Mutual benefits of profits from poverty

Mutual benefits of profits from poverty has three very interesting ideas that is quite in vogue today in the business press and which could have far reaching consequences in the future to promote social entrepreneurship and alleviate poverty. First, the concept of doing business with the bottom of the pyramid extolled by CK Prahlad. Second, the use of microcredits so effectively pioneered and implemented by Mohammed Yunus in Bangladesh. And finally the use of mobile phone credits as a currency. The other day I read of a mother bribing a custom official in Congo by using pre-paid mobile phone minutes and getting her daughter free in hours instead of days. A very novel way to bypass the inefficient and corrupt banking system and reduce transaction costs.