Zimbabwe Bringing Light to Health Care: Lessons from the UNDP Solar for Health Program in Zimbabwe

The World Health Organization reports that one in four health facilities in sub-Saharan Africa have little to no access to electricity, and only 30 per cent of health facilities reported having reliable access to electricity. To address this issue, the UNDP started the Solar for Health Initiative in 2015, starting with their pilot in Zimbabwe. The Solar for Health project aims to establish dependable electricity access for off-the-grid healthcare centers infrastructure – including clinics, labs, hospitals etc. – through solar panel installations.

Zimbabwe Africaid’s Zvandiri: Peer Support Interventions for Young Mothers Living with HIV

Hardly Reached Young pregnant or breastfeeding women living with HIV and disproportionately vulnerable to the effects of the HIV epidemic. Key Takeaways Based on 29 interviews conducted with Zvandiri staff and volunteers, researchers found that peer supporters are most effective when they: Acknowledgements This research was made possible through the Reach Alliance, a partnership between […]

India Cutting Through the Grass Ceiling: Supporting Women Smallholder Farmers with the Collective Power of Community, Participatory Learning, and Trust

Hard to Reach Women smallholder farmers who face compounding barriers from high levels of gender inequality in India. Key Takeaways Digital Green’s UPAVAN trial’s successes and shortcomings reveals five key insights to be learned when designing interventions to support the empowerment of women: Acknowledgements This research was made possible through the Reach Alliance, a partnership […]

Mali Social Art for Behavioural Change (SABC): Promoting WASH in Mali

Hard to Reach The vulnerable communities who reside in the rural districts of Kati and Bla who lack access to proper toilets and clean. Key Takeaways According to respondents, the project’s main objective — increasing access to water and sanitation resources for community members of Kati and Bla — was achieved. Key lessons include: Acknowledgments […]

South Sudan Delivering Life-saving Information: The Blue Messenger Bicycles Initiative in South Sudan

Hard to Reach Individuals who lack information infrastructure and face severe information inaccessibility in South Sudan. Key Takeaways The unique insights from Blue Messenger Bicycles while reaching the hardest to reach includes: Acknowledgements This research was made possible through the Reach Alliance, a partnership between the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs & […]

Syria Syrian White Helmets: Manufacturing PPE in a Conflict Zone

Hard to Reach Communities in Northwest Syria living in a region where the healthcare system is severely damaged. Key Takeaways The outcomes of the White Helmets’ PPE manufacturing project are a testament to the organization’s hard work. Beyond this,the initiative highlights several key factors that led to a successful implementation of localization in delivering humanitarian […]

Mexico Strengthening Small Family Businesses in Tequila, Mexico

Hard to Reach Small local artisanal family businesses in Tequila, Mexico. Key Takeaways The tequila industry can serve as both an enabler and a barrier to family microbusinesses in the region, depending on how aligned the businesses are with its goals and with the burgeoning tequila tourism in the region. Barriers facing family microbusinesses in […]

Mexico The Invisibility of Children with Cognitive Immaturity in Marginalized Mexican Communities

Hard to Reach Children, teenagers, and their families who live outside urban areas in Mexico who have been victims of social inequality, political violence, and poor-quality education. Key Takeaways Education is one of 29 fundamental rights established by the Mexican constitution, and perhaps the only one that every government has failed to support. Even though […]

Mexico The City Seen By Women: The Appropriation of Public Spaces from a Gender Perspective

Hard to Reach Women and girls in the neighbourhoods of Lomas Modelo Norte and Colonia del Topo-Fomerrey 49, Monterrey that face alarming levels of violence and other forms of insecurity in both private and public spaces. Key Takeaways Both Lomas Modelo and the Fomerrey 49 Topo Chico hill communities face social, political, economic, and cultural […]

United Kingdom Accessing Maternal Healthcare in a Hostile Environment

Hard to Reach Refugees, People Seeking Asylum, and Undocumented Migrants seeking maternal healthcare in Camden. Key Takeaways While systemic and wider policy change are essential, certain actions can be implemented concurrently to enable greater support for groups seeking maternal healthcare including: Acknowledgments This research was made possible through the Reach Alliance, a partnership between the […]

