#Virtual Conference Services Kenya

[afatradingzoom2]

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[twentyfirstrealestate]

East Africa's Office Market: Why It’s the Right Time to Invest in Workspace

As global markets evolve and the demand for flexible business environments grows, East Africa has become a strategic destination for entrepreneurs and companies looking to establish a foothold on the continent. Whether you're a multinational expanding operations or a startup seeking a cost-effective headquarters, now is the perfect time to rent an office in East Africa.

East Africa: The Business Hub of the Future

East Africa—which includes thriving economies like Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Ethiopia—has seen exponential economic growth over the past decade. For example, Nairobi is often called the "Silicon Savannah" due to its fast-growing tech ecosystem and vibrant startup scene. Kigali continues to earn praise for its cleanliness, security, and business-friendly policies. Meanwhile, Dar es Salaam and Addis Ababa are emerging as key players in trade and infrastructure.

Renting office space in this region not only connects you to a dynamic local market, but it also positions your business to access regional and international opportunities.

Benefits of Renting Office Space in East Africa

1. Cost-Effective Solutions

Compared to cities like Dubai, Johannesburg, or Lagos, East African cities offer highly competitive office rental rates. For businesses that want to minimize overhead while maximizing impact, East Africa presents a compelling option. At TwentyFirst Real Estate, we help you secure affordable, premium office spaces tailored to your business size and goals.

2. Flexible Lease Options

The post-pandemic business environment demands adaptability. That’s why many office providers in East Africa now offer flexible lease terms, including short-term rentals, co-working options, and hybrid office solutions. Whether you’re testing a new market or setting up long-term operations, flexibility is at your fingertips.

3. Strategic Locations and Modern Infrastructure

Cities like Nairobi, Kampala, and Kigali offer state-of-the-art buildings with reliable internet connectivity, backup power, parking, and 24/7 security. These offices are often located in business districts that provide easy access to banks, restaurants, embassies, and major transportation hubs.

4. A Young, Skilled Workforce

East Africa is home to a growing population of educated, tech-savvy professionals. Renting office space in these regions makes it easier to attract and retain top talent. From virtual assistants and software developers to marketing experts and customer service teams, your business can thrive with the right people in place.

5. Government Incentives and Ease of Doing Business

Governments across East Africa are actively encouraging investment. For example, Rwanda ranks among the top countries globally for ease of doing business, thanks to streamlined licensing and reduced red tape. By choosing to rent an office in East Africa, your company can benefit from favourable tax policies, investment incentives, and supportive government initiatives.

What to Consider Before You Rent an Office in East Africa

While the benefits are clear, here are a few factors to consider when looking to rent an office in East Africa:

Location: Is proximity to transport, clients, or suppliers important? Cities like Nairobi offer various districts with distinct advantages, such as Westlands for tech firms or Upper Hill for financial services.

Size and Layout: Consider how much space you’ll need now and shortly. Will you need private offices, open-plan layouts, or conference facilities?

Amenities: Look for high-speed internet, backup generators, water storage, and reliable security systems.

Budget: Compare rental prices across cities and neighbourhoods. We recommend working with a local expert like TwentyFirst Real Estate to get insights on current market trends and hidden costs.

Lease Terms: Understand what’s included in the lease—maintenance fees, utilities, service charges, etc. Flexible contracts can save you from long-term commitments that don’t serve your growth.

How TwentyFirst Real Estate Can Help

At TwentyFirst Real Estate, we specialize in matching businesses with premium office space in East Africa. Whether you're searching in Nairobi, Kigali, Kampala, or Dar es Salaam, we provide:

A curated selection of ready-to-move-in offices

Negotiation support to secure the best rates

Local market expertise to guide your decision

End-to-end service—from site visits to contract finalization

We understand that renting an office in East Africa isn’t just about square footage—it’s about aligning your workspace with your vision for success. Our team is committed to helping you find a space that inspires productivity and growth.

Final Thoughts

If you’re ready to rent an office in East Africa, there’s no better time to act. The region offers a rare combination of affordability, opportunity, and talent. With the right partner, you can secure an office space that sets the foundation for lasting success.

Let TwentyFirst Real Estate guide you in navigating the East African property market. Contact us today to start your journey.

[cheboi2]

Beyond Borders: Kenya’s Role in Strengthening East Africa’s Healthcare System

As East Africa's largest economy and one of its most dynamic healthcare innovators, Kenya has become a regional leader in health service delivery, medical education, and pharmaceutical manufacturing. From hosting advanced referral hospitals to pioneering public-private partnerships and digital health solutions, Kenya is increasingly positioned as a cross-border hub for medical care and health sector collaboration.

This article explores Kenya’s expanding role in shaping East Africa’s healthcare ecosystem, highlighting the country’s influence in regional patient referrals, health diplomacy, and private sector-led innovation. Central to this progress is the work of health entrepreneurs like Jayesh Saini, whose institutions—including Lifecare Hospitals, Bliss Healthcare, and Dinlas Pharma—are redefining the scope and reach of Kenyan healthcare, not just within its borders, but across the region.

1. Kenya’s Evolving Position in Regional Healthcare

1.1 A Referral Destination for Specialized Care

With better infrastructure, more specialists, and a growing number of accredited hospitals, Kenya attracts patients from Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Somalia, and Rwanda. Key factors driving regional referrals include:

Access to advanced diagnostics and specialty care, particularly in cardiology, oncology, nephrology, and orthopedics.

Availability of affordable private care through NHIF-accredited and international patient programs.

Proximity and ease of travel, especially to Nairobi, Kisumu, and Mombasa, where many top-tier hospitals are based.

Institutions such as Lifecare Hospitals, led by Jayesh Saini, are increasingly catering to cross-border patients seeking specialized, cost-effective, and timely treatment.

2. Health Infrastructure That Supports Regional Access

2.1 Growth of Private Sector Facilities

Over the last decade, Kenya’s private sector has invested heavily in hospital infrastructure:

Lifecare Hospitals has expanded from 1 to 7 hospitals across Kenya, with a combined bed capacity exceeding 700.

These facilities are equipped with modern ICU units, advanced radiology departments, and specialty clinics, making them attractive for regional referrals.

By extending their reach into underserved counties and integrating telemedicine platforms, providers like Bliss Healthcare also offer virtual consultations for patients from neighboring countries, reducing travel barriers for preliminary diagnostics and follow-ups.

2.2 Role of Dinlas Pharma in Regional Pharmaceutical Supply

Dinlas Pharma, under Jayesh Saini’s leadership, manufactures:

140 million tablets/month

25 million capsules/month

1 million syrup bottles/month

0.8 million tubes of creams and ointments/month

Its distribution extends across Kenya and is now exploring regional markets, aiming to reduce the region’s dependence on imported pharmaceuticals by producing affordable, high-quality generics locally.

3. Cross-Border Health Partnerships and Diplomacy

3.1 Intergovernmental Health Cooperation

Kenya has signed multiple bilateral and multilateral agreements to support health integration, including:

Cross-border disease surveillance and vaccination campaigns

Training of healthcare professionals from neighboring countries in Kenyan institutions

Participation in East African Community (EAC) health policy harmonization

These partnerships improve regional preparedness, reduce duplication of efforts, and promote shared investments in infrastructure, research, and drug regulation.

3.2 Regional Conferences and Medical Exchanges

Kenya regularly hosts:

Medical expos and investor forums that draw regional stakeholders

Academic partnerships in medical education and research

Referral and training agreements with hospitals in Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Uganda

This solidifies Kenya’s role as a knowledge and innovation hub in regional health development.

4. The Role of the Private Sector in Regional Expansion

4.1 Jayesh Saini’s Institutions as Case Studies

Jayesh Saini’s healthcare ventures exemplify how private innovation can complement public diplomacy:

Lifecare Hospitals welcomes regional patients and works with insurers to simplify medical travel logistics.

Bliss Healthcare’s telemedicine platforms enable cross-border patient consultations and chronic disease management.

Dinlas Pharma is engaging with regional regulators to expand distribution of essential medicines beyond Kenya.

These efforts demonstrate that sustainable regional integration must include private providers as equal partners in expanding health access.

5. Opportunities and Challenges

Opportunities:

Position Kenya as a regional referral center for high-end medical procedures

Expand local manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and medical devices for the regional market

Strengthen EAC health policy harmonization and regional health data exchange

Promote medical tourism for specialized and affordable care

Challenges:

Regulatory barriers and non-aligned licensing frameworks across borders

Language and cultural barriers affecting regional patient engagement

Unequal infrastructure investment in bordering nations limiting collaborative care continuity

Need for expanded air and road evacuation networks to support cross-border emergencies

Conclusion

Kenya is uniquely positioned to lead East Africa’s healthcare transformation, thanks to its investments in medical infrastructure, growing health-tech ecosystem, and expanding pharmaceutical manufacturing base. As patient needs grow across the region, cross-border health partnerships and private sector participation will be central to building a responsive and inclusive healthcare system. Jayesh Saini’s contribution to Kenya’s healthcare infrastructure, digital care delivery, and local pharmaceutical capacity serves as a model for regional expansion. With proper policy alignment and regional cooperation, Kenya can cement its role not just as a healthcare provider—but as a regional health systems leader shaping the future of care in East Africa.

[allaboutvideosconference]

Top 3 Things a Good Video Conferencing System Works On

Video Conferencing Definition. Video Conferencing is simply a meeting with more than two participants who are involved in separate locations. They use video, audio, and data connection to connect. Video conferenced can be used for webinars, team meetings, product demonstrations, job interviews, and much more. Learn more about  it shop kenya, go here.

How Does it Work? Video Conferencing Systems work by allowing the users to see each other through a small camera or web cam. They also have voice communication if you need that feature. You can add text as well in real time which makes for an even richer experience.

How do the Two Get Together? With a modern phone system and high-quality video conferencing system, you can share your image while discussing your problem with someone at the other end. If one of you is in the same room as the other, you can also "talk" to them just like you would with a telephone instead of physically communicating with them by touching. This eliminates a lot of possible misunderstandings, which makes the entire interaction much more reliable and secure.

Some of the best picks for video conferencing services offer free trials. It allows you to try out the service first-hand before you decide if it's right for you. Many companies offer free trials to potential customers to determine if there's a demand for their product or service before they commit to buying it. This gives you the chance to find out if the service is right for your business or needs before investing any money. Find out for further  details on voip phones kenya  right here. 

Free conference calls offer an extra level of convenience for those who can't make it to an in-person meeting. For example, let's say you're invited to an in-person business meeting, but you have to stay at home due to an illness. You can call that meeting to another room that's available, so you won't miss out on any valuable business information because you can't make it to the office. The same holds true for teleconference meetings, when an employee can't make it to a live or in-person meeting. Letting them use one of the many free conference calling services available will be appreciated and can help them bond with the person they're meeting. Take  a look at this  link https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Video_conferencing&redirect=no  for more information.

These are the top three things that a good video conferencing system works on. Of course, there are other little things to keep in mind, but these are the basics. Any video conferencing system works by letting a group of people take turns seeing a video feed from a different location. As technology continues to improve, the ability to see a video feed from virtually anywhere is going to be more commonplace, allowing those who take advantage of this service to expand their business in new ways. Multipoint video conferencing works, even if you can't make it to the next town over to participate.

[womenintranslation]

Starting this Thursday. From the PEN Translation Committee, Jill!, and DC-ALT announcement:

DC-ALT Board Member Nancy Naomi Carlson is co-organizing three virtual readings in celebration of Women in Translation Month, streaming for three consecutive Thursdays at 1 p.m. ET. Find out more and stayed tuned for all three readings by clicking the links below:

Aug 13

Aug 20 - including DC-ALT Board Member Indran Amirthanayagam

Aug 27

It’s August, and time once again to celebrate Women in Translation (#WiT) Month! This initiative was started six years ago by blogger Meytal Radzinski with the purpose of focusing on translating words by women or nonbinary authors and working toward gender parity in literary publishing—so important to freedom of expression throughout the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has opened up opportunities to include translators and the authors they translate in a virtual reading format, showcasing participants who might otherwise not have been able to travel to such an event in the past.

Organized under the aegis of the PEN America Translation Committee and hosted by Jill! A Women+ in Translation Reading Series, this event will bring together five translators joined by their authors, working in such varied languages as Guatemalan Spanish, K’iche’, Hebrew, Arabic, Galician, and Senegalese French.The reading, moderated by Anna Dinwoodie, will be followed by a brief Q&A discussion (time permitting). We hope you’ll join us for this one-of-a-kind bilingual reading!

On AUGUST 13, at 1pm ET, tune in for the first LIVE bilingual readings by translators from Guatemalan Spanish & K’iche’, Hebrew, Arabic, Galician, and Senegalese French. This reading will be livestreamed; you can RSVP and tune in via the Facebook page of our host, Jill: A Women+ in Translation Reading Series.

