What's interesting this week...
Tech for Good - Issue 98
Happy Friday!
I hope your week has gone well and your weekend will be restful! This week I am highlighting a few news items from Cambodia as a lot of things have been happening in the Kingdom related to #techforgood.
Also I’d like to highlight that I am hiring for two roles: a Cambodian based designer and a Cambodian transportation consultant for an upcoming project. If you, or anyone you know is interest, please send me an email at: jesse@glean.net.
Enjoy your weekend!
Jesse
What’s interesting this week…
Earth Defenders Toolkit Now Available in Khmer!
A fantastic update from the team working on the Earth Defenders Toolkit! Availability of tools in local language and localized resources to learn technology tends to be a huge barrier to adoption. They managed to find support to translate Earth Defender Toolkit and Mapeo documentation into Khmer. These documents are available online and downloaded as PDF:
EDT Toolkit: How to get started (PDF - Khmer)
Mapping the Earth (PDF -Khmer)
Mapeo: Monitor and Document the world around you (PDF - Khmer)
Mobile data cost have increased, making internet connectivity unaffordable for many
According to an analysis conducted by the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI), 1GB of mobile broadband data became less affordable in 2021 than the previous year.
Between 2020 and 2021, the median cost of 1GB of data as a percentage of average monthly income increased 13% in the 93 countries studied by A4AI in both years. This increase in cost represents a setback towards achieving the ‘1 for 2’ target for internet affordability – defined as 1GB for no more than 2% of average monthly income – and had significant consequences for people who greatly needed internet access during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Investing in Cambodia’s future: when startups meet angel investors
Cambodia’s startup scene receives a promising boost as more angel investors look to fund the nation’s growing army of innovative entrepreneurs. As digital innovation is a catalyst to drive the Cambodian economy, startups are engines of growth. There are more than 300 technology startups at various stages operating nationwide. Fintech, digital media, e-commerce and logistics presently dominate the startup scene.
Celebrating resilience of women-owned businesses in Cambodia
The pandemic has struck businesses across the globe, but women-led businesses have been disproportionately and negatively impacted by the pandemic.
Women entrepreneurs face a myriad of challenges in setting up and sustaining their businesses. From the impact of the pandemic, to gender stereotypes and the glass ceiling, women typically face several barriers that prevent their businesses from thriving. Despite these challenges, more than half of the businesses launched during the Covid-19 pandemic in Cambodia were started by women.
Khmer Enterprise handover assistance package grant to 49 SMEs and Startups
The Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) through Khmer Enterprise (KE) handed over the assistance package grant to 49 startups and SMEs out of 361 applications from 20 provinces and capital in the amount of $415,000 to support entrepreneurs during the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Enhancing Poverty Measurement through Big Data
Ending poverty in all its forms is the first of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While significant progress to reduce poverty had been made at the global and regional levels by 2019, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has partly reversed this trend. A significant share of the population in Southeast Asia still lacks access to basic needs such as health services, proper nutrition and housing, causing many children to suffer from malnutrition and treatable illnesses.