Canada Operation Remote Immunity: Providing Vaccines in Remote Indigenous Communities

Hard to Reach Indigenous communities in remote Northern Ontario that lack access to medical care facilities and are especially vulnerable to the adverse effects of the spread of COVID-19. Key Takeaways Operation Remote Immunity (ORI) provides valuable insights into developing and implementing more inclusive public health campaigns, and specifically for remote Indigenous communities. These include:

Morocco Water in the Desert: Dar Si Hmad’s Fog-Harvesting Program

Hard to Reach Communities of the Anti-Atlas Mountains who are isolated from legal, educational, and socio-cultural contexts. Key Takeaways DSH has managed to sustain its success, expand consistently, and become the world’s largest fog-harvesting project. DSH’s success is due to several elements including: Acknowledgements This research was made possible through the Reach Alliance, a partnership […]

Peru Addressing Anemia in Peru: Nutri-H’s Iron-Fortified Solutions

Hard to Reach Individuals in rural areas of Peru at risk for anemia and face health equity issues such as poverty, food insecurity, geographical isolation, and lack of reliable access to healthy food. Key Takeaways Iron deficiency anemia is a global issue that affects many countries and requires a combination of complex solutions andcoordinated efforts […]

Rwanda Increasing Meaningful Financial Inclusion in Rwanda: Community-Based Savings and Credit Co-operative Societies

Hard to Reach Rwandans facing geographical barriers, lack of financial literacy, and socioeconomic circumstances preventing them from effectively accessing and utilizing financial services offered by commercial banks or micro-finance institutions. Key Takeaways There is an array of factors that have allowed saving and credit co-operative societies (SACCOs) to succeed in Rwanda, eachcontributing a unique piece […]

Barbados Barbados’ Trident: A Multipronged Approach to Combatting Childhood Obesity through Advocacy, Policy, and Education

Hard to Reach Interventions led by different sectors to tackle childhood obesity in Barbados. Key Takeaways The only way to achieve long-term prevention is through changing the culture, which is being tackled through policy and advocacy and through education at every age. Despite various barriers that have become apparent as Barbadians develop into a healthier society, […]

Kenya Mangrove Conservation and Blue Carbon Initiatives in Coastal Kenya

Hard to Reach Remote coastal villages in Kenya that are geographically and socioeconomically hard to reach and vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Key Takeaways Mikoko Pamoja (MP) and the Vanga Blue Forest (VBF) projects are among the first carbon credit projects, with the MP pilot being the first in the world, to leverage […]

Nepal Empowered Community and Local Ownership: The Hariyo Ban “Green Forest” Project 

Acknowledgments The Reach Alliance was created in 2015 by the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, in partnership with Mastercard’s Center for Inclusive Growth. Our global university network now includes: Ashesi University, the University of Cape Town, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Singapore Management University, University College London, University of Melbourne, University […]

Vanuatu Resilience in Recovery: The Unblocked Cash Project and Blockchain Humanitarianism in Vanuatu 

Hard to Reach The large unbanked and isolated Ni-Vanuatu population in need of humanitarian aid in Vanuatu. Key Takeaways The success of the project lies in the innate cultural resilience of the Indigenous population that is rooted in community values of sharing and receiving. This includes: Acknowledgments We are grateful to every community organization, stakeholder, […]

Philippines APOAMF Low-Rise Building Project: Community-driven Housing Resilience for Informal Settler Families in the Philippines

Hard to Reach Informal settler families in Metro Manila. Key Takeaways Throughout the development and implementation of the Low-Rise Building Project (LRBP), the community’s leadership, partnerships, and resilience appear to be key features that helped them mobilize from the bottom up to realize their housing rights. Four proposed lessons for other communities or policymakers that […]

Mexico Unsupported Medical Interns in Rural Medical Units, Nuevo León

Hard to Reach Social Service Medical Interns (SSMIs) sent to remote areas in the state of Nuevo León  Key Takeaways The program for social service medical interns (SSMIs) in Mexico needs to be restructured due to the following: Acknowledgements We are grateful to the doctors and medical interns with experience in the southern parts of […]

Mexico The “Kolombia Regia”: Social Vindication in the Face of Stigma and Violence in Monterrey