Gabriela Ramirez-Chavez is a Guatemalan-American poet, translator,and Literature Ph.D. Candidate at UC Santa Cruz. Her work appears in Centro Mariconadas: A Queer and Trans Central American Anthology (forthcoming) and The Wandering Song: Central American Writing in the United States (2017). She attended the Kenyon Review Translators Workshop with a scholarship.

Rosa Chávez is a Maya K’iche’-Kaqchikel poet, playwright, artist, and activist who is Guatemala Program Coordinator for the international feminist organization JASS Mesoamerica. She has published five books of poetry, including El corazón de la piedra(2010), and the play AWAS (2014). Her poetry has been widely anthologized and translated.

Joanna Chen is a literary translator and writer. Her full-length translations include two books of poetry (Less Like a Dove and Frayed Light, a finalist for the Jewish National Book Award) and a book of nonfiction, My Wild Garden. She writes a column for The Los Angeles Review of Books.  

Tehila Hakimi is an award-winning Hebrew poet and fiction writer. She was a 2018 Fulbright fellow at The University of Iowa. Hakimi has published a poetry collection (We’ll Work Tomorrow), a graphic novel (In the Water) and a collection of novellas (Company). Hakimi is a mechanical engineer by profession.

Melanie Magidow is the founder of Marhaba Language Expertise, providing Arabic to English translation and other multilingual services. She holds a Ph.D. in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures from the University of Texas at Austin. Magidow has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Fulbright Commission. She is also a co-host of the Goodreads MENA Lit Book Group. For more on her projects, see melaniemagidow.com.

Reem Bassiouney was born in Alexandria, Egypt. She obtained her M.Phil. and Ph.D. from Oxford University in linguistics. In addition to more than 8 books in linguistics, Bassiouney has 7 novels and has won numerous awards. Her novels have been translated into English, Greek, and Spanish. Her most recent masterpiece, "أولاد الناسثلاثية المماليك" 'Sons of the People: The Mamluk Trilogy' was published in 2018. Reem Bassiouney was awarded the prestigious Naguib Mahfouz Award from Egypt's Supreme Council for Culture for the best Egyptian novel of the year 2019/2020, making her the first woman to win this prize.

Laura Cesarco Eglin translates from Spanish, Portuguese, Portuñol, and Galician. She co-translated Fabián Severo’s Night in the North (Eulalia Books). Her translation of Hilda Hilst’s Of Death. Minimal Odes, (co•im•press) won the 2019 Best Translated Book Award.Her translations have appeared in Asymptote, Modern Poetry in Translation, The New Yorker, and more. Cesarco Eglin is the author of five poetry collections, most recently Life, One Not Attached to Conditionals (Thirty West Publishing House). She is the publisher of Veliz Books.

Lara Dopazo Ruibal has published four poetry collections and she is the co-editor and co-author of the experimental essay volume Através das marxes: Entrelazando feminismos, ruralidades e comúns. Her poetry collection ovella was awarded the Francisco Añón Prizein 2015, and with claus e o alacrán she received the Fiz Vergara Vilariño Prize in 2017. Dopazo Ruibal was a resident artist at the Spanish Royal Academy in Rome for the academic year 2018/2019.  

Aubrey D. Jones is Assistant Professor of French at Weber State University in Utah. She received her Ph.D. in French Literature from the University at Buffalo-SUNY and has also worked in freelance translation since 2010. Aubrey is now involved in building Translation Studies in French at Weber State, as well as undertaking the translation of works of Franco-Ontarian and Senegalese poetry and fiction. She lives in Ogden, Utah with her husband and three children, and will often be found wandering in the mountains when not in her office.

Ken Bugul was born in Senegal in 1947 as Mariétou Mbaye. In her native language, Wolof, her pen name means “one who is not wanted.” From 1986 to 1993 she worked for the NGO IPPF (International Planned Parenthood Federation) in Kenya, Togo and the Congo. Ken Bugul’s autobiographical debut novel Le Baobab Fou was published in 1982 and is one of the most important documents in the Francophone literature of West Africa from the 1980s. Since then, Bugul has published many novels, which have been translated into several languages. Characteristic of her work is a highly literary language densely woven with the rhythms and fundamental thought structures of Wolof.

This reading will be moderated by Anna Dinwoodie, a poet and German-English translator. Anna received a Katharine Bakeless Nason scholarship to attend the Bread Loaf Translators Conference in 2019, and her writing appears in the anthology Poets of Queens (August 2020). She is currently pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing & Literary Translation at Queens College, CUNY.

[covid19updater]

COVID19 Updates: 07/30/2021

Australia:  JUST IN - Australia will not reopen its borders for travel until 80% of the population is vaccinated - Prime Minister Scott Morrison

World: Holy Mother—the worst CDC #DeltaVariant report ever: MORE CONTAGIOUS than Smallpox* DOUBLE transmission of Wuhan 1.0* MORE SEVERE than ever* Vaccinated can transmit* & breakthrough viral loads ~ unvaxxed.

Japan:  Japan Medical Association fears medical system will collapse if Covid-19 surge continues

Florida:  BREAKING: AdventHealth hospital system puts Central Florida Division on code black due to surge in coronavirus patients

Florida:  COVID-19 hospitalizations in Florida have reached the highest level since August. At the current rate it will reach the all-time high within 7 days

California:  Los Angeles Unified School District, the 2nd-largest in the U.S., says all students and employees will have to wear masks and be tested weekly, regardless of vaccination status

US:  U.S. COVID update: More than 96,000 new cases, biggest one-day increase since February - New cases: 96,085 - Average: 71,092 (+4,459) - In hospital: 44,245 (+1,635) - In ICU: 10,874 (+411) - New deaths: 398.  NEW: Number of Americans hospitalized with COVID-19 tops 44,000, highest since April

California:  Los Angeles County reports 3,248 new coronavirus cases, the biggest one-day increase since February (Note: CA has one of the highest vax rates in the US)

US:  CDC Director Walensky says new masking advice was largely based on soon-to-be-published data showing that virus can thrive in the airways of vaccinated people, even if they're asymptomatic - NYT

US:  BREAKING: Biden orders vaccine mandate for all 1.5 million members of the U.S. military - NYT

Japan:  *JAPAN PM SUGA TO HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE AT 7PM JST

Japan:  JAPAN'S TRADE MIN. KAJIYAMA: JAPAN PROPOSES EXTENDING THE STATE OF EMERGENCY IN TOKYO AND OKINAWA OVER COVID-19 UNTIL AUGUST THE 31ST.

Philippines:  PHILIPPINES REIMPOSES LOCKDOWN IN CAPITAL FROM AUG. 6-AUG. 20

South Korea:  South Korea: Daily virus cases over 1,700 as infections grow amid summer vacation season

Florida:  Baptist Health in Jacksonville, Florida, warns that its hospitals and emergency rooms are at maximum capacity.

Texas:  BREAKING:  Only 13 ICU beds are available in Central Texas across 11 counties.  2,375,407 people live in the Trauma Service Area O.   That’s only 2% of ICU beds available in Central Texas. This is the lowest level of ICU beds since the START OF THE PANDEMIC.  

Arkansas:  Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Thursday declared a public health emergency amid a surge in COVID-19 cases and announced a special legislative session to change a law that prevents public schools from requiring masks:

Malaysia:  #COVID19 Malaysia recorded 16,840 new positive cases with 134 deaths.

Illinois:  CDC COVID risk map: Cook Co. to issue mask rules as data shows 'substantial' COVID-19 transmission - WLS-TV

Kenya:  The Kilimani Street Festival has been postponed following the COVID-19 briefing by CS Mutahi Kagwe, and restriction of public gatherings. It remains our primary responsibility to ensure we comply with the above directive, and help in curbing the spread of COVID-19.

Malaysia:  Malaysia busts another ceiling with record 1,055 patients in ICU for Covid-19 today | Malay Mail LINK

RUMINT (US):  BREAKING: Six passengers on Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas cruise ship (which I am sailing on) have tested positive for COVID-19. Four are vaccinated, two are unvaccinated children. Passengers have not yet been notified. Story to come.

Vietnam:  Vietnam confirms 8,622 new COVID-19 cases and nearly 300 deaths LINK

Massachusetts:  91 vaccinated Mass. residents have died from COVID-19 as breakthrough cases surpass 6,000 This is why the Biden Admin is freaking out. MA is a leading indicator. LINK

US:  This new change doesn't seem to be getting the attention it deserves.... The C.D.C. now says fully vaccinated people should get tested after exposure even if they don’t show symptoms. LINK

US: Op/Ed:  As a pediatrician I'm going on record saying that allowing kids to be freely infected with a novel disease that has unknown long term consequences is the worst idea of 2021 despite being a pretty crowded field so far #COVID19

Arkansas:  'It's going to be dark days here in the next couple of weeks,' said UAMS Chancellor @drcampatterson. @NBCNews @shaqbrewster said that's scary to hear him say. "I've haven't said that before," Patterson replied. #covid19ark LINK

UK: Covid infection rates in England are STILL going up, random testing reveals: ONS figures show an increase despite dramatic plunge in daily infections - adding to fears that people are hiding symptoms to avoid being 'pinged' LINK

RUMINT (Florida):  My mom lives in Florida and works at a medical clinic near Melbourne. She said her whole office is worried. "We are getting emails from admin that they may be sending some of us out of the clinic to help at the hospital and that includes me. They want us to work 12 hour shifts too." "My employer owns a lot of hospitals and the one closest to hear is near full capacity. They said the nursing staff is at the breaking point there." She is 65 years old and is high-risk with diabetes and some heart issues. Trying to make her work in a hospital for 12 hours shifts?!?!

World:  Vaccination alone won't stop the rise of variants and in fact could push the evolution of strains that evade their protection, researchers warned. They said people need to wear masks and take other preventative steps until almost everyone is vaccinated. LINK (LOL)

World:  * WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION HEAD TEDROS SAYS HARD-WON GAINS IN FIGHTING COVID-19 ARE BEING LOST

NYC:  BROADWAY AUDIENCES WILL NEED PROOF OF VACCINATION AND MASKS - NYT

US:  As of July 23, there have been 11,940 deaths, 11,198 life-threatening adverse events, 12,808 cases of permanent disability, and over 106,000 hospitalizations and emergency room visits following Covid vaccination reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System #CovidVaccine

Florida:  Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to issue executive order to give parents the right to decide whether their children will wear a mask at school

US:  NEW: Number of Americans hospitalized with COVID-19 tops 45,000, highest since March

US:  (READ) CDC: 74% who got Covid-19 and most who were hospitalized in recent analysis had been fully vaccinated. LINK

Massachusetts:  Vaccinated people made up three-quarters of those infected in a massive Massachusetts covid-19 outbreak, pivotal CDC study finds

US:  Walmart will require employees in high COVID-19 transmission areas to wear masks again LINK

US:  FDA, UNDER PRESSURE, PLANS ‘SPRINT’ TO ACCELERATE REVIEW OF PFIZER’S COVID-19 VACCINE FOR FULL APPROVAL – STAT NEWS

Louisiana:  Masks, face coverings now required in all East Baton Rouge library buildings LINK

Uganda:  #Uganda: PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS ON COVID -19 Schools remain closed. Learning to continue virtually. Burials, weddings and other marriage ceremonies restricted to 20 people. Inter district movement of private vehicles allowed but with a restricted number of passengers.

UK:  JUST IN - SAGE, the UK's health "expert panel," warns next Covid "super mutant variant" could kill up to one in three people, and the "vaccine roll-out may even speed up mutant strain's emergence." (Daily Mail)

US:  JUST IN - More than 110,000 breakthrough cases in the US (Bloomberg)

UK:  Sewage monitoring has shown there was a "widespread increase" in the concentration of COVID-19 in England throughout June LINK

UK:  NEW: NHS secretly drew up plans to withdraw hospital care from people in nursing homes in the event of a pandemic

US:  Breaking: COVID-19 just released a rare statement. "Thank you for not learning anything from the past 16 months. I really can't believe it's this easy to keep the pandemic going. See you at Sturgis!"

Hawaii:  BREAKING: Hawaii reporting high number of 622 new #COVID19 cases statewide today - caveat: that includes getting caught up from electronic reporting backlog - but 3 day average now over 300 cases per day @KITV4

Florida:  BREAKING NEWS: COVID-19 cases continue to be on the rise in Florida as the state reported more than 100,000 cases in the past week. The state’s new case positivity rate also surged to 18.1%. LINK

US:  Walmart requires that headquarters staff be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 4, while Disney gives workers at all U.S. locations 60 days - MarketWatch LINK

US:  JUST IN - U.S. House adjourned for a 6-week August recess without passing an extension of the eviction moratorium which expires Saturday, leaving millions of Americans at risk of losing their homes.

