is part of its long-term strategy of providing innovative and catalytic capital to support growth-oriented small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) like AgroCenta that make up the “missing middle” of investment — too large for microfinance but too small or too early-stage to attract private equity investors. These SMEs are often the backbone of economies and potential drivers of innovation, but too often they miss out on financing that could enable their growth and longevity.  
    • hibaerrai
       
      Agrocenta attracts more investors as it is considered among small and medium businesses that promote innovation. In fact, the fintech is specialized in agricultural loans, something not that common in the country.
  • CropChain is an integrated agricultural supply chain management platform that provides smallholder farmers with access to markets. Farmers use the platform to advertise their produce, while large offtakers or buyers of selected cereals use it to make purchases or enter long-term offtaker purchase contracts with AgroCenta. AgroCenta leverages the platform to source cereals directly from smallholder farmers to supply to large offtakers who have contracts with the company. This allows AgroCenta to earn margins between the price it pays farmers and the contractually agreed upon price with offtakers.
    • mbellakbail69
       
      Agrocenta draws even more investment amongst SMEs that promote innovation. This extract shows some of the reasons why smallholders should consider Agrocentra for increasing the profitability and income .
  • “This is a significant milestone for AgroCenta, having the support of leading institutions, particularly with the COVID-19 backdrop, underlining the strength of AgroCenta and the importance of its mission. The demand for agricultural raw materials from offtakers in the brewery, manufacturing, and consumer sector is increasing exponentially because of the easing of COVID-19 restrictions that were put in place by the government of Ghana. Hence, this capital injection will help to secure purchases at fair and transparent prices from smallholders — a much needed lifeline for many who are at the proverbial bottom of the pyramid.”
    • ghtazi
       
      in this excerpt, we can see how agrocenta takes the pandemic situation and what are the solutions that the company adopts to face it.
ghtazi

Money transfer group Mukuru acquires fintech Zoona's assets in Malawi - Ventureburn - 0 views

    • nouhaila_zaki
       
      These excerpts are important because they show how operations of Mukuru and Zoona Malawi will be changing due to the acquisition of the latter by the former. It also reflects how Mukuru expands geographically (here in Malawi) but also in terms of capabilities and assets (i.e. agents from Zoona).
  • In a statement yesterday Mukuru CEO Andy Jury said the acquisition will extend Mukuru’s African footprint deep into the urban and rural areas cross Malawi. “This acquisition will bring the benefits of our extensive products and cutting-edge technology to the citizens of Malawi – giving them better options and safe mechanisms to send money to loved ones and ultimately uplift their communities,” he said. Following the acquisition, Zoona Malawi’s agents will operate as Mukuru agents benefiting from a wider product range to offer customers backed by Mukuru’s trusted and established brand name. In addition, agents will benefit from being part of the Southern African Development Corporation (SADC) regional network, increasing their regional exposure and potentially boosting earnings over time.
  • Mukuru, one of the largest international money operators and remittance companies in Africa, has confirmed that it has acquired Zoona’s operational assets in Malawi along with the technology systems that support its Malawian operations.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • Zoona, which has worked with Mukuru for four years as a partner, is an Africa-based fintech that enables entrepreneurs to bring safe and reliable financial services to underserved communities in Malawi and elsewhere.
    • hibaerrai
       
      Mukuru acquired Zoona Fintech assets and took over Malawi's online financial services. it is making its place among the popular remittance companies in Africa.
  • Zoona, which has worked with Mukuru for four years as a partner, is an Africa-based fintech that enables entrepreneurs to bring safe and reliable financial services to underserved communities in Malawi and elsewhere.
    • sawsanenn
       
      Acquiring zoona is a good step for mukura to expand its capital but also acquiring zoona's customer portfolio
  • Zoona, which has worked with Mukuru for four years as a partner, is an Africa-based fintech that enables entrepreneurs to bring safe and reliable financial services to underserved communities in Malawi and elsewhere.
    • ghtazi
       
      working with Zoona is great for Mukuru it will add more safety and reliable financial services that will be beneficial for Malawi and elsewhere
kenzabenessalah

Lumkani (Pty) Ltd | Research Contracts and Innovation - 0 views

  • Lumkani is commercialising an early-warning system to reduce the damage and destruction caused by the spread of shack fires in urban informal settlements. Many cooking, lighting and heating methods used by people living in informal settlements produce smoke.
    • kenzabenessalah
       
      It's important for people to stop using certain cooking utensils because they can also cause fires.
kenzabenessalah

Lumkani: Most Innovative Company | Fast Company - 0 views

  • Lumkani is a tech company and social enterprise that delivers insurance services dedicated to customers who suffered loss of property or life following slum fired in South Africa and beyond. The company got its name from local Xhosa language, “lumkani” meaning “be careful”. Their main product is a small blue box fire alarm that responds to a rise in temperature rather than smoke with the aim of decreasing false alarms. Its associated network alerts houses within a 200 foot radius if the alarm is not shut off within 30 seconds. In 2014, the company reported having distributed 7000 of these devices across slums in South Africa, and 5000 in 2015 to its highest fire risk neighborhood in Cape Town.
    • kenzabenessalah
       