Hard to Reach The Kolombian subculture who face ideological and social barriers and have been associated with conflict, violence, and street gangs, making them targets of discrimination. Key Takeaways There is a clear need to implement strategic and research-based policy measures that aim to make the spaces where the Kolombian community safer and allow its […]

Mexico Women Defenders of Jalisco: Combatting Land Deterioration

Acknowledgments The Reach Alliance was created in 2015 by the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, in partnership with Mastercard’s Center for Inclusive Growth. Our global university network now includes: Ashesi University, the University of Cape Town, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Singapore Management University, University College London, University of Melbourne, University […]

Nepal Maternal Healthcare for Women with Disabilities in Nepal

Hard to Reach Women with disabilities living in Nepal. Key Takeaways While this research is specific to Kathmandu, it paves the way for recommendations and national policy implementations, as well as future research within the field of disabilities. These recommendations include: Acknowledgments We express our sincere gratitude to our mentors Dr. Kate Roll and Dr. […]

United Kingdom A Place to Play: Children’s Play Needs in England’s Temporary Housing

Hard to Reach Families living in temporary accommodation in the UK. Key Takeaways Temporary Accommodation (TA) does not adequately consider the play needs of children, resulting in insufficient space, distress from instability, and mental fatigue that does not provide a conducive environment for play. While systemic, national policy change is needed, localized actions can be […]

India Teacher Mentorship in India: Improving Pedagogy in Government Schools

Hard to Reach The K-12 government education system in Haryana, India. Key Takeaways Mentors play a host of functions, making them critical in program implementation and furthering the state’s educational goals. The recommendations to strengthen mentorship in Haryana’s educational ecosystem  include: Acknowledgments Special thanks to Dr. Akshay Mangla, Dr. Maya Tudor, and the Reach Alliance team […]

Ghana The “No Bed Syndrome” in Ghanian Tertiary Hospitals

Hard to Reach Patients in Ghanaian tertiary hospitals facing inadequate access to quality healthcare due to the bed shortage and availability of resources. Key Takeaways Considering the research findings, several recommendations for improving the healthcare system emerge for stakeholders to mitigate the No Bed Syndrome:

India Atmiyata: Addressing Mental Distress in India

Hard to Reach People experiencing mental health conditions in the western state of Gujarat. Key Takeaways Atmiyata’s community-led intervention has implications for global development practice, with insights that can be applied to projects in different geographic and cultural contexts. It demonstrates that: Acknowledgments We thank the Reach Alliance, Adrian Little, and the University of Melbourne, […]

Guatemala Fellows for Change: Empowering Education Leaders in Rural Guatemalan Communities

Hard to Reach Populations with a lack of access to quality and relevant education in rural and Indigenous Guatemalan communities. Key Takeaways ConnectED’s model incorporated key features of self-determination and built a culture of trust that the communities had not previously experienced with other educational initiatives or the government. Five key lessons for social development, […]

South Africa Innovative Healthcare Solutions in South Africa: Leveraging Private-Sector Approaches for Universal Health Coverage

Hard to Reach A substantial portion of the population dependent on overburdened public healthcare facilities in South Africa. Key Takeaways Recommendations for Governments on the Path to Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and National Health Insurance (NHI) include: Acknowledgments We express our gratitude to Professor Steve Reid for his guidance and support throughout this project. We […]

Singapore Project MigrantPal: Harnessing Digital Technology to Improve the Well-being of Migrant Workers in Singapore

The Hard to Reach Migrant workers who face language and cultural barriers and have limited access to essential resources in Singapore. Key Takeaways Three issues can increase the chatbot’s usage and effectiveness in assisting migrant workers. These include:

Mexico Hijos del Maíz: Cultural Resilience and Community Responses to Food Insecurity in Amealco, Querétaro

This study is focused on food insecurity in Amealco, a marginalized community in the state of Querétaro, México where almost 60% of its population lives in poverty, with the majority being from indigenous communities (Coneval, 2020). Food security has a critical connection to health, well-being, and the proper development of individuals and societies. Using the […]

India Improving Access to Government Benefits for Internal Seasonal Migrant Workers in India