US:  FDA okays Regeneron COVID-19 antibody as preventive in high-risk settings LINK

California:  #BREAKING: Coronavirus cases have spiked yet again in San Diego County, reaching a new daily high total since Feb. 5, county officials confirmed Friday. LINK

Arkansas:  NEW: Arkansas reported 2,544 new COVID-19 cases today. Hospitalizations increased by 32. LINK

Missouri:  How a Tiny Town With an Anti-Mask Mayor Caused COVID Chaos LINK

Missouri:  ‘What’s your breaking point?’: Over 300 hospitalized in SW Missouri — including kids LINK

US:  U.S. CDC chief says there will be no federal mandate on COVID-19 vaccine LINK

Florida:  The reigning Florida of America… is still… Florida. If no mask or mitigation, then FL is headed towards a burn  through. That’s like a forest fire that fizzles out when it runs out of wood/bushes/grass to burn. God save the good people of Florida. #COVID19

South Africa:  Refusing a Covid-19 vaccine in South Africa could now drive up your life-insurance premium similar to other risk factors such as smoking, a South African insurer said this week, in a move that is likely to be watched closely by other industry players LINK

[afatradingzoom2]

Virtual events Nairobi

At Afatradingzoom.co.ke, we specialize in delivering seamless and engaging Virtual events Nairobi. Our services include end-to-end solutions for virtual conferences, webinars, and hybrid events, ensuring a smooth and interactive experience for all participants. Whether you are hosting a corporate meeting or a large-scale virtual event, we are here to make it a success.

[twentyfirstrealestate]

The Smart Choice for Businesses: Rent an Office in East Africa

As global markets evolve and the demand for flexible business environments grows, East Africa has become a strategic destination for entrepreneurs and companies looking to establish a foothold on the continent. Whether you're a multinational expanding operations or a startup seeking a cost-effective headquarters, now is the perfect time to rent an office in East Africa.

East Africa: The Business Hub of the Future

East Africa, which encompasses thriving economies such as Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Ethiopia, has experienced exponential economic growth over the past decade. For example, Nairobi is often called the "Silicon Savannah" due to its fast-growing tech ecosystem and vibrant startup scene. Kigali continues to earn praise for its cleanliness, security, and business-friendly policies. Meanwhile, Dar es Salaam and Addis Ababa are emerging as key players in trade and infrastructure.

Renting office space in this region not only connects you to a dynamic local market but also positions your business to access regional and international opportunities.

Benefits of Renting Office Space in East Africa

1. Cost-Effective Solutions

East African cities offer highly competitive office rental rates compared to Dubai, Johannesburg, or Lagos. For businesses that want to minimise overhead while maximising impact, East Africa presents a compelling option. At TwentyFirst Real Estate, we help you secure affordable, premium office spaces tailored to your business size and goals.

2. Flexible Lease Options

The post-pandemic business environment demands adaptability. That’s why many office providers in East Africa now offer flexible lease terms, including short-term rentals, co-working options, and hybrid office solutions. Whether you’re testing a new market or setting up long-term operations, flexibility is at your fingertips.

3. Strategic Locations and Modern Infrastructure

Cities like Nairobi, Kampala, and Kigali offer state-of-the-art buildings with reliable internet connectivity, backup power, parking, and 24/7 security. These offices are often located in business districts that provide easy access to banks, restaurants, embassies, and major transportation hubs.

4. A Young, Skilled Workforce

East Africa is home to a growing population of educated, tech-savvy professionals. Renting office space in these regions makes it easier to attract and retain top talent. From virtual assistants and software developers to marketing experts and customer service teams, your business can thrive with the right people in place.

5. Government Incentives and Ease of Doing Business

Governments across East Africa are actively encouraging investment. For example, Rwanda ranks among the top countries globally for ease of doing business, thanks to streamlined licensing and reduced red tape. By choosing to rent an office in East Africa, your company can benefit from favourable tax policies, investment incentives, and supportive government initiatives.

What to Consider Before You Rent an Office in East Africa

While the benefits are clear, here are a few factors to consider when looking to rent an office in East Africa:

Location: Is proximity to transport, clients, or suppliers important? Cities like Nairobi offer various districts with distinct advantages, such as Westlands for tech firms or Upper Hill for financial services.

Size and Layout: Consider how much space you’ll need now and shortly. Will you need private offices, open-plan layouts, or conference facilities?

Amenities: Look for high-speed internet, backup generators, water storage, and reliable security systems.

Budget: Compare rental prices across cities and neighbourhoods. We recommend working with a local expert like TwentyFirst Real Estate to get insights on current market trends and hidden costs.

Lease Terms: Understand what’s included in the lease—maintenance fees, utilities, service charges, etc. Flexible contracts can save you from long-term commitments that don’t serve your growth.

How TwentyFirst Real Estate Can Help

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Final Thoughts

If you’re ready to rent an office in East Africa, there’s no better time to act. The region offers a rare combination of affordability, opportunity, and talent. With the right partner by your side, you can secure an office space that sets the foundation for lasting success.

Let TwentyFirst Real Estate guide you in navigating the East African property market. Contact us today to start your journey.

[topinfo12]

First Convocation of KISS Deemed to be University

Youth must resolve for successful making of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’: Prof. Ganeshi Lal, Hon’ble Governor of Odisha

Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, celebrated its first convocation ceremony in virtual mode on 27th June 2021. Delivering the convocation address, Prof. Ganeshi Lal, Hon’ble Governor of Odisha congratulated the graduates, and said that there is no dearth of talents in tribal communities. What needed is the right environment, encouragement and timely exposure. He exhorted the graduates to make the ‘Vocal for Local’ as their resolution and contribute to the successful making of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ through their participation and endeavours.

“My heart fills with admiration and appreciation for Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Founder of this University for building such a unique institution that has drawn global attention. It was the idea of an equitable world that propelled Dr. Samanta to a great extent. What has been achieved with the love, compassion, dedication and determination of one individual is indeed remarkable”, Prof. Ganeshi Lal said. He also received Honoris Causa Degree of D.Litt. from KISS Deemed to be University.

The University conferred Honoris Causa Degrees of D.Litt. upon three more eminent personalities from Odisha - Shri Girish Chandra Murmu, Hon’ble Comptroller and Auditor General of India; Hon. Dr. Swarup Ranjan Mishra, Member of Parliament for Kesses Constituency, Kenya and Founding Chairman, Mediheal Group of Hospitals, Kenya; and Shri Bibhu Mohapatra, Fashion Designer and Costume Designer, New York.

KISS has indirectly impacted over a million tribal children and youth, which is in itself a milestone in the history of tribal empowerment. “It's the story of a dream-come-true which took off with 125 students on board in 1992-93 and has today become an inspiring tale of transformation beyond even my imagination. Development of education is the development of the country”, Dr. Achyuta Samanta said, while welcoming the dignitaries and congratulating the degree recipients.

Thanking the University for the honour, Shri Murmu requested Dr. Samanta to replicate KISS-like institutions in every nook and corner of the country. In their acceptance speeches, Dr. Mishra and Shri Mohapatra expressed gratitude to the University for recognizing their contributions.  

Addressing the graduating students, Shri Satya S. Tripathi, Chancellor, KISS Deemed to be University, said, “As you transition from student to graduate, please remember that your alma mater is a pillar of compassion and humanity and it is on your shoulders to carry forward this unparalleled legacy and tradition of selfless service with grace and conviction.”

Dr. Upendra Tripathy, Pro-Chancellor stated that KISS has shown how to lead the way from the front. It would be developed into a global academic centre under the guidance of world academic leaders in the coming decade, informed Dr. Tripathy.

In his report, Prof. Deepak Kumar Behera, Vice-Chancellor said, KISS is one-of-its-kind institution that offers specialization in innovative tribal centric areas and encourages research scholars to pursue their work on the indigenous population and topics close to their hearts. Prof. Pitabasa Sahoo, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Dr. Prashanta Ku. Routray, Registrar also spoke on the occasion and expressed their best wishes to the graduates.

[khalilhumam]

What’s the Latest Research in Development Economics? A Round-up from NEUDC 2020

New Post has been published on http://khalilhumam.com/whats-the-latest-research-in-development-economics-a-round-up-from-neudc-2020/

What’s the Latest Research in Development Economics? A Round-up from NEUDC 2020

Last weekend was the North East Universities Development Consortium annual conference, hosted by Dartmouth University but held virtually. Researchers presented about 225 papers (about a 50 percent increase from last year’s conference) on a wide range of development topics, from agriculture and credit to tax and transport. For those not able to attend or who want a refresher, we’ve prepared a brief takeaway from each paper (or in some cases, abstract) that we could find online. Remember that research is much more than a tweet-sized takeaway (and these takeaways are ours, not necessarily the authors), so if you’re interested in a result, we encourage you to read the linked papers. For as many of the papers for which we could easily discern and characterize it, we included a methodological hashtag. A guide to those hashtags is right before the summaries. We’ve sorted the papers by topic below, but in case you’re interested in reading about all the research from a given country or region, you can also find the research sorted that way. Before we dive into the content of the papers, here are a few statistics. About a quarter of the papers are from each of three regions: Latin America and the Caribbean, South Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Only two percent of papers are from the Middle East or North Africa. In terms of country coverage, India—with 41 studies—had three times as many studies as the next most studied countries (Mexico and Brazil, with 13 studies and 11 studies), as you can see in the figure below. One in four papers (58 studies total) report on a randomized controlled trial, with lots of quasi-experimental methods in use as well: difference-in-differences, regression discontinuity, fixed effects, and instrumental variables are each used by more than a dozen papers. !function()"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a)if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"])))(); If we missed a paper or if you had a different takeaway from a paper, share your thoughts in the comments! Both of us had the papers we submitted rejected by the conference, so we summarize those at the bottom.

Guide to the methodological hashtags

#DID = Difference-in-differences #ES = Event study #FE = Fixed effects #IV = Instrumental variables #LIF = Lab in the field #ML = Machine learning #PSM = Propensity score matching #RCT = Randomized controlled trial #RD = Regression discontinuity

Households and human capital

Early childhood

Climate change increases acidification of the ocean, which reduces available fish. For babies in utero, that means more deaths, especially for the weakest kids. (Armand and Kim Taveras) #FE

When one child is born smaller than another, do parents compensate for those differences with health and nutrition investments, or do they reinforce them? Evidence from Indonesia suggests that in early childhood, parents reinforce differences. Data from 50 countries suggest parents are more likely to “reinforce initial inequalities in poorer countries.” (Banerjee and Majid) #FE

A play-based preschool curriculum in Bangladesh together with monthly teacher-parent meetings to boost parenting skills led to improved child cognitive and socioemotional development. Even for kids who switched from existing preschools, their socioemotional skills improved. (Rodriguez and Saltiel) #RCT #ML

Home visits to educate parents about feeding in Peru decreased anemia among children who were anemic at baseline but apparently increased it among those who weren’t (and no, it’s not just mean reversion), potentially because some parents misinterpreted messages from the visitors. (Barron, Castro, and Lavado) #RCT

Education

Helping secondary students in Zanzibar (Tanzania) to set goals for improvement on math tests led to better reported time use but not better test scores. These intermediate gains are largest for girls. (Islam et al.) #RCT

If you took the Indonesian secondary school entrance exam on a particularly hot day, it not only affects your math and science score, it also has “compounding negative effects on a wide range of long-term achievements such as adult educational attainment, labor market returns and entry to the marriage market.” (Das) #IV

During the Pinochet dictatorship, funding for universities in Chile fell. Decades later, children of parents affecting by the reduced university spaces were themselves less likely to enroll in college. (Bautista et al.) #RD (actually a Regression Kink Design)

With data on undergraduate students in India in the process of choosing a major, this paper finds that “women are willing to pay twice as much as men for course enjoyment and higher grades, even as they expect lower grades in science and economics.” (Dasgupta and Sharma)

Does providing e-readers to students in Lagos, Nigeria, boost test scores? Only if the devices had materials from the curriculum and were filling a gap in textbooks. (Habyarimana and Sabarwal) #RCT

In Mexico, providing “information to parents about how to support their children’s learning” improved parent behavior at home and student behavior at school. In a separate experiment, providing “financial resources to parent associations” had no behavioral impact. Neither improved student test scores. (Barrera-Osorio et al.) #RCT

Two different interventions to make school principals in Salta (Argentina) more effective had no impact during the intervention, but in the two years after the intervention concluded, fewer students repeated grades. “Good things come to those who wait.” (de Hoyos, Ganimian, and Holland) #RCT

What happens when your local school closes in China due to a school consolidation program? Delayed enrollment, but no change in lifetime education attainment. Later in life, it may have led to later marriage and more off-farm work. (Zhao) #DID

In Pakistan, “both high value-added teachers and teachers who respond more strongly to incentives significantly prefer performance pay and sort into” school where performance pay is on offer. (Brown and Andrabi) #RCT

A teacher professional development for secondary school teachers in Rwanda boosted use of active instruction but did not increase students’ “academic outcomes or skills.” (Blimpo and Pugatch) #RCT

Across 15 African countries, there is lots of variation in how much teachers are paid relative to other workers with comparable education and experience. However, on average across the countries, teachers are paid about the same per month and somewhat more per hour. (Evans, Yuan, and Filmer) You can read the authors’ blog post about the paper here.

