Jeffrey Sachs, director of the United Nations Millennium Villages Project, was recently interviewed by the US-based CNN news provider regarding the rise of mobile phone ownership in impoverished areas throughout Africa. As people can more easily call for medical help, send a quick letter to a loved one or start a savings account, Dr. Sachs argues that mobile phone ownership will transform development: “Poverty is almost equated with isolation in many places of the world. Poverty results from the lack of access to markets, to emergency health services, access to education, the ability to take advantage of government services and so on. What the mobile phone—and more generally [Information Technology]—is ending is that kind of isolation.” [1]
By Cameron Milani, Research Associate
Sources and Additional Resources:
[1] CNN, “Mobile phone: Weapon against global poverty,” http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/09/tech/mobile/mobile-phone-poverty/index…
MicroCapital Article, August 23, 2011: “MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Kenya’s M-PESA Mobile Money Service Reports Revenue Growth of 56%,” https://www.microcapital.org/microcapital-brief-kenya%E2%80%99s-m-pesa-mobile-money-service-reports-revenue-growth-of-56/
MicroCapital Article, November 26, 2007: “MICROCAPITAL STORY: Jeffrey Sachs Outlines The Gate Lecture, Highlights Microfinance at Dubai International Fianancial Centre (DIFC),” https://www.microcapital.org/microcapital-story-jeffrey-sachs-outlines-th…
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