Hard to Reach Seasonal migrant workers and their families in India. Key Takeaways Indian civil society organizations and Migrant Resource Centres have stepped in to connect migrant workers with their social benefit entitlements. Many have developed several strategies to facilitate access for migrant workers to social benefits including: Acknowledgments We extend our deepest gratitude to […]

Mexico Un Acto de Resistencia: Transforming Food Systems in Jalisco, Mexico

The Hard to Reach Small-scale farmers in the state of Jalisco. Key Takeaways Lessons learned across Alternative Food Networks (AFNs) include: Acknowledgments We express our deepest gratitude to Professor Gregorio Leal Martínez for being incredibly generous with his time guiding our research and field trip and for going above and beyond to ensure our stay […]

United Kingdom Brent’s Digital Transformations for Inclusive Health in London

Hard to Reach The socioeconomically and ethnically diverse borough of Brent with emerging and recurrent barriers to digital healthcare accessibility, quality, and provision. Key Takeaways Since the pandemic, Brent’s health system has been built on a complex infrastructure of services within the health and digital ecosystems, catering to its residents. The research team recommends a […]

Australia Elders for Change: Engaging Incarcerated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women

Hard to Reach Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in prison at the Townsville Women’s Correctional Centre (TWCC). Key Takeaways The research identified five key lessons that Elders for Change’s approach to empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in prison which include: Acknowledgments We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands that encompass the […]

Chile Empowering Chile’s Grassroots Recyclers: Asociación Movimiento Nacional de Recicladores de Chile

Hard to Reach Grassroots recyclers across 19 cooperatives in 10 regions of Chile. Key Takeaways ANARCH’s experiences offer valuable insights for other community-organized groups of informal workers in different contexts. These include how: Acknowledgments This case study would not have been possible without the support and guidance of The University of Melbourne, Kindred, The Reach […]

Colombia Seeding Change: Semillas de Apego and Reaching Caregivers Impacted by Conflict in Colombia

Hard to Reach Children and their caregivers who are affected by violence in Colombian society. Key Takeaways Mental health remains a key focus area for Colombia, with displacement, poverty, and historical conflict all affecting caregiver mental health. Semillas de Apego (SdA) is positioned uniquely within the country’s mental-health service landscape since the organization focuses on […]

South Africa Access to Maternal Healthcare Services for Women Who are Unhoused in Cape Town, South Africa

Canada Just and Accountable Futures: Developing a Proposed Climate Policy Accountability Approach for the City of Toronto

Uganda Health Education on Heart Failure in Uganda

Zambia SMART+: Revolutionizing Nutrition Assessments

Mexico Access to decent housing for refugees in Jalisco

Stable, affordable, and decent housing is a right that all citizens and people seeking refuge in Mexico deserve, however, there are fractures in the government sector that stagnate or prevent the efficient execution of the process of obtaining housing for refugees. There is a clear distinction between the strategies outlined for administrative procedures to be […]

Mexico The sociocultural impact of pollution in urban rivers. Case study: Arroyo Vivo and Distrito Campana-Altamira

Arroyo Seco is a wide, shallow stream located in the Metropolitan Area of Monterrey, in Nuevo León, Mexico. Nevertheless, this State is identified as an area with low availability of groundwater and surface water. Campana-Altamira, a District located in the central-southern part of the city, was established at the confluence of two mountains and the […]

Mexico Caged Beginnings: The Influence of Mexican Prison Infrastructure on the Early Development of Children with Incarcerated Mothers

In Mexico, the National Criminal Execution Law since 2016 grants incarcerated women the right to maintain custody of their children under three years of age within the Penitentiary Center. By 2021, there were 344 children living their early childhood in these facilities. However, only 43 out of 317 prisons had facilities for the education and […]

Ghana From Policy to Practice: Evaluating the WHO-PEN Framework for Cardiovascular Disease Management in Ghana

Hard to Reach Communities within the Ashanti Region and Eastern Region who face significant challenges in accessing quality healthcare. Key Takeaways The team recommends the following for the implementation of the WHO-PEN Framework in Ghana: Acknowledgments We express our deepest gratitude to everyone who has supported us throughout this research journey. We are immensely grateful […]

Singapore How can we Utilise Conversational A.I. to Enhance Financial Literacy for Migrant Workers in Singapore?