Training teachers in targeted instruction in Ghana boosted student learning. Adding training for managers boosted the quality of management but didn’t further improve learning for students. (Beg, Fitzpatrick, and Lucas) #RCT

Winning a lottery increases the willingness to pay for remedial education services much more for those who aren’t able to borrow money than for those who are. “Credit constraints limit access to educational programs” in Tanzania. (Burchardi et al.) #RCT

School-based “internet access has a modest, positive short-run impact on school-average standardized test scores” in Peru, and the “effect grows over time.” (Kho, Lakdawala, and Nakasone) #ES

After three years, on-site, in-person coaching had much broader impacts than coaching delivered through a tablet in South Africa. (Cilliers et al.) #RCT [You can also read Dave’s blog post on this paper.]

“A multi-faceted program that integrates technology into education, provides ongoing teacher training and professional development, includes community ownership, and offers free primary education” boosts reading and math scores in rural Zambia. (de Hoop et al.) #RCT

Providing computers and computer-assisted learning software to primary schools in Angola led to falls in teacher absenteeism and rises in student and teacher technological familiarity; but student learning didn’t rise. (Cardim, Molina-Millán, and Vicente) #RCT

Do stereotypical beliefs of teachers affect learning outcomes of girls in India? “A standard deviation increase in biased attitude of the math teacher widens the female disadvantage in math performance by 0.07 SD over an academic year.” (Rakshit and Sahoo)

In China, “high-ability students have detrimental effects on their high-ability roommates’ performance.” This is likely driven by competition lowering help and interaction among roommates. (Hu and Chen)

Sex education provided by near-peers in Botswana reduced pregnancy by over 40 percent whereas government teachers had a null effect and potentially increased pregnancy. (Angrist) #RCT

When a college in China changes its name, it enrolls applications with 0.06–0.08 SD higher college entrance exam scores, equivalent to a college improving their ranking by 40 to 50 places. There is a small benefit for listing the college’s new name in employers’ recruitment decisions. (Eble and Hu)

Can information about jobs improve the effectiveness of vocational training? An experiment based on the DDU-GKY, a large-scale training program in India, showed that better informed trainees are 17 percent more likely to stay in the job in which they are placed. (Chakrarvorty et al.) #RCT

Land reform 50 years on: population levels in Kenya are higher in the settlement schemes than in neighboring areas. School provision is at par with population levels, indicating that there is no impact of the reform on this public good in the long run. (Crespin-Boucaud, Boone, and Moradi) #RD

COVID

Households in Bolivia that became eligible for a pre-existing, near-universal pension program during the COVID crisis were much less likely to go hungry. (Bottan, Hoffman, and Vera-Cossio) #RD

“After Brazil’s president publicly and emphatically dismissed the risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and advised against isolation, the social distancing measures taken by citizens in pro-government localities weakened compared to places where political support of the president is less strong.” Especially in municipalities with more active Twitter accounts! (Ajzenman, Cavalcanti, and Da Mata) #FE

In Ethiopia, despite worries about food insecurity in the wake of COVID-19, “food consumption and household dietary diversity are largely unchanged or slightly increased by August 2020” relative to a year previously. (Hirvonen, de Brauw, and Abate)

Lockdowns among adults aged 65+ in Turkey worsened mental health outcomes due to a large increase in social and physical isolation. (Altindag, Erten, and Keskin) #RD

In Kenya, the COVID-19 pandemic drove over 20 percent of traders out of business and disrupted supply chains, while most cross-border traders switched to being domestic traders. Remaining traders rely on informal borders, with an increase in bribes paid and more frequent harassment by officials and the police. (Wiseman)

Nutrition

Adding nutrition education to a cash and food transfers in Bangladesh boosted both the quantity and quality of food consumed more than transfers alone. (Tauseef) #RCT

A locust plague in Mali affected people in two ways. Prices went up in the short run because people knew the harvest would be smaller. “Children exposed in utero to the adverse effects of the locust plague suffer major health setbacks.” (Conte, Piemontese, and Tapsoba) #DID

One potential advantage of in-kind transfers relative to cash is that they serve as insurance against food price changes. For poor households in India, in-kind food transfers do a better job of reducing calorie shortfalls than cash. (Gadenne et al.) #FE

What’s the impact of double-fortified salt on schoolchildren’s health in India? After both one year and four years of exposure, anemia rates fall. (von Grafenstein et al.) #RCT

“Low soil zinc availability drives child stunting in Nepal.” The authors do a bunch of robustness checks to make sure it’s not all driven by unobserved characteristics. “Our most conservative estimates suggest that on average, moving from [low zinc] to [high zinc] soils … reduces child stunting by 6 percentage points.” (Bevis, Kim, and Guerena) #FE

School feeding in Rwanda boosted student learning and closed gender gaps. “Back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest that providing school feeding yields an 11:1 return on investment.” (Mensah and Nsabimana) #DID

Should the government sell you goods? “In the absence of government milk in Mexico, private market prices would be 3% higher.” Direct provision generates gains in consumer welfare of 4 percent relative to milk vouchers and 2 percent relative to unrestricted cash transfers. (Jiménez-Hernández and Seira)

Health

A review of 34 mental health interventions in low- and middle-income countries shows positive impacts on economic outcomes, especially interventions that combine psychosocial and pharmacological elements. (Lund et al.)

What is the impact of an epidemic outbreak on votes? In Mexico after the 2009 H1N1 outbreak, researchers find “a strong, negative relationship between the magnitude of the local epidemic outbreak and the governing party vote share in the 2009 congressional election.” There were persistent effects in the 2012 election. (Gutiérrez, Meriläinen, and Rubli)  #DID

Towns headed by Indian (as opposed to British) district officers in India experienced 15 percent lower deaths during the 1918 Influenza pandemic, coinciding with greater responsiveness in relief provision. (Xu)

Some US states have laws that require health insurers to cover telehealth services. Those laws have little average impact on telehealth use, but for a subset of users, they decrease medical spending and emergency room visits. (Jamal) #IV #ML

“Using manipulated portraits (thinner/fatter) of real Kampala [Uganda] residents, I first show that obesity is perceived as a reliable wealth signal.” Then, in a “real-stakes field experiment,” the research shows that “obese borrowers have easier access to credit: going from normal weight to obese is equivalent to increasing one’s income by 60 percent.” (Macchi) #RCT

Preventive healthcare appointments are common in rich countries but not in poor countries. In Malawi, both the offer of HIV testing appointments and financial commitment devices increase HIV testing among high-risk men, but appointments are much more effective. (Derksen et al.) #RCT

Some community health workers in Pakistan watched a video and a discussion about the mission of their work: their performance improved on a range of tasks. Some workers received financial incentives: their performance improved only on the incentivized tasks. (Khan) #RCT

Introducing public pharmacies in Chile “increased consumer savings and mayors were politically rewarded in the upcoming election.” (Atal et al.) #ES #RCT

When public health systems contract private hospitals, how do hospitals react? In India, “hospitals engage in substantial coding manipulation order to increase their revenues.” Also, “hospital charges for care that is supposed to be free are pervasive.” (Jain and Dupas) #DID

Are non-financial incentives effective to motivate community health workers? Providing an honorary award at a public ceremony boosted performance, with impacts on child health. Showing a video that demonstrates the consequences of health worker choices was less effective. (Fracchia, Molina Millán, and Vicente) #RCT

Gender

A law that banned female genital cutting in Senegal reduced the prevalence of the practice and increased investments in girls’ education. (Hombrados and Salgado) #DID

Married women in India are much less likely to make more than their husbands than they are to make just a little bit less than their husbands, suggesting a strong social norm and that some women are earning less than they could. (Gupta)

In India, “women who paid higher dowries are less likely to be poor relative to women who did not, even when their household incomes are the same.” The surprising implication is that “anti-dowry laws may have the unintended effect of increasing female poverty.” (Calvi and Keskar)

How does women’s employment affect technology adoption? In the United States when lots of women went to work in factories during World War II, rising employment led to more home appliances. For women who had kids, that meant more washing machines. (Bose, Jain, and Walker) #IV

Women entrepreneurs in urban Bangladesh who receive cognitive behavioral therapy (which includes goal-setting, time-management, and problem-solving strategies) experience reduced stress and lose less work time solving problems at home, but profits stay the same. (Lopez-Pena) #RCT

Women in Bogota, Colombia are willing to pay for flexible work schedules, especially women with higher incomes, suggesting that “flexibility is a luxury good.” (Bustelo et al.) #LIF

For gig economy workers in India, receiving criticism worsens worker attitudes but increases their effort. Praise affects neither. It doesn’t make a difference whether the manager giving feedback is a woman or a man. (Abel and Buchman) #RCT

Among “jobseekers in Egypt, women are more sensitive to long commutes, and value flexible schedules and on-site daycare more than men.” (Feld, Nagy, and Osman) #RCT

Are female-led communities differentially affected by conflict? In Colombia, municipalities where a female mayor was elected experienced a 60 percent decrease in guerrilla attacks. Female negotiation skills could explain the drop in conflict violence. (Eslava) #RD

A gender quota among Muslim leaders in Uttar Pradesh, India has a large and positive effect on toilet provision (across both Muslim and Hindu households), while with Hindu leaders there is no average affect. (Chaturvedi, Das, and Mahajan) #RD

A school-based intervention in India with classroom discussions to reduce adolescents’ support for restrictive gender norms “converted 16% of participants’ regressive views.” Self-reported behavior became more aligned with progressive gender norms, particularly among boys. (Dhar, Jain, and Jayachandran) #RCT

Registering sugarcane blocks in the wife’s name in Uganda improves two dimensions of women’s economic empowerment: access to resources and agency, with marginal impacts on personal welfare outcomes. In contrast, a behavior change intervention has strong impacts on personal welfare impacts. (Ambler, Jones, and O’Sullivan) #RCT

“A one time large unconditional cash transfer (in rural Kenya) improves women’s control of household resources but not the frequency of physical and sexual intimate partner violence. Combining a light touch psychological intervention targeting self-believes with the cash transfer reduces the violence index by 0.14  SD.” (Mahmud, Orkin, and Riley) #RCT

Benefiting from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, a conditional cash transfer program in the Philippines, at the critical age between 12.5 and 14 years delays marriage and first birth by 1 year and 6 months, respectively.  (Dervisevic, Perova, and Sahay)

“A large share of the gender pay gap in Brazil is due to women working at lower-paying employers.” There are sizable output and welfare gains from moving to a gender-neutral economy, but analysis suggests that equal-treatment policies fail to close the gender gap in equilibrium. (Morchio and Moser)

In South Korea, a glass ceiling for women exists: “the (large) unexplained gender wage gap substantially increases at the upper end of the wage distribution.” Effects of marriage and childbirth also explain the dramatic increase in the gender wage gap for women in their 30s and 40s. (Lee)

A program aiming at reducing intimate partner violence (IPV) in Rwanda increased violence. “The program may have increased violence because men backlashed against the perceived threat to their identity posed by program messages about women’s empowerment, and against their wives’ more progressive gender attitudes and aspirations. (Cullen et al.) #RCT

Sexual crimes, lapses in alimony, and domestic violence declined during the COVID-19 stay-at-home order in Mexico, and then rose back to their pre-COVID levels. Femicides remained constant during the pandemic, but declined in municipalities with alcohol sales prohibition. (Hoehn-Velasco, de la Miyar, and Silverio Murillo)

“Providing poor women in rural Bangladesh with cash or food transfers, alongside nutrition behavior change communication, led to sustained reductions in” intimate partner violence. (Roy et al.) #RCT

Amendments to the Indian anti-dowry law were successful in decreasing dowry payments. They also led to exposed women being 2.6 percentage points less likely to be in involved in household decisions, and a 1.9 percentage points increase in the probability of domestic violence. (Calvi and Keskar)

Sexual harassment awareness trainings in India increased awareness among men by 0.106 SD, and decreased reported physical forms of sexual harassment among women by 0.125 SD. (Sharma) #RCT

Fertility

In China, only the majority ethnic group was subject to birth quotas, but birth rates fell among other ethnic groups as well. “A woman gives birth to 0.65 fewer children if the average completed fertility among her peers is exogenously reduced by one child.” (Rossi and Xiao) #IV

In the past, some ethnic groups across African countries practiced twin infanticide. Today, twin mortality is no higher for those groups than for other others. Phew. Uses data from 23 countries. (Fenske and Wang) #FE

African women in former British colonies tend to marry later and have lower fertility than women in former French colonies. But those effects tend to disappear close to the sea, where market access is higher. (Canning, Mabeu, and Pongou) #RD

“In societies characterized by the co-existence of strong son preference and worse maternal health conditions, women with first-born girls exhibit a lower likelihood of survival into older ages. This is likely due to harmful fertility behaviors after the birth of a daughter.” (Agarwal and Milazzo)

Households and marriage

Parents in Bangladesh see that their children are biased toward the present and are willing to pay to restrict their kids’ choices and—ultimately—may be able to mold their children’s preferences. (Kiessling et al.) #LIF

