June 4, 2009 by admin.

Brainstorming responses to the Katrina disaster gave me license to research low-cost housing. I had already been musing about the possibility of opening-up and exploiting new markets, finding new ways to use this huge mortgage lending (mortgage banking) machine that was Countrywide.

Nobody around me took the idea of low-cost housing seriously. Nobody wanted to talk about mortgages in developing countries. I was uninformed, they said. “There’s no money in it.” Hmmm.

Still, I wondered about it.

Well, since that time, lo and behold – microcredit (peer-to-peer lending or P2P lending) has taken-off, and traditional financing has, well… collapsed.

So, uh… I guess I’ll bring it up again: where’s the money being made these days? What was only a “whacky idea” a few years ago now doesn’t look so crazy. (Thanks to Richard Weddle for recommending The Starfish and the Spider.)

When you’ve got a huge demand, low production costs, ample financing, job-creation, ultimate “portability” (the building system and micro-lending model can be replicated just about anywhere), you’ve got the makings of an economic boom — or a bonanza, at the very least). This is a great example of “the unstoppable power of leaderless organizations.”

Low Cost Construction Housing Affordable Building System

The man interviewed in the above video is Associate Professor Bernard Lefebvre (Domtec Company Ltd), affiliated with the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok, Thailand.

Background on Habitech

Conceived at the Habitech Center of AIT the Self-Contained Housing Delivery System is an inexpensive, quickly and easily erected building system, the cost of which consistently undercuts conventional construction systems. Components have been added to create a complete modular interlocking building system especially suited for construction by unskilled labour which eliminates the need for construction equipment as the components are lightweight. The system has been disseminated in Asia since 1987 when research and development started up to 1995 when the building system was made available through private sector equipment suppliers.

The technology was demonstrated through housing projects (75) in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea, Nepal and Fiji, where small scale building material industries have been set-up creating employment, generating income and producing affordable housing for middle and low income groups.

As the building system spreads through Asia, the beneficial reduction in the consumption of timber products for construction will lead to a salutary effect upon the environment and help reduce the depletion of forest.

Habitech Center was awarded the Matsushita Award by the Japan Housing Association in 1994 “in recognition of excellent achievements in improving human settlements in Asian countries by promoting research and development related to technologies for low cost housing as well as providing educational programs and facilities to disseminate the results of their research efforts”.(Source: UNESCO Most Clearinghouse)

Posted in city planning, community development, urban renewal, public policy, NPR, suburban infill, infill development, microcredit, homelessness, poverty, redevelopment, social ventures, ventures, P2P, development, investing, philanthropy, politics, Linkedin, finance, jobs, shelter, affordable housing, small business, marketing | 1 Comment »

April 30, 2009 by Robert.

I just heard a radio report on NPR in the Global Health section:

Egypt To Slaughter Pigs As A Flu Precaution by Peter Kenyon    

(http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103642533)

The growing Swine Flu epidemic has got a lot of people scared.  But knee-jerk policy decisions can sometimes have dangerous consequences.

In Cairo, where the Muslim population does not eat pork (or even touch pigs), hogs are farmed by the Coptic Christian population, a small minority.  So it’s not a tough political decision for Egypt to simply say “kill all the filthy animals” before Swine Flu breaks out.

‘Problem is… many of these pig-farmers in Cairo are the garbage collectors – they go from house to house and busines-to-business collecting garbage, bringing it back to their homes, separating it, and feeding the food scraps etc. to the hungry hogs.  That’s their livelihood.

Without the hogs, they will certainly not want to bring the garbage back to their homes.  The pig-farmers warn NPR that the garbage will quickly pile-up, and Cairo will be a filthy place (er, even filthier).

But of course, Cairo won’t let that happen, will they?  They’ll burn their trash.  They’ll pile up the trash, pour kerosene on it, and light it up.  Somebody will.  If the government won’t do it, civilians will.