Canada Bridging In-Home Health Care Gaps in Rural Ontario

Mexico Assessing the impact of Mexico’s Welfare Bank: Reaching the hardest-to-reach populations

Nepal Blockchain for Social Impact: Empowering Vulnerable Communities Against Climate Shocks in Nepal

Canada Intersection of Technology and Trauma: Overcoming Barriers to Digital PTSD Treatment for Refugees in Canada

Brazil Access to Justice for Women in Brazil: The Role of Paralegals

Mexico Exploring the Impact of Biodigesters in San Juan de Abajo, Mexico 

Mexico Cultural Barriers within Banking Entities: Financial Inclusion of Refugees in Mexico

English: According to the World Bank, financial inclusion is defined as the access that both individuals and businesses have to a diverse range of financial products and services that are useful, attainable, and responsive to their specific needs, such as transactions, payments, savings credit, and insurance, always guaranteeing responsible and sustainable provision. In Mexico, access […]

Mexico Building Ethical Practices and Community Involvement in Deep Sea Mining: A Human Rights-Based Approach for Sustainable Development

Mexico The New Mexican Dream: Accessibility to Financial Instruments

Mexico Dehe Santiago de Mexquititlan and the Hnahnu Struggle for Water

Mexico Searching for a Solution to Contain the Increasingly Dangerous Dengue Fever

South Africa Indigenous Self-Determination: Indigenous Knowledge Systems as an Adaptive Tool for Resilience Among Migrant Women Entrepreneurs

South Africa Bridging Data Gaps for Climate Resilience: A Case Study of Coastal Small-Scale Fishers in Cape Town

South Africa Unconventional Paths: Employment Strategies for Youth Deterred from Completing High School in South Africa

South Africa Building Blocks of Learning: The Role of Educator Training in Early Childhood Development

Peru Responding to Disaster: Lessons from Telecommunications Service in Peru

Peru’s internet infrastructure is highly susceptible to natural disasters and remain nonexistent in some parts of the country—specifically parts of the Peruvian Amazon rainforest. Through a public-private partnership between the government of Peru and Loon, an Alphabet Inc subsidiary company that provides High-altitude Platform Stations (HAPS) in the form of balloons, previously unserved areas were provided with internet access and critical information was shared through restored connectivity in the wake of several large-scale natural disasters. While Loon’s operation in Peru did not achieve commercial success, resulting in the company’s shut down in January 2021, this research will analyze how Loon provided internet connectivity to hard to reach populations in Peru. The study will also explore how private-public partnerships can provide affordable commercial internet access around the world.

Mozambique Public-Private Partnerships for Global Health: The mVacciNation Pilot in Mozambique

Vaccination coverage for several routine vaccines is less than 75 per cent in many parts of in Mozambique, and the under-five mortality rate remains high at 97 deaths per 1,000 live births. A cross sector partnership established the mVacciNation (mVacc) program in 2014 to help tackle the issue of low vaccination coverage among children under the age of five. mVacc is a program based on the use of a mobile phone application. The application is used by healthcare workers to capture and record the vaccinations and health records of each child. With this data, they forecast and optimize vaccine stock levels and follow up with each child’s caregiver via SMS to remind them of upcoming vaccination appointments. Healthcare workers and program managers are able to track vaccine stock levels and ensure safe storage by immediately addressing any issues in the cold chain. The data is then synced and centrally stored on the Ministry of Health cloud, enabling the app to be integrated into existing data management systems.

Mexico Struggle and Resilience of Migrant Indigenous Communities in Irregular Settlements in Mexico

The rapid industrialization of Monterrey in the last century and the lack of attention to social
demands have hyper stratified social interaction in the city. Monterrey embodies the structural
inequalities of Mexico and Latin America, where migrant indigenous people have had to face
constant economic and social pressures, and at the same time remain the most invisible in the
Northern Mexican society. This study aims to describe and explore to what extent the irregular status of urban settlements hinders the access to regulated basic services from migrant indigenous groups in the Monterrey Metropolitan Area and if this perpetuates the cycle of poverty.

