Region: Zimbabwe

Topics: CoronavirusEntrepreneurshipHuman RightsInnovation

Traditional burial societies have provided affordable funeral insurance to generations of Zimbabweans. These community-funded groups have weathered decades of economic chaos – and now is no exception.

Region: Mexico

Topics: CoronavirusEconomyEntrepreneurshipJobs

Informal vendors in Mexico, many of them women, enjoy autonomy and flexibility in how they work. But the coronavirus crisis has underscored the drawbacks – and dangers – of operating outside the formal economy.

Region: Democratic Republic of Congo

Topics: AgricultureEarthEntrepreneurshipJobs

For a long time, agricultural researchers in Kisangani focused on the speed at which crops could reach maturity. Now, larger harvests are the priority. But not all farmers are ready to give up on chemical fertilizers.

Region: Puerto Rico

Topics: AgricultureEntrepreneurshipEnvironmentJobsMoney

Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico nearly three years ago – and highlighted its dependence on imported food. The spread of the new coronavirus could lead to similar food shortages. Green-thumb residents are trying to fix the imbalance by growing and marketing local produce.

Region: Sri Lanka

Topics: ClimateEarthEntrepreneurshipNature

Tailors and banana farmers are boosting their incomes and promoting environmental sustainability through unique initiatives that reuse trash.

Region: Democratic Republic of Congo

Topics: AgricultureEarthEntrepreneurship

A booming population in Kirumba, DRC has made the preferred feed for small livestock very scarce. Farmers have come to rely on local entrepreneurs, who saw the need and now walk long distances to procure the coveted grasses to sell at market.

Region: Zimbabwe

Topics: EconomyEntrepreneurshipMigrationMoney

With inflation tightening its grip on Zimbabwe, people are hungry for ways to get groceries from abroad, but many traditional methods are expensive and inconvenient. But new technology might offer some relief.

Region: Sri Lanka

Topics: EntrepreneurshipInnovation

The country’s women, faced with the threat of sexual assault, often avoid taking long-distance buses alone. A local entrepreneur devised a way to assuage their fears.

Region: India

Topics: AccessEntrepreneurshipHealthInnovationReproductive Rights

In many parts of India, women still struggle against the taboo of their periods and often don’t have the hygiene products they need. Now, female entrepreneurs are taking matters into their own hands and producing the products themselves.

Region: Zimbabwe

Topics: BusinessCorruptionEntrepreneurshipPolitics

Furniture workers make up a large portion of Zimbabwe’s informal economy. But in this particular manufacturing complex, their livelihoods are in danger from constant fires that the authorities can’t address.