Innovation

December 20, 2020

An innovation fund for the RMG sector

The ready-made garments (RMG) industry in Bangladesh has rightly been pointed out as a lifeline for Bangladesh’s economy. When COVID-19 disrupted businesses all across the country, one of the first responses in saving the sector in Bangladesh by the government was to launch a USD 588 million stimulus package.
December 27, 2018

4 ways to change the world of water, sanitation and hygiene

Life is different for three out of 10 people worldwide, or 2.1 billion people, who do not have clean, safe water in their homes. One quarter of the world’s population does not have access to decent toilets. In cities alone, over 80 million people practice open defecation.
October 15, 2018

Clean hands to save lives: Innovations from South Asia

We are celebrating Global Handwashing Day today with 12 amazing ideas that made it to the finale of WASH Innovation Challenge, organised by BRAC and UNICEF.
January 30, 2018

Try first, fail fast and other lean lessons

Remember when Segway launched in 2002? It was predicted to revolutionise transportation and hit the $1 billion sales mark faster than any company in history. But by 2010 it had sold less than 30,000 units and was termed as one of the 10 biggest tech failures of the decade.
January 10, 2018

NGOs in national development: Will it be relevant in the coming days?

Having reached this juncture, where Bangladesh is poised to make an even greater leap towards economic prosperity, some have argued whether NGOs have anything more to do in this country.
November 20, 2017

Learn to play: 3 playful innovations in education

The child with his nose in a book might not be the only one learning. This was one of the bold messages from the Frugal Innovation Forum 2017. The forum’s innovators and speakers called attention to children’s right to education and play.
September 22, 2016

Can good service design build customer trust?

For several years now, we have seen Dhaka repeatedly ranked as one of the least livable cities in the world.  One major factor is our transport system. A city of 20 million people, no metro system and an inadequate number of buses create a traffic nightmare. Those who depend on buses suffer the most: drivers pack people into buses, drive aggressively and stop haphazardly, sometimes in the middle of the street. It is almost impossible for women to get a ride during rush hours.
February 22, 2016

Scaling social innovation: An art or a science?

If there were a simple recipe for social innovation, anyone could easily transform an idea into an impactful solution reaching millions. Unfortunately things are a lot messier on the ground. Many ‘amazing’ innovations that promise to save millions of lives fail to scale and quietly disappear.
January 27, 2016

Remembering Dr Mahabub Hossain

It has been a few days since Dr Mahabub Hossain has left us. As more and more people are remembering him, it is clear what a profound impact he had on those he crossed paths with. As a leader, Dr Mahabub’s contribution was immense in BRAC as well.
December 8, 2015

Breaking bad – How to make good habits stick

Recently I visited Manikganj in rural Bangladesh to see BRAC’s work in water and sanitation.  A shopkeeper at a local market said that he knew handwashing was important, but soap was expensive.  “What’s more expensive,” I asked, “soap or the medicines for treating diarrhea and fever?”  “Medicine,” he said.  He knew the answer - but that didn’t change his actions.
November 16, 2015

How smartphones can revolutionise BRAC’s data collection

We use our smartphones for numerous quotidian purposes: taking photos, accessing social media, browsing the web, and of course, making phone calls. But BRAC has been employing these devices for an entirely different purpose, and it is extremely innovative.
November 12, 2015

FI2020 week in retrospect: Do we need microfinance and why?

Imagine a world where there is no access to financial services. You cannot save, which means you cannot set aside money for the future. You cannot access a loan, which means you are shut off from a limitless number of opportunities, including investing in an enterprise, purchasing a home or land, or maintaining household expenses when cash is tight. You don’t have insurance or any kind of buffer against shocks, such as medical emergencies in the family, a sudden loss of a job, or natural disasters. Would you be able to manage?