Mobile phone lifeline for world's poor

Posted by Simon Pavitt on Feb 23, 2008

There's a great article about spread of mobile phones in India and Africa on the BBC News website.

For instance, it mentions how migrant Zimbabwean workers in South Africa send money back using M-banking and avoid having to pay bribes to border guards when they go home.

BGI ICT Presentation and Discussion

Simon, this truly is a fascinating article, thank you for sharing it with the MobileActive community. As a way of furthering this discussion I would like to encourage your readership to attend the USAID Business Growth Initiative Daybreak Presentation and Discussion “When Should the ICT Sector be a Target for Private Sector Competitiveness Work?” on March 11, 2008 in Washington, DC.

Studies by the OECD, the Univ. of Michigan, and the Brookings Foundation have all shown that ICT has a positive impact on developing countries. To further this mission, the US Agency for International Development and J.E. Austin Associates will lead a discussion on topics ranging from internet access in emerging economies to the use of mobile applications as a way of spreading knowledge and international best practices. Through donor-funded technical assistance, Austin hopes to bridge the digital divide in the developing world and use ICT as a tool for improving the livelihoods of the world’s poor.

More information can be found on the Business Growth Initiative website: https://www.businessgrowthinitiative.org/

Information:
March 11, 2008
8:30 am - 9:00 am Breakfast
9:00 am - 10:30 am Presentation and Discussion
USAID Africa Bureau, 1325 G Street, NW, 4th Floor, Washington, DC.

Seating is limited, to RSVP please contact: Admin@BusinessGrowthInitiative.org

-Kirk Nathanson

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