Swine Flu is an immediate public health issue in other countries, and is threatening Egypt.  But Egypt’s reaction is creating a different urgent public health issue in Cairo.  And they may soon export an even bigger environmental issue in the form of pollution and noxious fumes.

Instead of simply burning trash and putting filth into the air, they could use the trash to generate electricity while at the same time getting rid of all kinds of municipal waste.  It’s called Waste-To-Energy (WTE or W2E).

Envirepel™ gasification uses a brick oven design which is not new: it was patented over 100 years ago. They do not burn the trash — they heat the trash to the point that everything melts, all the microbes and disease “bugs” are cooked.  They use the waste heat from the process to generate eletricity.  And they use the gases that come off of the trash to fuel the system and to produce methane, ammonia, and other good stuff.  The “ash” that comes out the other end can be used for making bricks, concrete, roads, roof shingles and other useful products.

Now there’s a good thang!  See http://envirepel.com/

Posted in jobs, energy, small business, ventures, social ventures, public policy, health, finance, Linkedin, philanthropy, politics, investing, nonprofit, development, P2P, renewable energy | No Comments »

April 20, 2009 by Robert.

This is a nice CNBC report from 2007, saying that Kiva went from $1 million in loans in 2006 to over $15 million in 2007.  But it’s interesting that the CNBC website misses the whole point of Kiva.  (Apparently the person who posted it onto the CNBC website did not actually watch the video!   What a shame!)  The server is slow (overloaded?), but it’s still worth watching.

Posted in video, Linkedin, development, P2P, investing, nonprofit, philanthropy | No Comments »

April 11, 2009 by Robert.

For many, this video will be a fun introduction to the concept of peer-to-peer lending, and Kiva.org. The video was made by a Kiva Fellow doing development work in a beautiful place with beautiful people.  The camera is a bit shaky, but, hey — the soundtrack is great!  Great stuff.  

Posted in travel, Linkedin, video, development, P2P, investing | No Comments »

April 3, 2009 by Robert.

Many companies are scrambling to demonstrate their “social responsibility” and even to involve their employees and clients in charitable activities as a way to build their brand. But when businesses try to “pluck the heartstrings” of their customers and employees, they quickly run into uncomfortable grey area.  This blog article, “Poverty Isn’t Always Pretty,” was written Kiva Fellow RobC, wrapping-up his six-month fellowship in the Philippines.  It’s clear from the context that he considers his work philanthropy (”giving” as opposed to “investing”).  Nevertheless, the article deals directly with difficult issues that are pertinent to corporate investment, private charitable donations, and even family relations.

“The greatest thing I see in Kiva and its lenders is the ceding of decisions to the borrower.   Making a loan in essence conveys a trust in the borrower and preserves the dignity of the relationship.   But it also means that borrowers may make decisions at odds with your own thinking.   A recent borrower in the Philippines took a loan to raise fighting cocks.   This is a very popular and legal activity which provides an income for many families throughout the country. While many lenders may not want to fund such a loan (and exercise their own free will through such a choice), is it appropriate to deny this borrower access to Kiva since we may not agree with how she chooses to legally pursue her livelihood?This is one of the more difficult questions we face when we engage in charity of any sort.   Do we give with the expectation of control?  Or do we give with the acknowledgment that we are empowering others?”

It reminds me of when grandparents give money to their grandkids.  Is it purely a gift? Or is there an expectation of Return on Investment (ROI)?Certainly the PETA crowd would say that Kiva is funding the abuse of animals.  Such controversy will limit the growth and breadth of organizations like Kiva, which depend on crowd funding.  If donors don’t like the projects that Kiva is funding, Kiva could lose a huge customer/investor base.  So it makes sense for Kiva to poll their donors, “choose their battles,” and steer clear of “torpedo issues” that could sink them in a high-profile ethical controversy.

Posted in P2P, Linkedin, nonprofit, investing, CSR, philanthropy, marketing | No Comments »