      Lumkani doesn't only alarm people, but it delivers insurances services which I think is essential for people in urban areas to have.
kenza_abdelhaq

Lumkani Fire Detection - 0 views

  • The device is a heat detector and not an ill-suited smoke detector. In a fire situation, the device will ring alerting the family inside enabling them to be proactive before the fire becomes unmanageable. After 20 seconds the device transmits a signal to all devices in neighbouring homes up to 60 metres away creating a community-wide response to the fire
    • kenzabenessalah
       
      The device not only informs families who are affected, but a signal is sent to the entire neighborhood which I think is a great initiative.
    • kenza_abdelhaq
       
      The device is efficient and has a fast response time as it takes only 20 seconds to alert the whole neighborhood of the fire to create a community-wide response.
  • We have 7000 low-income informal households benefiting from our networked fire technology. Approximately 30 000 people are protected by our technology each day across South Africa's largest cities and rural communities.
    • kenza_abdelhaq
       
      The growing numbers of households and people protected thanks to the device.
  •  
    "Lumkani has built the world's 1st off-the-shelf, networked early warning device & system designed for people living in dense urban slums.The device is a heat detector and not an ill-suited smoke detector. In a fire situation, the device will ring alerting the family inside enabling them to be proactive before the fire becomes unmanageable. After 20 seconds the device transmits a signal to all devices in neighbouring homes up to 60 metres away creating a community-wide response to the fire"
chaimaa-rachid

Kiva City: Using Microloans To Revitalize Small Businesses In Struggli - 0 views

  • Microfinance platform Kiva has proven many times over that people are willing to give $25 microloans to entrepreneurs in developing countries. Now the platform is bringing its microfinance savvy to small business owners in struggling areas of the U.S. with Kiva City, a program launched this past June. The program has already proven successful in Detroit and New Orleans (the two launch cities), where 19 initial loans have been fulfilled by microlenders. That’s over $135,000 in loans.
  •  
    It appears to be truly interesting how KIVA has utilized microloans in order to revitalize small companies that are battling in American urban communities.
nouhaila_zaki

Startuplist Africa | Startuplist Africa - 0 views

  • AgroCenta focuses primarily on small holder farmers and farmer based organizations, connects them to a larger market online to trade equitably, a percentage of the sales of farmers farm produce is re-invested into purchase of agric inputs such as fertilizers, seedlings, pesticides, weedicides and hiring of tractor services. AgroCenta eliminates the common practice where middlemen/brokers act as exploitative buyers, purchase produce for less than a third of its actual value from smallholder farmers and re-sell in urban markets for huge profits.
    • nouhaila_zaki
       
      This excerpt is important because on the one hand, it introduces the niche market that AgroCenta products and services are targetting; but also the common practices that AgroCenta intended to eliminate (i.e. exploitative behaviors by middlemen and brokers).
tahaemsd

WDO | Lumkani - 0 views

  • The device detects fires by sensing for a rate of rise of temperature, rather than smoke, which would cause many false alarms. In the event of a fire, the detectors communicate to one another by means of radio frequency (RF) to create a community wide alert – the alert is transmitted to neighbouring detectors within a 60m radius of the fire, giving the community at large the necessary advanced warning to deal with the fire before it becomes unmanageable.
    • kenzabenessalah
       
      It's interesting to know that the device detects fire alarms not by smoke but by the rise of temperature. This could prevent many false alarms from happening.
  • Lumkani has created the world’s first networked heat-detector designed specifically for informal settlements. Lumkani’s heat detector addresses the devastation caused by the spread of fires in urban slums, by creating a community wide early warning.
    • tahaemsd
       
      This device detects fires by sensing for a rate of rise of temperature, rather than smoke.
mbellakbail69

Fintech for All: AgroCenta founder on market access for independent farmers in Ghana | ... - 0 views

  • Financial inclusion, from my personal perspective, is the creation of value added services for the disadvantaged in the society. From the concept of Barefoot Banking to digital innovations, financial inclusion bridges the inequality financial gap that exists between the rural and the urban settings. My personal mission is to make it possible for the smallholder farmer who lives in the most remote parts of Ghana receive payment for his goods and services through a digital solution.
    • hibaerrai
       
      AgroCenta's main goal is to increase financial inclusion in the country as disadvantaged farmers are important. Banks and fintechs don't always care about farmers' rights to extract loans for their businesses, so the point was to create an agritech only consacred for smallholder farmers, and that's amazing.
  • The Fintech space in Ghana is gradually picking up steam with active participation from the public and private sectors. Government regulations on e-money and mobile money technologies are favourable and aiding adoption and rolling out of new technologies every day targeted at the unbanked population. Out of the 6 major telecommunication companies operating in Ghana, 4 are mobile money enabled, facilitating financial transactions between businesses and consumers. Banks also have rolled out services that target financial inclusions. These positive tides are helping shape the Fintech landscape in Ghana.
    • mbellakbail69
       
      AgroCenta's goal is to provide small-scale farmers with access to market by removing exploited purchasing from the value chain and to allow smallholders to directly sell to customers at a fair market price, so as to raise the farmer from subsistence farming to commercial activities.
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