The State of Digital Financial Services in Zambia

The State of Digital Financial Services in Zambia

Published on: Sep 06 2017 by Guest Writer - Comments Off on The State of Digital Financial Services in Zambia
I have had the privilege of working with UNCDF for almost two years as the Regional Technical Specialist for one of its seminal programmes, MM4P. In Zambia, UNCDF MM4P has launched a programme that is focused on accelerating...
Introducing WEST Principles: 8 Guidelines for Worker Engagement Interventions

Introducing WEST Principles: 8 Guidelines for Worker Engagement Interventions

Published on: Sep 04 2017 by Wayan Vota - 1 Comment
Over the last 6 years, the emergence of new worker engagement technologies has sparked industry wide discussions about the value of connecting with workers in a new way, and how data about their opinions and experiences...
How Can Chatbots Help Us Respond to Humanitarian Crises?

How Can Chatbots Help Us Respond to Humanitarian Crises?

Published on: Aug 31 2017 by Guest Writer - Comments Off on How Can Chatbots Help Us Respond to Humanitarian Crises?
At the moment, The World Food Programme (WFP) and the wider humanitarian system are #FightingFamine in four countries. In Somalia, Yemen, North-Eastern Nigeria and South Sudan 20 million people are on the brink of starvation. Our...
Do Farmers Really Want to be Paid in Mobile Money?

Do Farmers Really Want to be Paid in Mobile Money?

Published on: Aug 30 2017 by Guest Writer - 4 Comments
Do farmers really want to be paid in mobile money? To answer this question, I’ll ask you to first entertain a brief thought experiment. Imagine that your employer told you that next pay period, your company will start...
5 Barriers to Mobile Financial Services in Bangladesh

5 Barriers to Mobile Financial Services in Bangladesh

Published on: Aug 28 2017 by Wayan Vota - Comments Off on 5 Barriers to Mobile Financial Services in Bangladesh
Since the launch of Mobile Financial Services in Bangladesh in 2011, significant growth has been observed across
all metrics, from account use to transaction values. At the same time, there are a number of challenges that...
Apply Now: $500,000 for Your Big Data Innovations in Agriculture

Apply Now: $500,000 for Your Big Data Innovations in Agriculture

Published on: Aug 23 2017 by Wayan Vota - 1 Comment
The rapid growth in processing power and global connectivity means we can now quickly collect, share and analyze enormous amounts of data to reveal new ways to reduce hunger and poverty and develop robust responses to climate...
Is Zero-Rated Internet Access Connecting the Unconnected?

Is Zero-Rated Internet Access Connecting the Unconnected?

Published on: Aug 21 2017 by Wayan Vota - 1 Comment
As the debate around zero-rated services (like Facebook’s Free Basics, Twitter Access, and Wikipedia Zero) and other emerging mobile data models continues, data around who is using these services, how, and why, has remained...
I Made a Facebook Chatbot And You Can Too

I Made a Facebook Chatbot And You Can Too

Published on: Aug 17 2017 by Adam Fivenson - 5 Comments
When I first heard that Facebook Messenger was introducing chatbots, I immediately thought back to junior high summers. Back then I was spending a lot of time in my parents’ basement on the computer–safe from harmful...
A Novel Analysis of Mobile Phone Impact on Rural Farmers

A Novel Analysis of Mobile Phone Impact on Rural Farmers

Published on: Aug 16 2017 by Wayan Vota - Comments Off on A Novel Analysis of Mobile Phone Impact on Rural Farmers
Many scholars have hailed the mobile phone as a tool to give farming in developing countries a new impetus. However, studies on the impact of mobile phones in general, and specific mobile phone initiatives (m-services),...