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New Mortgage Program Helps Cambodia's Poor Find Better Homes

Daniel Zwerdling

April 04, 2013 |

NPR |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh

An innovative program by an unusual bank allows low-income people in Cambodia to take out a 15-year fixed mortgage with little or no documentation - contradicting traditional loan assumptions and creating means for some of the country's poorest people to completely change their lives. The bank and its investors are now making a profit, and more than 700 mortgages and building loans have been provided.

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Teaching Entrepreneurship

Sarah Lynch

March 04, 2013 |

Al-Fanar Media |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Egypt, Cairo

Teaching entrepreneurship is on the rise in Egypt. American University in Cairo launched the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program in 2010. More than 2,000 students have participated in training's, 40 educators have been trained in teaching the topic, and 400 youth presented ideas in business competitions.

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Putting Charities to the Test

Tina Rosenberg

December 05, 2012 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, Oxford

For most well-meaning donors, it can be difficult to calculate which charities are most effective with their funding - that is those that aim to solve the most serious problems, use interventions that work, employ cost-effective strategies, are competent and honest, and can make good use of each additional dollar. Organizations like GiveWell are part of a new and welcome trend toward rigorous evaluation of social change programs, and helps people best decide where to donate based on what causes matter to them most.

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A Retailer For Free Stuff, Created By Walmart, Saatchi & Saatchi, and Zipcar Vets

Ariel Schwartz

December 04, 2012 |

FastCompany |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

Yerdle is a website that allows companies to resell their used and returned items in a way that is helpful for customers and the environment. The three co-founders have experience at ZipCar, Walmart, and the Sierra Club, and they decided to put their business experience to use in finding a creative solution to minimize waste. Yerdle, which is expanding across the United States, helps consumers find affordable products in their region while also minimizing the waste that accompanies new products.

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The Power of Failure

Sarika Bansal

November 28, 2012 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, San Jose, California

Nongovernmental groups – especially ones that depend on donations – hate to fail, and never make their failures public. But at new conferences, social activists share and learn from failure.

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A Magical Paper Prevents Your Food From Rotting

Whitney Pastorek

November 15, 2012 |

FastCompany |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

While implementing fruits and vegetables into a daily diet is recommended for optimal health, the lack of longevity for produce is often a problem that leads to food waste. Fenugreen FreshPaper, invented by Kavita Shukla while in her senior year of high school, addresses this issue by infusing a sheet of paper with a combination of spices that increases the shelf-life of produce.

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The Rise of the Social Entrepreneur

David Bornstein

November 13, 2012 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

In a world divided into factions, social entrepreneurs are connecting people in new configurations and helping them work together more effectively because social entrepreneurs tend to pursue an end in a communal way.

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Turning Rural Indians Into Water Entrepreneurs

Whitney Pastorek

November 01, 2012 |

FastCompany |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India

In rural communities throughout India, having access to clean water does not always come easy. Sarvajal, originally a non-profit experiment, believes that water insecurity is a solvable issue, however. By helping those living in the rural communities take ownership through entrepreneurship, common sense, and the patience to reinvent old systems with more efficient technology, the group has achieved the ability to distribute small reverse-osmosis filtration plants and Water ATMs throughout the northwestern Indian states.

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Social Change's Age of Enlightenment

David Bornstein

October 17, 2012 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

We’re getting smarter about the way we’re addressing social problems. Patterns in the most effective solutions are emerging, such as making evidence-based decisions, accepting that humans act irrationally, and bringing people back together to build comprehensive solutions.

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The ‘Avon Ladies' of Africa

Tina Rosenberg

October 10, 2012 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Uganda

A successful program in Uganda trains village women to sell medicines, fortified foods and other important goods using the Avon model, aiming to create a self-sustaining system for delivering essential health products.

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