A lab experiment in rural Togo suggests that men in rural farming households put less investment into their wives’ farm plots than would maximize household agricultural production. (Apedo-Amah, Djebbari, and Ziparo) #LIF

An earthquake in Gujarat (India) reduced men’s and women’s ages at marriage but increased the education gap in marriages and lowered women’s likelihood of entering into self-arranged marriages. (Das and Dasgupta) #DID

Floods in Bihar, India reduced both men’s and women’s ages at marriage and—for married women—decreased the secondary school completion rate and labor force participation. It was more pronounced among groups for which dowry is the norm and among the landless, so dowry may have been helping to smooth consumption. (Khanna and Kochhar) #DID

An education reform in Zimbabwe increased women’s education and led them to marry more educated men. Since the increase in women’s education was greater, the education gap narrowed. (Salcher) #RD

Bans on cousin marriage in the US led to descendants with more education and higher labor force participation. (Ghosh, Hwang, and Squires) #IV

Migration and refugees

In low-income countries, richer people are the ones who emigrate: “In low-income countries, people actively preparing to emigrate have 30 percent higher incomes than others overall, 14 percent higher incomes explained by observable traits such as schooling, and 12 percent higher incomes explained by unobservable traits.” (Clemens and Mendola)

Research with “Filipino migrants in the UAE and their spouses in the Philippines” shows that “both migrants and spouses have biased beliefs about each other’s finances and these biases are the result of strategic misreporting. Spouses and certain subgroups of migrants underreport their income to influence the remittance decision in their favor.” (Rehman) #LIF

In municipalities of Brazil with more immigrants historically, both the descendants of the immigrants and others have higher wages. (Cenci, Lopes, and Monasterio) #FE

“Do migrant incomes catalyze economic development back home?” In the Philippines, yes: “Positive migrant income shocks lead to higher household consumption and higher asset ownership in origin areas a decade later.” (Khanna, Theoharides, and Yang) #FE #IV

“Refugees who have access to a larger co-refugee network tend to have more interactions with the local population” among Syrian refugees in Turkey. This is likely because “immigrant networks share experiences and information on the local population, therefore making it easier for refugees to interact with locals.” (Gautier) #IV

“Why do migrants embark on dangerous border crossing journeys? … Migrants [from Mexico] with poor long term economic prospects at home are more tolerant of crossing places offering high reward and high risks.” (Chau, Garip, and Oritz-Bobea) #IV

Migration prohibitions for women in Sri Lanka—based on age and on age of youngest child—had impacts on fertility. Young women increased their fertility; older women reduced their fertility. “As a result, new mothers are less-educated and younger, which may have an impact on child outcomes.” (Peru) #RD

Palm-oil price shocks in Indonesia benefit producing districts with higher per capita expenditure, while price shocks on rice do not. Districts exposed to palm-oil price shocks and those surrounding them receive more migration resulting in an overall welfare increase of 0.39 percent, with one third due to internal migration. (Siregar)

Working and saving

Banking and credit

In India, some urban centers have too many bank branches, and some rural areas have too few, so banks could reallocate branches and increase access without much or any decrease in deposits. (Hawkins-Pierot)

More banks in rural India make it easier for households to deal with tough times like bad harvests: “Households that experience shocks but have access to banking services are better off with respect to consumption compared to those that have to cope without access.” (Cramer) #RD

Informal moneylenders in rural India use loans from formal financial institutions as capital to make loans to households. (Surendra) #FE

Giving informal savings groups access to loans from formal banks in Uganda increased food security but also led to more group turnover. (Burlando, Etcheverry, and Goldberg) #RCT

Providing rural households with access to a mobile money agent in Uganda increased food security and self-employment off of farms, mostly through peer-to-peer transfers and lower costs in accessing remittances (e.g., they didn’t have to travel to get the money). (Wieser et al.) #RCT

How does the disbursement of microfinance loans via mobile money impact borrowers’ businesses in Uganda? “Women who received their microfinance loan on the mobile money account had 15% higher business profits and 11% higher levels of business capital.” (Riley) #RCT

Is the type of financial support provided to businesses more important than which businesses receive it? In Egypt, those who succeed with loans are equivalent to those who succeed with grants, showcasing that owner heterogeneity is more important than the type of support received. (Crépon, El Komi, and Osman) #RCT

Flexible repayment schedules reduce high social pressure among microcredit borrowers in the Philippines but come at a cost of reduced loan repayment. (Czura, John, Spantig) #LIF

In Pakistan, microenterprises with hire-purchase contracts “are more likely to remain in self-employment, run larger businesses, and enjoy higher profits.” As a result, their households increase spending on food and children’s education. (Bari et al.) #RCT

In Chile, low-income individuals receiving messages about how to prevent and face shocks, and how to face present bias and social comparison, combined with additional messages about options that individuals at risk of defaulting could take, decreased loan delinquency probability between 20 and 32 percent. (Álvarez, Miranda, and Ruiz-Tagle) #RCT

“Doubling the delivery time [of digital credit] from ten to twenty hours reduces the default rate by 20%” in Mexico. (Burlando, Kuhn, and Prina) #RD

Lottery players tend to bet less on numbers that recently won, suggesting a default “gambler’s fallacy” bias. 6.3 percent of players in Haiti and 15.7 percent in Denmark choose “hot” numbers—those which were winners in the previous round. There is no evidence of “streak switching”—in which beliefs switch from gambler’s fallacy to hot hand fallacy as streaks increase. (Dillon and Lybbert)

Receiving monthly wages into either a bank or a mobile money account increased savings and improved coping with unanticipated economic shocks among factory workers in Bangladesh. (Breza, Kanz, and Klapper) #RCT

Cash transfers

Households that benefitted from a multiyear cash transfer program in rural Niger have more savings and more earnings from both agricultural and non-agricultural activities. As a result, they have higher consumption even in the face of drought. (Premand and Stoeffler) #RCT

Cash transfers in rural Mali help “low-income households to invest in profitable endeavors outside of subsistence agriculture and may reduce the marital migration of women in vulnerable households.” (Hidrobo, Mueller, and Roy) #RCT

Cash transfers in Brazil reduced formal labor supply at the individual level, but because of the extra cash in the local economy, they actually lead a net positive impact on overall local labor supply. (Gerard, Naritomi, and Silva)

If households find out that they’re going to receive a cash transfer with more time to anticipate and plan, they’re more likely to save the money. (Thakral and Tô) #RCT

Voters in Kenya (correctly) do not attribute a cash transfer program to local leaders, and receiving a cash transfer does not affect household’s voter turnout, vote choice, or favorability ratings of candidates. (Orkin and Walker) #RCT

Firms and microenterprises

Firms of disadvantaged castes have a higher average revenue product of capital. Across-caste dispersion is concentrated in financially underdeveloped regions in India and the majority can be explained by differences in access to credit which reduces aggregate TFP by 6-10 percent. (Goraya)

Charging higher prices for business training in Jamaica screens out poorer business owners, selects those who expect to benefit from it, and increases attendance among those who do pay. (Maffioli, McKenzie, and Ubfal)

Firms in rural Tanzania with access to a digital phone book (lowering the cost of accessing new business and customer networks) “increase relational contracting with their suppliers and decrease it with their customers,” suggesting an improved bargaining position of firms relative to their pre-existing customers and suppliers. (Rudder) #RCT

In Chile, mentoring improves mentee’s business practices but not their business survival, profits or income. Two success factors matter most: the time that the mentor has available, and the size of her network. (Lafortune, Martin, and Tessada)

Indonesian firm-level data shows that democratization increases firm productivity, a critical determinant of economic growth. (Abeberese et al.) #DID

The expansion of special economic zones in Vietnam (from 73 to 450 between 2000–2007) had little impact on increases in employment, number of firms, output, or output per worker. (McCaig et al.) #DID

English training to domestic middle managers in Myanmar increases frequency of communication with their foreign managers, and trained managers perform better in management exercises. Employers value candidates with both higher English ability and multinational corporation experience. (Guillouet et al.)

Access to premium recruitment services (increasing the supply of applicants) to firms in India increases “employer interest in applications.” Combining access to premium services with access to identity verification services increases actual hiring and leads these firms to employ a higher fraction of employees hired through the platform. (Fernando, Singh, and Tourek) #RCT

How do firms respond to insecurity in Afghanistan? “Terrorist attacks reduce firm presence by 4-6% in affected districts… After violence, employees in provincial capitals are 33% more likely to move to Kabul and 15% more likely to exit the province.” (Blumenstock et al.)

In Brazil, the probability of criminal prosecution increases by 23 percent upon job loss and remains constant. Unemployment benefits offset potential crime increases, especially for liquidity-constrained individuals. This effect completely vanishes upon benefit expiration. (Britto, Pinotti, and Sampaio) #RD

How does information and publicity of human right abuses impact those firms tied to an abuse? “Firms associated with an assassination (of civil society activists) have large, negative abnormal returns following the event.”(Kreitmeir, Lane, and Raschky)

“Firms exogenously exposed to the Drug War [in Mexico] experience lower export growth”, as resources went from production to protection and eroded local capacity to attract capital investment. (Gorrín, Morales-Arilla, and Ricca)

How do multinationals affect development in the long run? In Costa Rica, regions under control of the United Fruit Company were 29 percent less likely to be poor than nearby locations in 1973, with only 56 percent of the gap closing over the following four decades. “The firm increased aggregated welfare by 3.7% and this effect is increasing in worker mobility.”(Méndez-Chacón and Van Patten) #RD

Among firms along the manufacturing supply chain in Ecuador, “bilateral trade is estimated to be inefficiently low in early periods of the relationship.” (Brugués)

Localized conflict in the Ukraine decreased sales by at least 5.8 percent outside of violent areas due a propagation effect (affecting firms’ buyers and suppliers) and a change in the production network structure. (Korovkin and Makarin)

A contracting arrangement between producers and buyers that bundles price premium certainty with training and credit for a quality-improving technology induced producers in Senegal to purchase and use the technology. Producers are also more likely to produce higher-quality products (groundnuts) with increased output sales to the cooperative. (Deutschmann, Bernard, and Yameogo) #RCT

Insurance

Informal insurance is prevalent in rural India but has serious limitations, since it depends on members not getting hit by the same adverse shock. But if the same communities control cooperative irrigation schemes, then the irrigation and insurance institutions can be mutually supporting. (Mazur)

Labor (including child labor)

“At least 23% of self-employment in lean months occurs because workers cannot find jobs” in India. (Breza, Kaur, and Shamdasani)

“Increased early life investment reduces schooling in districts with high child labor, especially for girls and lower castes” in India. (Bau et al.) #FE #IV

Including information of being a recipient of a Beca 18—a merit-based scholarship provided to poor students in Peru to pursue college education—in a résumé “increases the likelihood of getting a callback for a job interview by 20%.” (Agüero, Galarza, and Yamada) #RCT

Labor market discrimination among Slovaks towards the Roma minority is prevalent at both margins, and more so at the extensive margin. (Mani) #LIF

For men that graduated from college during the public-sector hiring freeze in Tamil Nadu, India, the likelihood of being unemployed increased by about 32 percent. The application rate jumped by about 20 times for the few recruitments that were conducted. (Mangal) #DID

The “employment impacts of a small cash grant, information and psychological support are close to zero,” but optimized targeting, i.e. offering the best possible intervention to each group, “raises employment (among Syrian refugees in Jordan) by a 1 percentage point (a 20% gain).” (Caria et al.) #RCT

Training job seekers in South Africa to join and use an online professional networking platforms increases their end-of-program employment rate from 70 percent to 77 percent. (Wheeler et al.) #RCT

An “SMS-based messaging app that connects agricultural workers and employers” in Tanzania “reduces within-village wage dispersion by 16-40 percent.” (Jeong) #RCT

“Workers (in Israel) are 3-4 times more likely to find employment in firms where their parents have professional connections.” Connections matter for inequality: “the wage gap between Arabs and Jews decreases by 12% when equalizing the groups’ connections but increases by 56% when prohibiting the hiring of connected workers.” This is because “Arabs have connections to lower-paying firms, but use their connections more extensively.” (San)

Governments, institutions, and conflict

Bureaucracy and politics

Sending scorecards measuring delays in service delivery to government officials and their supervisors in Bangladesh increased services delivered without delay by 11 percent. (Mattsson)

The 1883 Pendleton Act—requiring US customhouses with 50+ employees to recruit through competitive exams—led to employees having stronger professional backgrounds who stayed longer in their jobs. (Moreira and Pérez)

Changing judge selection procedure from presidential appointment to appointment by judge peers in Pakistan significantly decreases rulings in favor of the government. (Mehmood)

Villages controlled by the state ruling party in West Bengal, India systematically receive higher aggregate anti-poverty program allocations. There are also persistent large excess payments to local candidates affiliated with the ruling party. (Shenoy and Zimmermann) #RD