Guatemala Bridging the Maternal Care Gap: Mobile Antenatal Care in Rural and Indigenous Guatemalan Communities

Maternal mortality is disproportionately prevalent in low-income countries. Of the 295,000 women who died of complications from pregnancy or childbirth worldwide in 2017, 94 per cent lived in low-income and resource-limited settings. Guatemala’s Alta Verapaz region, where 78 per cent of the population lives in rural areas and 48 per cent live in extreme poverty, reported a maternal mortality rate of 273 in 2012. The EHAS Foundation (Hispanic American Health Link) is combating the issue of maternal mortality in rural Guatemala with the Healthy Pregnancy Project (HPP), a portable prenatal care kit that is designed specifically for use in remote areas. EHAS trains and equips local health personnel with a backpack that includes a computer, a portable ultrasound scanner – powered by a foldable solar panel – and, blood and urine analysis systems that use immediate test strips. Local health personnel organize days in their respective communities where women can come and be tested for possible pregnancy-related complications. Test results and ultrasound images are examined by local health personnel for any possible complications and health risks.

India Addressing Violence Against Women in Madhya Pradesh, India: The Urgent Action and Just Relief Program

Studying the impact of Urgent Action and Just Relief (URJA) on improving women’s security in Madhya Pradesh, India. URJA is a policy intervention that aims to increase access to women to police services in India by providing four key activities:

1. Creation of helpdesks to assist women
2. Creation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and trainings to guide officers on cases involving women
3. Developing outreach to local women’s networks
4. Hiring of additional female officers to URJA desks.

India Expanding Access to Justice Through Community-Based Paralegals in New Delhi and Assam

One out of seven workers in India’s formal economy is a tea plantation worker, of which, more than 50 per cent are women. Many of India’s tea plantation workers are located in the state of Assam, and these workers remain isolated from mainstream society, both physically and in terms of economic development. Nazdeek is a grassroots legal empowerment organization that is increasing access to justice, government programs, legal services and training for tea garden workers in Assam.

Thailand M Fund – a migrant micro insurance program

While Thailand is one of the few countries to have made concrete efforts to include undocumented migrants in their national insurance coverage, there exist barriers to access for up to two thirds of the estimated migrant population. Supported by UNICEF, European Union and the Global Fund, Thailand created the Migration-Fund (M-Fund) Health Insurance Program, which is a voluntary, low-cost and non-profit health insurance scheme for migrants operating along the Thailand-Myanmar border in Thailand. The M-Fund aims to protect the health of migrants uncovered by existing government insurance schemes.
As of November 2019, a total of 13,383 people have enrolled in the program. Reach researchers are examining best practices, challenges and the value of a voluntary health scheme for vulnerable and stigmatized undocumented migrants in Thailand.

Solomon Islands Between State and Nonstate Systems: Access to Justice in Rural Solomon Islands

With almost 1,000 islands spread over tens of thousands of square kilometres and over 80 per cent of people living in remote and rural communities, delivery of law and order has been challenging in the Solomon Islands. Police presence on some islands is limited or even non-existent, breeding mistrust around governance. With support from the World Bank and the Australian government, the Solomon Islands Ministry of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening has established Community Officers and Village Peace Wardens to connect remote islanders to the state, gain local trust with authorities using a tailored community-based approach. Reach Alliance researchers are examining how this community-led project has seen a significant improvement in grievance management systems (over 77 per cent) and linkages to the government (over 68 per cent).

Rwanda From A to O-Positive: Blood Delivery Via Drones in Rwanda

Rwanda’s mountainous topography and infrastructure makes medical supply delivery unreliable – with between 25 to 40 per cent of all temperature-sensitive medical supplies wasted due to inconsistent cold-chain infrastructure. Rural clinics face stockouts, and patients in need of specialized supplies are unable to acquire them. Zipline, a US-based health logistics company, addresses this issue by using drones to deliver medical supplies to district hospitals and rural health centres.

Mexico Evaluating Makerspace Interventions in Cerro del Cuatro

Although youth living in the Cerro del Cuatro community in Mexico face significant social and economic challenges, they also live in a community experimenting with entrepreneurship and improving socioeconomic conditions. This research analyzes how three global makerspaces operate in their own communities. The case studies can be used to inform further student research through the Professional Application Projects at ITESO University where learners seek to adapt contextually similar interventions to the local context of marginalized youth.

