Innovation + Inclusion

Innovations can make a difference in the way poor people live. Though, traditionally, innovations have been developed in rich countries, and targeted at high income markets, recent experience shows that a growing number of innovations are directed to the needs of the poor, and have the potential to create new development opportunities. For instance, mobile phones have opened new business opportunities among poor communities thanks to their affordability and simplicity. The objective of this initiative is to stimulate the development of innovations that improve the quality of life and economic inclusion of poor people in Latin America and the Caribbean. The initiative currently is supporting the development and piloting of the following four technology-based innovations.

	Haiti - One of the biggest fears of parents everywhere is to lose their child or to see their child suffer. The project was selected for its innovative approaches not only to the problem of malnutrition, but for its pro-active stance on improving the agricultural chain as well as providing employment More
	El Salvador and Honduras - Why settle for selling only in the local artisan markets when the entire world can have access to your goods? The project allows small scale artisans and other producers to increase their markets through technology More
	Ecuador - For many of us, it is impossible to imagine living without the Internet. The Internet offers us thousands of possible uses, from weather reports to work tools. Using a long-distance wireless transmitter, the project will help reduce the isolation of the schools and health centers More
	Nicaragua - How can an elderly woman in a rural area get tested for a serious disease when she can’t get to the closest city? Aiming to narrow the gap in medical technology innovations, the project will produce easily deployable biomedical training kits to allow state-of-the-art biomedical techniques to reach the poor in Nicaragua More