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Microfinance: a Boon for Entrepreneurs Excluded from Conventional Banking
Small businesses and entrepreneurs with few resources can find it extremely difficult to obtain loans and get off the ground. Microfinance however, can be a source of invaluable support. AFD Group ha...
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Toilets are Producing Energy in East Africa's Largest Informal Settlement
Around the world, some 3.5 billion people are living without safe toilets, and close to 1,000 children under five die every day due to a lack of sanitation facilities. Ahead of World Toilet Day this S...
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Uzbekistan: more production, with less environmental impact
Uzbekistan has launched a series of reforms to green its economy and ensure that it becomes a driver of growth, while limiting the environmental impact of development. A goal that was lauded by French...
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€300 Million for a Just Energy Transition in South Africa
The first installment of a series of loans and grants has just been delivered to South Africa. It’s part of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) entered into at last year’s COP26 in Glasgow,...
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AFD Digital Energy Challenge: Boosting Energy Access across Africa through Innovation
The Digital Energy Challenge has awarded 10 start-ups and utility companies for coming up with some of the most innovative approaches to providing electricity in Africa. From “mini-grids” connecting o...
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France and Ethiopia conduct joint Scientific Operation to Restore the Ancient Churches of Lalibela
Since 2019, AFD has been supporting several actions to preserve and develop the ancient stone-carved Churches of Lalibela in Ethiopia, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Recently, a new proje...
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The DIRECCT program: Digitizing Health, Education and Business to Provide a Shield from Shocks
The DIRECCT program works in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries to support connectivity and digitization in the healthcare, education and small-business sectors. It helps these sectors bet...
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COP15: What's at Stake in the Search for a New Global Biodiversity Framework
The animal and plant life on which we all depend is at risk of collapse. The COP15 biodiversity summit in Montreal, from December 7 to 19, aims to finalize a global agreement on measures to halt its d...
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Biodiversity: A Victim of Climate Change...and Source of Solutions
World leaders have reached a historic agreement to protect 30% of the planet for nature by 2030, at COP15 in Montreal - the second of two major events in recent weeks, aimed at preserving biodiversity...
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AFD on side with World Cup Semi-Finalists, Morocco
The 2022 World Cup was marked by a number of upsets, with virtually unknown teams coming from out of nowhere to beat the favorites. Morocco was one such team, which, contrary to expectations, made it...
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“Strong Sustainability" for (truly) Sustainable Development
The more the term “sustainable development” is used, the less clear it appears to be. It can range from activities that preserve natural life, to actions that aim to improve environmental conditions,...
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How AFD Group's Projects Protect, Preserve and Restore Biodiversity
AFD Group finances hundreds of projects that preserve and restore biodiversity around the planet. From the protection of precious rain forests in Latin America, to the preservation of marine life in A...
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Ecuador Prepares the Path to Decarbonization
Ecuador has begun work on a series of reforms aimed at decarbonizing its economy, and the country as a whole. With technical support from AFD, it is carrying out extensive cost-benefit analyses to det...
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AFD uses Strong Sustainability to Support Partners’ Transitions to Greener Development
Strong sustainability, the principle that our natural resources are critical and cannot be replaced by any other form of capital, is enjoying a resurgence in development thinking. It’s a riposte to th...
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6 Development Highlights of 2022
Over the past year, the world has endured major geopolitical upheavals with vast repercussions, not least on food security. But the year also saw major international events where world leaders address...
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COP15: A Landmark Deal to Protect Biodiversity in 5 Points
The COP15 conference on biodiversity overcame fears of a failed summit and saw more than 190 countries approve a sweeping, last-minute deal to protect 30% of the planet’s land and seas by 2030. Beyond...
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How AFD Group Aligns its Projects with the UN Sustainable Development Goals
From the provision of quality education to the restoration of ecosystems and the elimination of hunger, the UN's Sustainable Development Goals are ambitious, and serve as a kind of compass for AFD Gro...
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More Rwandan Public Services are going Digital with the support of AFD
Paper records and old computer networks in the health, education and environment sectors often make even the most basic transactions difficult and can prevent systems from operating efficiently. Digit...
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Improving Living Conditions in Kenya’s Informal Settlements
The rapidly growing populations of Kenya’s towns, cities and informal settlements have placed additional pressure on basic services, with many lacking access to basic water and electricity services. A...
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Ethiopia: Rebuilding Infrastructure Damaged by the Civil War
Emerging from two years of civil war ending in November 2022, Northern Ethiopia is now setting to work on its reconstruction. Beyond the heavy human toll, the cost of rebuilding essential energy infra...
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