Lighting Africa

Here's a fast company article about an organization that is helping with the marketing of solar powered lights in parts of africa..

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/157/lighting-africa-solar-power-sub-sahara

Most Effective Micro-finance

If you are getting involved in anything, it always makes sense to figure out who's the best in that field and keep an  eye on what they are doing.  You may chose to be different, but it's still important to know what's going on.  With that in mind, in the micro-finance world, Accion are one of those organizations to keep an eye on. They've been named the most effective microfinance non-profit by Philantropedia.  Fast Company had this article about it.

Being Unreasonable

I love this site, and would love to help take some of these ideas to reality.   

http://www.unreasonableinstitute.org/
The purpose of the institute is to act as an incubator of new ideas (and businesses) that could change the world for good.

The episode that got me here was #4 about Ben Lyon and FrontlineSMS:Credit.  His idea is to develop the software to link mobile phone money transfer and bank loan systems.

Props to Ken Banks for pointing this one out: (kiwanja.net)

http://www.kiwanja.net/blog/2010/07/celebrating-the-enabling-environment/

Micro finance

Here's another organization to watch:Kiva.org.  Heard about it at kiwanja... http://www.kiwanja.net/blog/2010/05/frontlinesms-at-google-zeitgeist/

The idea is linking small lenders with small borrowers/entrepreneurs....  Needs more research ...