Blog
Blog from the field - Celine our Sustainable Energy Program Manager is in Tonga assessing energy poverty and renewable energy options.
First week in Tonga
Monday 30th of May – After 3 hours of flight delay in Sydney, I finally managed to arrive in Tongatapu, main island of the Kingdom of Tonga. It is 3 o’clock in the morning and I am welcome by the wet and warm air.
I never thought I would...
06/24/2011 - 10:17
The inaugural SPBD, Body Shop Aust...
06/23/2011 - 08:54
A micro finance operation which has been operating successfully in Samoa for several years is considering setting up in Solomon Islands.
Gregory Casagrande is the driving force behind South Pacific Business Development Micro Finance.
Presenter: Sean Dorney
Speaker: Gregory Casagrande, South Pacific Business Development Micro Finance
Read the full article here
06/23/2011 - 08:50
We are pleased to announce the winners of the NextBillion 2011 Case Writing Competition, which was co-sponsored by the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan, Acumen Fund, and Ashoka. We received many high-quality cases this year, so it was a difficult decision for our valued judging panel, Robert Kennedy and Ted London of the William Davidson Institute, Moses Lee of the Social...
05/26/2011 - 15:10
Greg Casagrande was awarded a 2010 Global Social Innovators Award from Penny Low, a member of Singapore’s Parliament for his work with MicroDreams and SPBD. A big thank you to the GSIF and congratulations Greg!
Learn more about Singapore's Global Social Innovators Forum
04/18/2011 - 12:02
MicroDreams newest field partner, SPBD Fiji, is off to a great start! Already hundreds of low income Fijian women have received financial assistance from SPBD Fiji to start small businesses and increase their families’ income. According to the article from Fijivillage, “the Chief of Lami Center One, Reijeli Bale said their lives have changed compared to last year.”
04/18/2011 - 11:59
In December 2010, SPBD Microfinance celebrated its grand opening in Suva, Fiji, marking now three island nations served by the organization including neighboring Samoa and Tonga. MicroDreams has provided an initial $211,740 in financing to SPBD Fiji to expand microfinance loans to women on the island of Viti Levu, Fiji’s main island. So far, SPBD Fiji has issued loans to over 400 low income...
04/18/2011 - 11:54
As business school students, it is rare that we have the opportunity to see the intersection of theory and practice. However, in January 2011 our group of four Columbia Business School (CBS) students had just that chance, thanks to Columbia’s Pangea program and SPBD.
The Pangea program, an organization sponsored by Columbia’s Social Enterprise program, allows CBS students to gain an inside...
04/08/2011 - 15:10
It has been an unforgettable week. As a starter, let me share this photo of the formally picturesque village of Lalomanu where SPBD once had 21 thriving micro-entrepreneurs.
Today we delivered aid packages to 102 stricken women in 15 different villages across the South East Coast of Upolu in Samoa (including in Lalomanu). They were all extremely delighted when we showed up at their various...
01/06/2011 - 19:02
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