Mexico Women’s Economic Empowerment in Jalisco

Co-Meta, an initiative based in Jalisco, mobilizes a network of local economic and social actors who support women’s economic empowerment. The network connects business leaders from across Jalisco, who act as mentors and instructors. This research project aimed to support Co-Meta as it scales up from 130 to 1,500 participants.

Kenya Left Behind: The Socioeconomic Barriers to Last-Mile Mobile Money Access in Kenya

Nearly two billion people remain unbanked, leaving them unable to send or receive money, earn interest or get a loan. Recognizing an opportunity to address this challenge, Kenya’s leading mobile network operator, Safaricom, launched M-PESA in 2007. Billed as the world’s first mobile money service, it affords users the opportunity to transact, save money and get credit using their mobile phone. Since its launch, it has grown to over 40 million users and was a major driver in the two-fold increase in financial inclusion across the country. By unlocking the benefits of financial services to those users, M-PESA was found to have lifted 194,000 households, or 2 per cent of Kenyan households, out of poverty as of 2016 with larger benefits accruing toward female-headed households. Many people, however, remain unreached by M-PESA (and mobile money more broadly). This research examined who those people are and what traits they share in common, and aims to inform policy-makers on how to ensure they do not continue falling behind.

India Why Women’s Police Stations in India Fail to Mitigate Violence Against Women

In India, women experiencing gender-based violence are hesitant to contact the police for fear of societal retaliation, social stigma, low conviction rates and maltreatment by the predominantly male police force. To address this, women’s police stations — staffed by female police officers — were established. Women’s police stations intend to provide a safe space for women to access formal legal services.

Tanzania Reaching the Last Mile: Tanzania’s Medical Supply Chain

Tanzania has gradually and purposefully improved its system for distributing medical commodities. The use of GPS technologies and geo-mapping software to optimize delivery routes has made logistics and information management platforms more precise and efficient. Today, the Medical Stores Department is responsible for delivering all medical commodities directly to over 7,500 public and faith-based health facilities across the country.

Mongolia Mongolia’s Renewable Energy for Rural Access Project: Providing Electricity to Nomadic Herders

Providing reliable, sustainable electricity to Mongolia’s 140,000 nomadic households. The World Bank’s Renewable Energy for Rural Access Program (REAP) helped the Mongolian government distribute over 100,000 solar home systems to rural nomadic families. At the project’s close, REAP improved the design and delivery of portable solar panels and provided 70 per cent of nomadic herders with electricity for their yurts.

Mexico Jalisco, Mexico: Addressing Food Insecurity

Over 15,000 families in Jalisco, Mexico, experience food insecurity. The Guadalajara Food Bank provides these people, spread across 252 communities, with food aid. The Food Bank is currently focused on three aspects of their operations: sustainable procurement of high quality and healthy food items, waste reduction and reaching all families experiencing food insecurity.

Mexico Guadalajara, Mexico: Digital Upskilling in a Conflict Zone

Cerro del Cuatro in Guadalajara, Mexico, is a community experiencing significant amounts of gang violence. As a result, the youth social fabric and economic opportunities are considered weak. ITESO Universidad Jesuita de Guadalajara, collaborating with a local church, Parroquia Nueva Santa Maria, established a digital fabrication laboratory (FabLab) to provide digital upskilling opportunities to younger members of the community as an alternative to gang-activity.

Guinea Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention in Guinea

In Guinea, malaria is the leading cause of death (28 per cent) for children under five — who already have an overall mortality rate of 89 per 1,000. Evidence shows that seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) is effective in reducing the incidence of malaria among children under five in areas of highly seasonal malaria transmission.

India Providing Urban Amenities to Rural Areas: Addressing Rural Poverty in India

Over two-thirds of India’s population lives in rural areas, and rural poverty remains a significant policy concern. Many people migrate from India’s rural to urban areas in search of better economic opportunities. Providing Urban Amenities to Rural Areas (PURA), was a rural development public-private-partnership program, which took a holistic approach to provide more services and opportunities to India’s hardest to reach areas.

