By Ignez Tristão In the shantytown of Alto do Carroceiro in Recife, Brazil’s fifth largest city, 10-year old Emily Eduarda Belo de Oliveira dreams of one day becoming a teacher, even as she helps her mom take care of four other siblings in their one-bedroom, windowless home. And being poor is not Emily’s only hurdle: she also has leprosy, a disease that, if left untreated, … [Read more...] about Combating Tropical Diseases with Early Detection and Treatment
What does and doesn't work in development
Student Loans Targeted to the Poor
By Agustín Zamora Mariclere Alvarez was halfway towards a communications degree at a private university in Mexico when her parents told her they could not pay for her education anymore because of financial difficulties. Alvarez would have dropped out had it not been for FINAE, a Mexican financial institution that provides college loans to low-income students. “I felt … [Read more...] about Student Loans Targeted to the Poor
Innovation policy spillover effects: the unaccounted benefits
Recently the development community has talked a lot about knowledge and innovation as a key priority for the years to come, maybe induced by the lesser relevance that financial support has for many emerging countries. Multilateral and bilateral agencies have suddenly become knowledge banks, global practices, ideas’ generators, developers of innovation ventures, etc. In the … [Read more...] about Innovation policy spillover effects: the unaccounted benefits
Sustainable Energy for Argentina’s Norte Grande
By Alberto Levy Since mid-2000, Argentina has undertaken a historic and comprehensive strategy to promote sustainable development in the Norte Grande region, one of the poorest areas in the country. The centerpiece of the strategy is to provide prompt, good-quality, and low-cost sustainable energy that can improve the competitiveness of businesses and spur new economic … [Read more...] about Sustainable Energy for Argentina’s Norte Grande
Guyana Devises Tailored Solutions in Low-Income Housing Program
By Ophelie Chevalier Improving the quality of life is not always as simple as it may seem. Understanding particular circumstances and putting programs in place that respond to actual needs required seeing the big picture. Take the case of Leoni Hinds, a 41-year old widow and single mother of three in Georgetown, Guyana. She used to live in her brother’s house, but a family … [Read more...] about Guyana Devises Tailored Solutions in Low-Income Housing Program