Three years ago, I and my MIF colleagues who focus on Jamaica made a deliberate decision to target access to finance for Jamaican SMEs--a critical area of need in the country, and one in which we could make a difference. Today, the MIF portfolio in Jamaica includes a group of mutually reinforcing projects that offer support to small and medium firms through a range of models. … [Read more...] about The MIF in Jamaica: Small businesses, small country, small projects… large impact
Can measuring the impact of economic development come down to centimeters?
Haiti’s hydroelectric plant, built in Péligre forty years ago, has reached the end of its life cycle. With a generating capacity of 54 MW, Péligre is the largest power plant in the country and the biggest civil engineering work that the country has known, save the construction of the Citadelle Laferrière. The driving force behind the plant is a barrage in the Artibonite River … [Read more...] about Can measuring the impact of economic development come down to centimeters?
How can we help “unattached” youth transition into the work force?
In Latin America and the Caribbean, about one in every five youth between the ages of 15-24 is neither in school nor in the workforce. This amounts to roughly 25 million young people whose situation is affecting not only their present and future earnings, motivation and self-esteem, but also their society’s economic outlook and well-being! Are these “unattached” youth a “lost … [Read more...] about How can we help “unattached” youth transition into the work force?
Growing Maritime trade in the Caribbean
Miami, Florida – In an effort to re-invigorate maritime trade across the Caribbean, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) hosted a gathering of regional maritime officials for a round-table dialogue, as part of its Caribbean Strategic Agenda on Integration. The intent was to assess the results of its Caribbean projects, the critical lessons learned, and best practices from … [Read more...] about Growing Maritime trade in the Caribbean
The “Coffee-Stain Puzzle”
I have always found it fascinating to learn about how scientific “discoveries” are made. Scientists have the power of observing the ordinary and seeing the extraordinary. One of my favorite cases comes from an episode I watched some years ago on the Discovery Channel where a Physics professor from the University of Chicago, Sidney Nagel, one morning, as he was pouring himself a … [Read more...] about The “Coffee-Stain Puzzle”