Political reservation in Bihar, India: (i) lowers inequality in access to public goods; (ii) lowers intergroup private asset inequality; and (iii) increases presence of minority group members in local government. (Kumar and Sharan) #RD

Conflict and crime

The civil war in Nepal (1996–2006) led to lower food consumption and less dietary diversity, mostly through reduced purchased food. (Marchesi and Rockmore) #FE

Data from 43 African countries shows that conflict over power emerges due to ethnic groups’ disagreement over the mix of public goods provided by a culturally distant government. (Guarnieri) #DID

Police station openings deter violent crime by 15 percent and housing crime by 30 percent—leading to 4–6 percent increase in housing values in Colombia. (Morales-Mosquera) #IV #DID

“A one standard deviation increase in the total pounds of bombs dropped (in Laos) is associated with a 9.3% fall in GPD per capita.” (Riaño and Caicedo) #IV

Pretrial detention in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil reduces re-arrest in the medium term (mostly driven by incapacitation effects) and increases the probability and severity of post-release crime. (Ribeiro and Ferraz) #IV

Police “repression causes a temporary deterrence effect but only on students with social (rather than geographic) links to the victim.” Police violence increased student-led boycotts and had negative educational consequences for students in Chile. (Gonzalez)

US drone strikes in Pakistan encourage terrorism, causing up to 17.5 percent of all terror attacks or about 6,000 deaths. (Mahmood and Jetter) #IV

Following the 1918 Finnish Civil War, substantial increases in redistribution and a drastic shift towards equality occurred in municipalities that were affected by the 1866–1868 famine, that had higher levels of pre-conflict inequality, and that had more insurgents. (Meriläinen, Mitrunen, and Virkola)

Ethnic civil conflicts in Africa between 1989–2009 reveal that gender-unequal armed actors are more likely to be perpetrators of sexual violence. Sexual violence also increases “when the perpetrator is more gender-unequal than the victim.” (Guarnieri and Tur-Prats)

“An increase in the value of (labor intensive) artisanal mining activities increase both the use of sexual violence and nonlethal violence against civilians” using data from across Africa. “By contrast, an increase in the value of (capital intensive) industrial mines increases only the use of lethal violence.” (Fourati, Girard, and Laurent-Lucchetti)

US marijuana liberalization led to a large “reduction in both marijuana cultivation and gun-related homicides in Mexico as well as an increase in legal agricultural outputs.” (Swanson)

According to data from 25 African countries, the strength of an ethnic group identity increases when mineral resource exploitation in that group’s historical homeland intensifies. (Berman, Couttenier, and Girard)

Corruption

Grassroots monitoring leads to a decrease in the share of missing expenditures of 8–10 percentage points in non-audit villages in Indonesia. However, “in government audit villages, individuals are less likely to attend, talk, and actively participate in accountability meetings.” (Gonzales, Harvey and Tzachrista)

“Concentrated incentives, i.e. notifying of audit timing in advance, would have persuaded bureaucrats to forgo misappropriating an additional USD 35m (16% of average annual expenditures [on Indonesia’s employment guarantee program]) when compared to dispersed incentives, i.e. messages are uninformative and audit timing is unpredictable.” (Wong)

Switching from appointed to randomly assigned municipal auditors in Italy increased municipality’s surplus by 9 percent and debt repayments by 8 percent, with improvements coming from those that ran deficits before the reform and where the mayor did not face re-election pressure. (Vannutelli) #DID

In Russia, the procurement prices in rigged auctions are between 36 percent and 44 percent higher and the reported number of bidders is 23 percent lower. (Charankevich) #FE

Elections

Reducing the separation between Church and State can be corrosive to political institutions: religious leaders in Pakistan use their legitimacy to gain political office and misuse their political authority to undermine the independence of the Judiciary. (Mehmood and Seror)

Male-specific labor market shocks in Brazil increase support for Bolsonaro among men, while female-specific labor market shocks reduce support among women. (Barros and Santos Silva)

Rodrigo Duterte’s 2016 inauguration speech on illegal drugs solidified the population’s perception of illegal drugs as one of the primary and most pressing concerns in the Philippines. (Jetter and Molina)

Voters in South Africa are swayed by “whether a party is just winning a pre-election poll, compared to just losing.” “Supporters of the party just ahead in the polls are 10 percentage points more likely to turn out to vote and 12 percentage points more likely to vote for their party.” (Orkin)

Regionalist parties cause local violence in constituencies with significant tribal populations in India, as successful regionalists favor local ethnic majorities, causing higher uncertainty for minority groups. (Kapoor and Magesan)

Networks

The Ebola epidemic in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone in 2014–2016 led “people living in more ethnically diverse and less segregated communities” to “demonstrate a broadened sense of identity and lower attachment to own ethnic group following Ebola.” But the effect was the opposite in more isolated communities. (Yarkin) #FE #IV

In Nepal, people playing a lab game demonstrated that among closely knit groups, group members may not choose someone to be the formal monitor of behavior, whereas among more sparsely connected groups, they’re more likely to do so. (Iacobelli and Singh) #LIF

“The need to protect from weather-related subsistence shocks led to weaker kin ties and the development of institutional arrangements going beyond the local community.” Countries whose ancestors had weaker kin ties are associated with institutions of higher quality over time. (Tedeschi)

Network recovery from aggregated relational data is generally possible without parametric assumptions using a nuclear-norm penalized regression. Computation takes seconds for samples with hundreds of observations. (Alidaee, Auerbach, and Leung)

Tax

A tax exemption for newly built buildings in Montevideo, Uruguay led to more housing in some areas. In those areas, grocery store prices fell and there was more variety, driven by increasing competition. (Borraz et al.) #DID

What is the effect of public good and tax collection on tax compliance and political protest? In Haiti, tax collection lowered tax compliance and increased political action, while public goods led to higher tax compliance and lower political action. (Krause) #RCT

“Multinational firms can avoid paying taxes by using intra-group transactions to shift profits to low-tax jurisdictions.” A tax reform in Chile, intended to raise revenues, did not achieve that, but it did increase “the demand for tax advisory services.” (Pomeranz) #DID #ES

A tax reform in Thailand reduced the price subsidy for long-term savings. Middle-income taxpayers—especially those already making small contributions—reduce their savings much more than high-income taxpayers. (Muthitacharoen and Burong) #DID

Providing better advice to customs inspectors in Madagascar boosted their fraud findings, but less so when “opportunities for graft are large.” Monitoring inspectors did not “result in the detection of more fraud or the collection of more revenue.” (Chalendard et al.) #IV #RCT

A letter experiment to nudge income taxpayers in Eswatini resulted in non-filers significantly responding to the nudges, while nil and active filers did not. (Santoro) #RCT

Larger municipal councils in Brazil have greater political diversity, collect higher tax revenues (on services), and exhibit higher expenditures on “pro-social” public goods (health, education, and housing). (Kresch et al.) #RD

A personal income tax reform in Uganda—increasing the marginal tax rate of the top 1 percent group of taxpayers by 10 percentage points—led to a substantial decline in reported income among that income group. (Jouste et al.) #DID

Firms in India “remit 20% higher taxes and report 16% higher taxable income, once they are subject to third-party audits.” (Choudhary and Gupta) #DID

Urban and infrastructure

A location-based price subsidy in Bogotá (Colombia) leads to neighborhood blocks having newer houses—implying more construction. Properties in areas receiving a small subsidy are cheaper than those receiving a bigger subsidy. (Uribe) #RD

Scheduled Castes/Tribes and Muslims are more likely to live in poorer cities in India. Cities with more Muslims have worse access to education and health, while cities with Schedule Castes/Tribes have better access. (Adukia et al.)

“Subsidies for investment in rural areas in India created net benefits for workers due to larger agglomeration economies.” (Reed)

Better transit networks reduce overall criminal activity and improve welfare in Medellín, Colombia, despite dispersing some criminality to different parts of the city. (Khanna et al.)

Areas in Tokyo that had a higher proportion of local lords’ estates at the end of the 1850s now have taller and fewer buildings, more floor space, and higher land prices. (Yamasaki, Nakajima, and Teshima) #RD

The Taiping Rebellion in 19th century China blocked land routes and increased sea-trade. This catalyzed a population shift towards port cities. (Hu)

Transit improvements in Mexico City “reduce informality rates by 4 percentage points” (as informal workers are more sensitive to commuting costs). Worker’s reallocation to the formal sector explain about 17–25 percent of the total welfare gains stemming from the new infrastructure. (Zárate) #DID

How does slum demolition in Victorian England affect the economic outcomes of the displaced? Displaced residents were 7.4 percentage points more likely to move out of their neighborhood and 7.8 percentage points more likely to change their occupation in the medium-run due to the loss of self-owned businesses and local job opportunities. (He)

“After the Mexican Revolution, Indigenous people who descend from centralised societies in pre-colonial times were better able to reject road infrastructure in Mexico.” Where road building was less successful, economic outcomes are worse today. (Elizalde and Hidalgo, and Salgado) #DID

In Turkish provinces where the length of an expressway network increased from 51km to 193km, the AKP party’s vote share increased by 4.2 percentage points, or a one-third increase between 2002 and 2011. (Akubulut-Yuksel, Okoye, and Turan) #FE

Can White Elephants Kill? Unfinished sewerage projects in Peru “increased early-life mortality, driven by lack of water availability, water-borne diseases and accidents.” (Bancalari)

Over 40 percent of infrastructure projects in Brazil are never completed. A change in mayor negatively impacts the delivery of projects inherited (from the opposition) in a construction stage, while it positively impacts the delivery of more recent projects. (Granato and Ferraz) #RD

Areas which adopted electricity early in late 19th century Switzerland continue to be more industrialized and have higher incomes today. The persistence is explained by increased human capital accumulation and innovation. (Brey) #IV

Access to rural roads increases agricultural fires (to clear agricultural residue) which cause a 1.25 percent increase in local PM2.5 pollution in rural India. (Garg, Jagnani, and Pullabhotla) #RD

Brazilian municipalities closer to a migrants’ settlement (from the early 20th century) have enhanced provision of public goods today and more well-defined property rights. The settlements implied a larger size of the middle class which increased pressures for public goods provision and for more egalitarian legal institutions. (Guimbeau)

Water and sanitation

A 1 SD reduction in childhood diarrhea mortality rates from the Programa de Agua Limpia—a 1991 clean water program in Mexico—leads to a 6 percent persisting increase in cognitive skills and 0.11 SD increase in height in adolescence. (Bhalotra, Brown, and Venkataramani)

Drought-hit households in Uganda are 3 percentage points more likely to pay user fees for water and increase time spent fetching water by 1.8 hours per week (13 percent increase). Women and girls spend more time fetching water. (Kamei)

The Swachh Bharat Mission—an in-house toilet construction program in India—reduced sexual assault of women but did not affect reported rape. (Mahajan and Sekhri) #IV

Religion

Exposure to European Christian missions results in a broader scope of morality in the Democratic Republic of Congo today as it is associated with weaker kinship ties and less communal (i.e. more universal) moral values. (Bergeron) #LIF

Massive public-school construction in Indonesia in the 70s decreased attendance in primary Islamic schools in favor of public schools but increased enrolment in religious schools at secondary level—absorbing the higher demand that resulted from mass public primary schooling. (Bazzi, Hilmy, and Marx)

Religious conversion by Christians missions caused persistent anti-gay norms and attitudes in a sample of 33 African countries. (Ananyev and Poyker)

Agriculture and the environment

Agriculture

Why do farmers often “sell low” and “buy high”? Across 20 years and 26 countries, the lean-season price (which we’d expect to be high) doesn’t exceed the harvest season price (which we’d expect to be low) more than a quarter of the time across all countries (and more than half the time in Nigeria). Wait, you mean the farmers knew what they were doing all along? (Cardell and Michelson)

Giving farmers in Mexico autonomy increased adoption of improved agricultural practices, but only in the years after the intervention ended. (Gine) #RCT

In 2014, maize farmers in Tanzania received vouchers for fertilizer, plot-specific fertilizer recommendations, or both. Three to five years later, only farmers who received both “sustain higher yields after the initial intervention concluded.” But even that might be measurement error. (Tamim et al.) #RCT

Farmers in Bihar, India who received reusable, hermetically sealed storage bags for a small price were no more likely to use them than farmers who got them for free. But getting them for free initially did reduce farmers’ willingness to pay for the bags later, “suggesting free distribution can stifle future markets for repeat-purchase goods.” (Shukla, Pullabhotla, and Baylis) #RCT

Training Bangladeshi farmers on a rice-growing innovation boosted “rice yields, revenues, costs, and profits for both trained and untrained farmers in training villages.” Even life satisfaction went up! (Barrett et al.) #RCT

Training dragon fruit farmers in Vietnam improves the quality of dragon fruit (less pesticide residue), and training farmers and intermediaries improve quality even more, but just training intermediaries didn’t cut it. (Park, Yuan, and Zhang) #RCT

“Several African countries have recently centralized their agricultural markets by launching a commodity exchange. What would be the impact of such a move?” This paper presents a model and finds that “forcing all farmers to sell into the commodity exchange can make some farmers worse off.” (Nyarko and Pellegrina)

In Ethiopia, access to a rural road by itself didn’t boost agricultural productivity, and neither did the provision of agricultural extension. But together they boosted productivity by 6 percent. (Gebresilasse) #FE #IV

Why is fertilizer use so low in so many African countries? In Tanzania, lots of farmers worry about counterfeit fertilizer despite testing suggesting it’s not a problem. Two possible explanations: crop yields depend on lots of factors so farmers misattribute low yields to bad fertilizer, and farmers have uncertainty about the likelihood of fertilizer being bad. Evidence from Uganda supports both hypotheses. (Hoel et al.)