India Polio Eradication in India

In 1988, India had an estimated 200,000 polio cases per year and was one of the last countries to track and report cases of polio. Since then, the country consistently improved its polio vaccination and preventative healthcare programs. The polio program’s success can be attributed to motivated central leadership combined with comprehensive local commitment. By 2014, the WHO declared India to be polio-free.

Canada The Implications of Self-Directed Home Care in Ontario: A Case Study on Gotcare Services

Under the leadership of the Malaria-Control Program and the Anti-Malaria Campaign (AMC), various stakeholders coordinated their efforts to eliminate malaria. Widespread antimalarial strategies ensured the number of malaria cases in the country decreased by the 2000s to a level that allowed targeted interventions to proceed.

Tunisia Neighbourhood Upgrading in Tunisia: Connecting Informal Housing with Basic Services

As a result of illegal subdivision of land by landowners, people in Tunisia continue to self-construct homes on plots of land that are not designated for residential buildings. In response to these informal neighborhoods, Tunisia looked to upgrade the neighborhoods by adding access to basic services like water and sanitation.

Sri Lanka Eliminating Malaria in Sri Lanka

Under the leadership of the Malaria-Control Program and the Anti-Malaria Campaign (AMC), various stakeholders coordinated their efforts to eliminate malaria. Widespread antimalarial strategies ensured the number of malaria cases in the country decreased by the 2000s to a level that allowed targeted interventions to proceed.

Ethiopia Ethiopia’s Productive Safety Net Programme: Addressing Food Insecurity with Food and Cash Transfers

Prior to 2005, approaches to food insecurity in Ethiopia did not address the root causes of hunger. With the support of international donors, the Productive Safety Net Program was introduced to tackle climate resilience, community capacity building and rural market penetration through food and cash transfers. As of April 2020, the Productive Safety Net Program supports over 8 million of the most food-insecure people across Ethiopia.

Thailand Eliminating Mother-To-Child Transmission of HIV

The mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) rate of HIV in Thailand, at its worst, was over 20 per cent. Between 2000–2015, the MTCT rate decreased by over 90 per cent through improved antenatal care, antiretroviral therapy, service delivery and, monitoring and surveillance. Civil society organizations played a critical role in advocating for health services to reach everyone, everywhere.

Rwanda Expanded Program on Immunization: Near-universal Childhood Vaccination Rates

Geography, a large rural population and extreme poverty, compounded with the 1994 genocide, all contributed to the challenges facing widespread childhood vaccinations. Rwanda scaled up its immunization program and other health and development programs to meet the Millennium Development Goals. Despite its geographic and historic barriers to improving child mortality outcomes, its immunization program clearly demonstrates effective reach.

Jordan UNHCR Jordan’s Biometric Cash Assistance Program for Syrian Refugees

In partnership with a local bank, and with support from a range of stakeholders, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) developed the world’s first iris-scanning cash-assistance program for refugees in Jordan. Via an established network of iris-scanning enabled ATMs, the program provides monthly income support to the most vulnerable refugee families living in urban areas to help them meet their basic needs such as rent, food, utilities and health. Approximately 33,000 families have received support since 2012 with thousands more on the waitlist.

India Aadhaar Identification Program: Providing Proof of Identity to a Billion

India sought to provide a unique, non-duplicable and fraud-resistant proof of identity to every resident (population 1.3 billion). Starting in 2009, India centralized digital identification through the Aadhaar program. The federal government navigated reaching all of India’s diverse populations through partnerships and contracts with other government agencies and private businesses.

South Africa Reaching the Hard to Reach: A Case Study of Birth Registration in South Africa

Since 2007, the Integrated Community Registration Outreach Programme organizes mobile provision of social services to South Africans living in less accessible areas. Internet-connected mobile units provide integrated services such as birth registration, distribution of birth certificates and distribution of grants for hard to reach populations.

Brazil Reaching the Hard to Reach: A Case Study of Brazil’s Bolsa Família Program

As the largest conditional cash transfer program in the world, the Bolsa Família Program, launched in 2003, currently provides income assistance to more than 14.28 million families through direct government-to-person electronic money transfers via the Caixa Econômica Federal. The program is impressive in its capacity to effectively reach families in the lowest income quintile through its active search (busca ativa) strategy.