From CNN

There’s a lot of talk about bringing the bottom billion out of poverty and rightly so; this should be the aim of most development initiatives.

But sometimes we have to think outside the box when devising programs to achieve this goal. By strengthening the capacity of civil society and activists, we can amplify the voices of the marginalized and ensure that outcomes improve for society as a whole.

There’s a growing number of social entrepreneurs in Africa, who are utilizing their training and education to develop businesses and initiatives that tackle social challenges. Innovation hubs, incubators and accelerators are supporting entrepreneurs across the continent and are gradually attracting investors and corporate partners.

Spaces supporting tech entrepreneurs, such as the Co-Creation Hub in Nigeria and iHub in Kenya, are at times criticized for being elitist. However, the applications springing up from them are creating jobs as well as beginning to improve the livelihoods of the poor.

iCow, an application that provides timely agricultural information to dairy farmers in Kenya via SMS has reached almost 12,000 farmers and increased their income through elevated milk yields and decreased disease outbreaks.

Efiko, an application that enables students in Nigeria to test their knowledge of the school curriculum and compete with friends, has been played by thousands of senior secondary school students.

Written by Loren Treisman/ Read more at CNN