Future Africa Blog

Gearing Up For Growth - Reducing Poverty Part Three

Bringing the benefits of mobile communications to rural villages

Nokia, together with the Grameen Foundation, have joined forces to provide rural areas with access to affordable telecommunication services, thus boosting economic development in rural communities.

The Village Phone concept is based on the pioneering work of Professor Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006. It has since been replicated in Uganda and Rwanda. The concept uses microfinance as an innovative tool to create entrepreneurship. It also aims to boost network connections in areas with infrastructural limitations.

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Gearing Up for Growth - Reducing Poverty Part Two

African mobile operators certainly have paved the way for further business development across industries both at corporate and SME level, the infrastructure and services provided have clearly been successful in its own way, however have also provided opportunities for new and existing businesses to develop and transform the way business is conducted in both urban and rural areas.

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