VOA慢速英语 2007 0108a

This is the VOA Special English Development Report.

In Pakistan, a company called Saiban creates housing communities for the poor. About thirty percent of the country's population is estimated to live in unplanned settlements without legal right to the land.

Siaban buys land, then sells pieces of it to families to build houses. Roads, water and electricity are provided.


Drip irrigation system used by Indian farmers

In India, a small company makes and sells low-cost drip irrigation systems to poor farmers. IDE-India spent seven years researching and developing the equipment. More than seventy-five thousand have been sold.

Both Saiban and IDE-India operate thanks to the Acumen¹ Fund. This nonprofit organization in New York helps people in developing countries build businesses to help the poor.

The Acumen Fund provides loans, equity² investments and grants to entrepreneurs and existing businesses. It operates like a venture capital organization.

Acumen works with local companies to create business plans for their goods and services. Then it guides them through the marketing³ and production process. Expert knowledge and technical assistance are provided.

The Acumen Fund supports development in three areas: water, health and housing.

In Tanzania, it helped a company get the knowledge and equipment needed to produce chemically treated bed nets. These protect against mosquitoes that spread malaria⁴.

Today, A to Z Textile Mills is the third largest company in Tanzania. It has five thousand employees and produces about seven million bed nets a year.

Jacqueline Novogratz, a social entrepreneur, launched the Acumen Fund in two thousand one. The Rockefeller Foundation, Cisco Systems Foundation and three individuals donated money to start it.

Acumen has built a network of investors⁵ and experts. The fund now supervises about twenty million dollars in investments in six countries: Egypt, India, Kenya, Pakistan, South Africa and Tanzania.

Spokeswoman Mariko Tada says Acumen is considering several new projects. Within months, it hopes to invest more than one million dollars in a Kenyan company that helps farmers grow Artemisia. The plant is used as a compound in the malaria drug artemisinin.

And Acumen may invest in a private ambulance service in Mumbai, India.

That's the VOA Special English Development Report, written by Jill Moss⁶. You can find a link to the Acumen Fund Web site at www.unsv.com. I'm Shep O'Neal.

1 acumen   

n.敏锐，聪明

参考例句：

• She has considerable business acumen.她的经营能力绝非一般。
• His business acumen has made his very successful.他的商业头脑使他很成功。

2 equity   

n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票

参考例句：

• They shared the work of the house with equity.他们公平地分担家务。
• To capture his equity,Murphy must either sell or refinance.要获得资产净值，墨菲必须出售或者重新融资。

3 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

4 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

5 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

6 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。