1298

We at Acumen Fund are deeply saddened to learn of yesterday’s terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Our thoughts go out to the victims and their families, our Mumbai-based investees, Fellows and friends and everyone connected to people who have been affected by the attacks. Our personal connection to Mumbai makes the city a home to us, even if we don’t live there.

While watching the TV coverage, I did want to share another feeling of connection, and that was to everyone associated with Acumen-investee Dial 1298 for Ambulance, who have been on the scene and responding to the attacks since they occurred late Wednesday night, as seen in footage on CNN, IBN and other networks.

1298 operates under the ethic of “ambulance service for all.” Per its own policy, it provides free service to all accident and disaster victims - as well as to victims of terrorist attacks. Knowing that a few years ago, the city was so much less equipped to respond to such an emergency underlined the true service that 1298, now with 51 medically-equipped and professionally staffed ambulances, is making to the city where it was founded. We at Acumen Fund feel a great sense of pride, just in seeing how much can be built to change things in a constructive way and in this case, it was due to the hard work of the team at 1298. We thank everyone at the company for the work you do and the ethos of service you hold.

We’re happy to point out some new content available on Acumen Fund’s web site. 2008 Fellows Chris Walker and Catherine Casey, as well as 2007 Fellow David Lehr have captured the human faces, opportunities and challenges of investing at the base of the economic pyramid.

Ambulances that Save Lives and Save Energy: Chris Walker’s video on Mumbai’s “Dial 1298″ 24×7 ambulance service illustrates how the investment is not just saving lives, it’s also piloting an energy-saving system using solar panels. You can check out the video and learn more about 1298’s impact on its investment page.

Quality Healthcare in Kibera: Casey’s video features Dorah Nyanja, a nurse working in Kibera, Nairobi’s largest slum. She owns a clinic that is part of the Sustainable Healthcare Foundation (SHF), a micro-franchise investment with 64 clinics – including Dorah’s – throughout Kenya. Check out the video and learn more on SHF’s investment page.

Microfranchising at the Base of the Pyramid: David Lehr’s paper provides an in-depth analysis of microfranchising as a development tool. The paper highlights three leading microfranchising organizations that partner with Acumen Fund: Drishtee, VisionSpring (formerly Scojo Foundation) and Sustainable Healthcare Foundation. It’s one of a series of written articles that Acumen Fund has produced about the ways market-based approaches are changing the way we think about poverty alleviation.

We’re incredibly lucky at Acumen Fund to have friends and allies with their own web sites and/or blogs. It’s humbling to see two of these sites prominently feature our colleagues’ work - in this case, Sasha and Brian make the cut. In case you don’t already read Seth Godin’s blog or ThinkChangeIndia, here are a couple of worthwhile links:

Seth Godin, an Acumen Fund advisor and longtime friend, linked to Sasha Dichter’s moving “In Defense of Raising Money: A Manifesto for Non Profit CEOs.” Personally, I think Sasha did a great job tying together the reality of today’s non-profit sector with a vision for what it might be in 5, 10, 15 years. If you’ve ever fundraised for or donated to a non-profit, read this.

On ThinkChangeIndia, Vinay attended a guest lecture that Brian Trelstad gave at NYU last week. During the lecture, Brian conducted a live case study on Dial 1298 for Ambulance, an Acumen Fund Health Portfolio company based in Mumbai, India. Check out Vinay’s review here (and while you’re at ThinkChangeIndia, browse around - it’s a great site, combining a market-based view of development and an India-centric focus to create solid content every week.)