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
Caribbean development
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?
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”
DevCa 2015: Open Data Conference and Code Sprint
by Guest blogger, Mariana Leytón Developing the Caribbean, or DevCA, is a regional Open Data Conference and 24 hour code sprint that aims “to highlight the current and potential impact of open data and software innovation on addressing social challenges globally and particularly in the Caribbean”. It is held simultaneously across multiple islands and combines conference … [Read more...] about DevCa 2015: Open Data Conference and Code Sprint