“Representative household surveys from the wide Niger river basin [in Niger and Nigeria] show that the relationship between farmers’ market access and crop trade is not simply explained by market access.” (Tsuda)

How does an agricultural minimum wage affect the effects of weather shocks on labor market outcomes in South Africa? “Minimum wage substantially weakens the resilience of agricultural employment to reduced soil moisture in the short term.” (Sharp) #DID

A public works program implemented in Ethiopia since 2005 shows no effect on agricultural productivity. (Gazeaud and Stephane) #DID

Natural disasters

Short-term changes in the share of people living in poverty impact tropical cyclone mortality risk in the Philippines at the municipal level. (Tennant)

Natural disasters in Indonesia increase risk aversion among exposed individuals, with variation by severity, type and time frame of the disasters. (Purcell)

Deforestation

Increasing agricultural productivity could lead to either less deforestation (because people use land more intensively) or more deforestation (because it makes agricultural land more valuable). In Uganda, an agricultural extension program reduced annual deforestation. (Abman et al.) #RD

In Peru, re-electing an incumbent mayor reduces deforestation by a third. (Medina, Moromizato, and Barron) #RD

Rising rice prices in Cambodia increased deforestation as farmers used more land for cash crops. (Wilcox, Ortiz-Bobea, and Just) #IV

Pollution

A tax on passenger vehicles in Uganda decreased imports of passenger vehicles but didn’t reduce registration, since local traders had large inventories. (Forster and Nakyambadde) #DID

Pollution generated by coal fueled power increases anemia among women and children in India. (Datt et al.)

Receiving air pollution forecasts increases willingness to pay to continue receiving such forecasts in Lahore, Pakistan. (Ahmad et al.) #RCT

Air pollution in Colombia not only affects respiratory and cardiovascular health, but also mental health. (Ordonez)

Land acquisition for Special Economic Zones in India “increases uncertainty about landownership leading to a reduction in area under cultivation. This reduces labor demand in agriculture, suppressing agricultural wages and worsening income inequality.” (Misra) #DID

High levels of air pollution decrease student attendance via a health effect and thus reduce reading outcomes by 1.1–2.4 percentage points and math outcomes by 0.5–1.9 percentage points, with girls and older children witnessing a larger decline. (Balakrishnan and Tsaneva)

Macroeconomics

Growth and inequality

Neoclassical growth theory predicts that countries will converge to a level of income affected by their policies, institutions, and culture. Adding the last twenty years of data to older analyses suggests a trend toward unconditional convergence since the 1960s. Policies and institutions have tended to converge toward those associated with richer countries. (Kremer, Willis, and You)

Splitting municipalities in Brazil “increases economic activity and public sector delivery in new municipalities. Parent municipalities remain unaffected.” (Dahis and Szerman)

“Individuals that were exposed to democratic institutions during their “impressionable years” (ages 18–25) display persistently higher levels of civic engagement.” (Ajzenman, Aksoy, and Fiszbein)

Vernacularization, i.e. the increased use of the common or spoken tongues in writing following the Protestant Reformation in 1517, led to a significant increase in works from authors with low socioeconomic background. An increase in vernacular printing also increased city population growth and in future births of famous individuals. (Binzel, Link, and Ramachandran)

In India, the steady state distribution of household durable expenditures exhibits natural clusters (or “classes”). “Households in the lowest class may be unable to take advantage of either the labor market (via education investment to increase subsequent income) or the marriage market (via durables as a signal of ‘social status’).” (Maitra)

A new metric intended to capture the concept of “inclusive growth” is used to demonstrate that in India, there is “evidence of inclusive growth only in horizontal decomposition (social groups and religion) in the urban sector and for a few (middle) deciles in the rural sector.” (Thapliyal and Malghan)

OLS estimates of relative income mobility based on household data in Indonesia show higher mobility than the preferred IV estimates. Absolute mobility in income and consumption expenditure also suggests lower upward mobility. (Zafar) #IV

Who benefits from an allocation? Allocations of Mexico’s PROGRESA anti-poverty program rank a household 13 percentiles higher if indigenous, 8 percentiles lower for each SD increase in household income, and 21 percentiles higher for each additional small child in the household, on average. (Björkegren, Blumenstock, and Knight)

Foreign capital liberalization reduces capital misallocation and increases aggregate productivity in India. “For initially high marginal revenue products of capital (MRPK), liberalization increased revenues by 19%, physical capital by 59%, and wage bills by 29%.” There were no effects on low MRPK firms. (Bau and Matray) #DID

In Peru, “where different ethnic groups were (historically) composed of more heterogenous subpopulations, they engage in more reciprocal behavior and exhibit more open attitudes toward out-group members.” (Artiles)

Trade

How much can employers suppress wages below marginal productivity? In Colombia’s exporting firms, “workers produce about 30% more than their wage level.” (Amodio and de Roux)

Reductions in trade costs of agricultural outputs and inputs across countries between 1980 and 2015 led to welfare and productivity gains. (Farrokhi and Pellegrina)

China’s accession to the World Trade Organization and the subsequent reduction in tariff uncertainty (i.e. higher exports) led to a lower probability of enrolling in high school, especially in urban areas. (Leight and Pan) #DID

“Exporter market power prevents farmers (in Ecuador) from benefiting from international trade.” (Zavala)

Chinese import competition increased formal employment in India by 4.6 percent and aggregate labor productivity by 3.9 percent. (Chakraborty, Singh, and Soundararajan) #IV

Exposure to Chinese imports led to short-run declines in employment of both men and women in Peru; however, adverse effects are only persistent for women. (Mansour, Medina, and Vélasquez)

Before you go

Here are summaries of two papers that were rejected by the conference—one submitted by Almedina and one by Dave.

Experiencing an earthquake in Indonesia before age 5 leads to 0.7 years less schooling in the long run. Boys have lower education outcomes including cognitive skills, whereas girls exhibit worse health outcomes. (Gignoux, Menéndez, and Music) #DID

Across more than 140 impact evaluations of education interventions in African countries, multi-faceted pedagogical support programs and mother tongue instruction programs both performed well in multiple settings. (Evans and Mendez Acosta) You can also read the authors’ blog post about the paper.

The order of authors on this blog was determined by a virtual coin flip. This blog post benefited from research assistance from Amina Mendez Acosta and improvements from Jeremy Gaines. It also appears on the Development Impact blog.

[newscheckz]

2020 Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum Awards

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2020 Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum Awards

24 women founders and entrepreneurs, driving economic growth and development for Africa, have been selected as finalists for 2020 AWIEF Awards.

The Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) , a leading pan-African entrepreneurship and innovation non-profit, has announced the top finalists for the 2020 edition of its AWIEF Awards.

The annual AWIEF Awards, through a nomination process, identifies and celebrates the best female entrepreneurs across multiple industries in Africa.

Promoting and supporting excellence in entrepreneurship and innovation amongst women-owned businesses in all sectors and across all 54 African countries, is the aim of AWIEF which hosts the sixth edition of its prestigious and benchmarking annual Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum Conference, this year as a virtual event, on 2nd and 3rd December 2020.

24 women founders and entrepreneurs, driving economic growth and development for Africa, have been selected as finalists for 2020 AWIEF Awards, from different African countries, across 8 different categories.

According to Irene Ochem, AWIEF founder and chief executive officer, “this year more than ever, it is vital to acknowledge and celebrate women entrepreneurs in Africa for their leadership and innovation. The impact of the global pandemic has been disproportionate and devastating, and women are showing exceptional resilience.”

Conference

The 2020 AWIEF Awards winners will be announced on 3rd December at the awards ceremony following on from the two-day AWIEF2020 Virtual Conference. The theme this year is: ‘Reimagining business and rebuilding better’.

Finalists

The finalists for the 2020 AWIEF Awards are:

Young Entrepreneur Award Sazia Souza, Managing Partner, Technoplus (Mozambique) Hannah Lavery, Founder, Hannah Lavery (South Africa) Olajumoke Odumola, Founder and CEO, KJK Online Communications (Nigeria) Asomaniwaa Owusu-Ansah, Founder and Chief Pharmacist, Erith Health Services (Ghana)

Tech Entrepreneur Award Claudette Akinpaye, Founder and Managing Director, Agrizilla (Rwanda) Marlize Holtzhausen, Founder and CEO, Response24 (South Africa) Abimbola Adebakin, CEO, Advantage Health (Nigeria)

Social Entrepreneur Award Rita Stryker, CEO, Willette Safehouse (Liberia) Adenike Akinsemola, Founder and Director, The Green Institute (Nigeria) Doris Mollel, Founder and Executive Director, Doris Mollel Foundation (Tanzania) Mariam Mell’Osiime Mpaata, Founder and CEO, Junior Stars Youth Development Programme (Kenya)

Agri Entrepreneur Award Victoria Mwafulirwa, Managing Director, Homes Industries (Malawi) Jacqueline Mukashyaka, Chief Executive Officer, Champion Grocers (Rwanda) Armelle Sidje Tamo, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, PRA (Product Related to Agricultural Sector (Cameroun)

Creative Industry Award Hannellie Coetzee, Visual Artist, Wild Wall Tiles/Hannelie Coetzee (South Africa) Ayanfe Olarinde, Lulu Arts and UnEarthical (Nigeria) Alice Muyambo, Visual Artist, Fortitude Arts Gallery (Zambia)

Energy Entrepreneur Award Enoyonam Mosia, Co-founder, Easy Solar (Sierra Leone) Amma Serwah Boateng, Co-founder, Destra Energy Group (Ghana)

Empowerment Award Porcho Marguerite Sogoba, CEO, MUSODEV (Mali) Nasreen Aleey, Founder and CEO, Afrikapu (Kenya) Qabale Duba, Founder and CEO, Qabale Duba Foundation (Kenya)

Lifetime Achievement Award Robyn de Villiers, Chairman and CEO, BCW Africa (South Africa) Daisy Molefhi, Founder and Executive Director, ABM University College (Botswana)

[thekolsocial]

Indigenous Groups Evicted From Kenya Ancestral Lands

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Indigenous Groups Evicted From Kenya Ancestral Lands

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Indigenous Groups Evicted From Kenya Ancestral Lands

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Millions of people from Kenya’s indigenous and other marginalised groups face stiff challenges in exercising their land rights.

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”26px”][vc_column_text]Forest-dwelling communities are being forcibly evicted from their Kenya ancestral lands, as temperatures plummet and coronavirus cases soar. The Community Land Action Now (CLAN), a network of more than 130 indigenous community groups, said the evictions by the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) had left hundreds of families in the Rift Valley region homeless and struggling to survive.

About 300 families from the Ogiek community who inhabit the Mau Forest, and 28 families from the Sengwer people in Embobut Forest had seen their homes demolished or burnt down, and their farms destroyed by forest guards, they said. “Communities living in forests are finding it quite difficult because of these evictions. There should be a stoppage to these evictions,” said Peter Kitelo, who chairs the CLAN network, during a virtual press conference.

Officials from KFS were not immediately available for comment but the government has previously cited protection and conservation of the forests as the reason for the evictions. Millions of people from Kenya’s indigenous and other marginalised groups face stiff challenges in exercising their land rights as many do not have title deeds, despite having inhabited the forests for centuries, say campaigners.

The Mau forest is home to about 50,000 Ogiek people who depend on it for their traditional livelihoods, including hunting and foraging. Yet since colonial times, they have faced repeated evictions as their land is allocated to other communities for political reasons and used for commercial purposes, including logging.

The African Court on Human and People’s Rights recognised their right over their ancestral home in a landmark ruling three years ago, but the Kenyan government has failed to implement the decision. It previously said the removal of the Ogiek people was necessary to protect the Mau Forest, known as the east African nation’s “water tower” because it channels rainwater into a dozen major rivers and lakes.

While in western Kenya, the Sengwer hunter-gatherers have fought for more than five decades for the right to live in the Embobut forest in the Cherengany Hills from where they were first evicted by British colonialists. They have repeatedly faced harassment and eviction. The latest threat was from a European Union-funded water conservation project. “These evictions have really hit us because it’s evictions during COVID times. It’s evictions when kids are not at school and during the very coldest season of the year,” said Milka Chepkorir, a representative from the Sengwer community.

Kenya has 15,601 confirmed cases of the disease and 263 deaths, according to the ministry of health. Representatives from the Ogiek and Sengwer groups called on the government to recognise their rights as shareholders of the forests, adding that local communities were the best protectors and conservers of the environment. “We find ourselves treated like less than citizens, being evicted every now and then,” said Daniel Kobei, executive director of the Ogiek People’s Development Program. “People have forgotten the fact that the Ogiek people are the owners of the forest. We are good at protecting the forests.”[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”26px”][vc_empty_space height=”26px”][/vc_column][vc_column fade_animation_offset=”45px” width=”1/2″]

[vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”footer-3″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row padding_top=”0px” padding_bottom=”0px” content_text_aligment=”” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no”][vc_column fade_animation_offset=”45px”][vc_column_text]Editing by Claire Cozens, Thomson Reuters[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[un-enfant-immature]

WHO Africa hosts hackathons, offers seed funds to fight COVID-19

The World Health Organization in Africa is holding virtual hackathons and offering up to $20,000 in seed-funds to finalists with digital solutions to stem COVID-19.

The regional office of the UN agency completed its first challenge earlier this month and will host a second, for French speaking Africa, in coming weeks, WHO’s Technical Officer Moredeck Chibi told TechCrunch.

According to Dr. Chibi, the WHO-AFRO Digital Hackathon series aims to prompt tech applications — with specificity to Africa — to curb the spread and negative impact of COVID-19 — which began to spike on the continent in March.

For the first virtual challenge, WHO selected participants via an online application process and split them into teams via Zoom. Groups were tasked with developing scalable concepts aligned with WHO’s current COVID-19 response strategy, which includes infection prevention and control, case management, surveillance and continuity of health services.

The winning hackathon group, led by Ghanaian Entrepreneur Laud Basing, developed a screening tool concept — operable via mobile app or USSD code — that maps COVID-19 test cases, classifies them according to risk and provides data to national authorities to plan responses. The team will receive $10,000 from the WHO to pilot their concept, and support in locating additional funding and expertise.

Image Credits: World Health Organization Africa

WHO aggregates coronavirus data on its Africa incident tracking database.

Early in March, the continent’s COVID-19 cases by country were in the single digits, but by mid-month those numbers had jumped — leading the WHO’s Regional Director for Africa Dr. Matshidiso Moeti to sound an alarm on the virus at a March 19 press conference. She noted at the beginning of March there were only five countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with cases. That had grown to 30 by mid-month and now stands at 44. 

By the World Health Organization’s stats Monday there were 6023 COVID-19 cases in Sub-Saharan Africa and 240 confirmed deaths related to the virus, up from 463 cases and 8 deaths on March 18.

The hardest hit country so far, South Africa, has gone into a government enforced lockdown.

As COVID-19 spreads in Africa’s major economies, policy-makers and founders have looked to the continent’s tech sector to shapes responses.

Africa Roundup: Africa’s tech ecosystem responds to COVID-19

The central banks of Ghana and Kenya have turned to mobile-money as a public-health tool, adopting measures to shift a greater volume of transactions toward digital payments and away from cash — which the World Health Organization flagged as a conduit for coronavirus.

Africa’s largest incubator, CcHub, launched a fund and open call for tech projects aimed at curbing COVID-19 and its social and economic impact.

And Pan-African e-commerce company Jumia has offered African governments use of its last-mile delivery network for distribution of supplies to healthcare facilities and workers.

The WHO’s COVID-19 related Africa hackathons aren’t the first time the organization has turned to the continent’s techies. In 2019, the Geneva based body launched the WHO Innovation Challenge — a competition to shape “home-grown innovations with potential to solve African health challenges”. It drew 2400 entries from 44 countries.

Those interested in pitching a solution to the World Health Organization’s next hackathon in response to COVID-19 can contact WHO’s regional Africa office.

[bowsetter]

Nigerian Startups Call for Cryptocurrency Regulation to Stem Investment Outflows

Nigeria’s financial technology startups have called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to provide legal guidelines for the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry. A lack of regulation is driving investment out of Africa’s biggest economy to areas like Rwanda and Europe while fomenting uncertainty, according to the Electronic Payment Practitioners Association of Nigeria (E-ppan).

Also Read: Canadian Bitcoin Miner Hut 8 Reports Q3 Loss of $8.7 Million

Lack of Regulation Drives Capital Away

“Investments in blockchain-based financial services such as cryptocurrency are today going to Rwanda and Malta, which have provided regulatory frameworks that guide operators of the technology,” Ade Atobatele, founder of Gboza Gboza Technology Ltd, a member of the E-ppan association, is quoted by the local Guardian newspaper as saying.

Atobatele was speaking at a conference organised by the fintech lobby group in the Nigerian commercial capital Lagos this week. Noting how technology develops at a rate much faster than financial regulators can cope with, he said some regulatory oversight is, nevertheless, needed to give direction and to tackle issues around risk and service delivery. Atobatele lamented:

We have a license with CBN, but our blockchain-based services are being operated in Rwanda, which has offered us the license.

E-ppan is a broad-based fintech industry representative body with links to the Nigerian central bank, particularly “on regulations that govern the electronic payments industry.” The group says on its website that “we influence the policy environment by applying pressure strategically to key decision makers to change the business environment positively.”

‘Cryptocurrency a Gamble’

In 2014 Nigeria eclipsed South Africa as the continent’s biggest economy, with a GDP of $400 billion. But huge inequalities, corruption and illicit financial flows still persist in Africa’s most populous nation. The cryptosphere in Nigeria is trading under caution from Godwin Emifiele, governor of the CBN, who has likened cryptocurrencies “to a gamble.” However, the Nigerian parliament has instituted an investigation into the merits and demerits of adopting bitcoin as a means of payment.

In spite of all that, Nigerians continue to flood the digital currency space in search of cheaper and faster ways to send money abroad – or receive it – and to hedge against inflation and exchange-related losses of the Naira, the local unit. According to Citigroup, Nigerians account for the world’s third largest holdings of bitcoin, as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product, after Russia and New Zealand. Ignoring warnings from financial regulators, a flurry of startups in the country have taken to initial coin offerings or setting up virtual currency exchanges.

Regulation Coming

Speaking at the E-ppan conference, Musa Jimoh, an official with the Central Bank of Nigeria, said regulation is on the way. He detailed:

We are restructuring the licensing regime to accommodate risks that fintech present in the system and how they can work with banks to mitigate those risks. Fintechs are coming up with products and technology that is unmatched with banks, this also needs to be addressed.

According to the the Guardian report, Michael Kiberu, chief executive officer of Vault Bridge, a member of E-ppan, called on regulators in the West African country to learn from countries such as Uganda, Switzerland, Kenya and Japan, where cryptocurrencies operate with some level of legal guidance, allowing capital to flow more freely into the sector.

Calls for regulation of the digital currency landscape may, however, be anathema to some crypto hardliners. Such so-called maximalists advocate the foundational principles of bitcoin, as a currency built for freedom, to resist any form of control, especially that from governments.

What do you think about the calls for cryptocurrency regulation in Nigeria? Let us know in the comments section below.

Images courtesy of Shutterstock.

The Bitcoin universe is vast. So is Bitcoin.com. Check ourWiki, where you can learn everything you were afraid to ask. Or read our news coverage to stay up to date on the latest. Or delve into statistics on our helpful tools page

The post Nigerian Startups Call for Cryptocurrency Regulation to Stem Investment Outflows appeared first on Bitcoin News.

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[newscheckz]

2020 Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum Awards

New Post has been published on https://newscheckz.com/2020-africa-women-innovation-and-entrepreneurship-forum-awards/

2020 Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum Awards

24 women founders and entrepreneurs, driving economic growth and development for Africa, have been selected as finalists for 2020 AWIEF Awards.

The Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) , a leading pan-African entrepreneurship and innovation non-profit, has announced the top finalists for the 2020 edition of its AWIEF Awards.

The annual AWIEF Awards, through a nomination process, identifies and celebrates the best female entrepreneurs across multiple industries in Africa.

Promoting and supporting excellence in entrepreneurship and innovation amongst women-owned businesses in all sectors and across all 54 African countries, is the aim of AWIEF which hosts the sixth edition of its prestigious and benchmarking annual Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum Conference, this year as a virtual event, on 2nd and 3rd December 2020.

24 women founders and entrepreneurs, driving economic growth and development for Africa, have been selected as finalists for 2020 AWIEF Awards, from different African countries, across 8 different categories.

According to Irene Ochem, AWIEF founder and chief executive officer, “this year more than ever, it is vital to acknowledge and celebrate women entrepreneurs in Africa for their leadership and innovation. The impact of the global pandemic has been disproportionate and devastating, and women are showing exceptional resilience.”

Conference

The 2020 AWIEF Awards winners will be announced on 3rd December at the awards ceremony following on from the two-day AWIEF2020 Virtual Conference. The theme this year is: ‘Reimagining business and rebuilding better’.

Finalists

The finalists for the 2020 AWIEF Awards are:

Young Entrepreneur Award Sazia Souza, Managing Partner, Technoplus (Mozambique) Hannah Lavery, Founder, Hannah Lavery (South Africa) Olajumoke Odumola, Founder and CEO, KJK Online Communications (Nigeria) Asomaniwaa Owusu-Ansah, Founder and Chief Pharmacist, Erith Health Services (Ghana)

Tech Entrepreneur Award Claudette Akinpaye, Founder and Managing Director, Agrizilla (Rwanda) Marlize Holtzhausen, Founder and CEO, Response24 (South Africa) Abimbola Adebakin, CEO, Advantage Health (Nigeria)

Social Entrepreneur Award Rita Stryker, CEO, Willette Safehouse (Liberia) Adenike Akinsemola, Founder and Director, The Green Institute (Nigeria) Doris Mollel, Founder and Executive Director, Doris Mollel Foundation (Tanzania) Mariam Mell’Osiime Mpaata, Founder and CEO, Junior Stars Youth Development Programme (Kenya)

Agri Entrepreneur Award Victoria Mwafulirwa, Managing Director, Homes Industries (Malawi) Jacqueline Mukashyaka, Chief Executive Officer, Champion Grocers (Rwanda) Armelle Sidje Tamo, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, PRA (Product Related to Agricultural Sector (Cameroun)

Creative Industry Award Hannellie Coetzee, Visual Artist, Wild Wall Tiles/Hannelie Coetzee (South Africa) Ayanfe Olarinde, Lulu Arts and UnEarthical (Nigeria) Alice Muyambo, Visual Artist, Fortitude Arts Gallery (Zambia)

Energy Entrepreneur Award Enoyonam Mosia, Co-founder, Easy Solar (Sierra Leone) Amma Serwah Boateng, Co-founder, Destra Energy Group (Ghana)

Empowerment Award Porcho Marguerite Sogoba, CEO, MUSODEV (Mali) Nasreen Aleey, Founder and CEO, Afrikapu (Kenya) Qabale Duba, Founder and CEO, Qabale Duba Foundation (Kenya)

Lifetime Achievement Award Robyn de Villiers, Chairman and CEO, BCW Africa (South Africa) Daisy Molefhi, Founder and Executive Director, ABM University College (Botswana)

[jacobhinkley]

Humaniq Wants YOU for Hack.Summit (Blockchain)

Hack.summit (Blockchain) is a virtual conference and hackathon where developers can learn about  the latest developments of blockchain technology from world-class technical leaders and collaborate with other developers from the comfort of their living room.

According to the event organiser, at the present time there are more than 10,000 registered from over 157 countries and this only the beginning – for it is planned to break  past years’ records.

Humaniq is well-known for its support of start-up developers and the Blockchain community:  the Humaniq team held a ‘Global Challenge’ for start-up projects to facilitate the development of new financial inclusion solutions aimed at helping the world’s unbanked population.

About 450 participants entered projects made especially for the Humaniq platform and three winners were selected for an expedition to Kenya. This provided an opportunity  to meet the people who stand to benefit from new services, in order to to test and adapt emerging business plans based on hearing what citizens there want and need.

Today Humaniq also contributes the amount of $5,000 for charity and the Hackathon Grand Prize and invites everyone to join the largest programming conference ever created and the largest historical hackathon in the world  – with 30,000+ registered hackers in 2016. Proceeds will support non-profit organisations: Women who Code, Black Girls Code, freeCodeCamp, CoderDojo, Bridge Foundry, and Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Register here for the hackathon.

About Humaniq

Humaniq is a London-based Fintech firm that provides next-generation financial services using its Hybrid Blockchain-based mobile application to the unbanked and underprivileged in emerging economies globally.

Humaniq is focused on worldwide financial inclusion by providing access to global markets, greater opportunities, and novel financial solutions using repurposed technologies for those gaining exposure to financial services for the first time.

The post Humaniq Wants YOU for Hack.Summit (Blockchain) appeared first on CoinSpeaker.

Humaniq Wants YOU for Hack.Summit (Blockchain) published first on https://medium.com/@smartoptions