Business

How the Lack of Financial Inclusion Can Be Detrimental to Your Business

Published

3 years ago

July 14, 2021

Financial inclusion is the access of equally distributed financial services to individuals and businesses worldwide, no matter the level of their income and social status.

Although the World Bank has agreed about the fact that financial inclusion is an important key asset in diminishing poverty and enhancing prosperity in any country, we can still see that more than half of the world’s population have been deprived of their availability to financial services. In fact, according to The Startup, it is has stated that about less than 15% of citizens in many countries in Africa and Asia are the only people who own a bank account.

Some of the most common needs that have to be met for the population who require financial assistance include transacting, saving, insurance, making and getting payments, and credit on time. Once these resources are available to target individuals or businesses, they will be able to meet their financial goals.

The Affects From Lack of Financial Inclusion

Developing and underdeveloped countries consist of the largest population of people who are operating within an informal economy. Thus, there have been significant negative effects on their lives and the economy.

One of the most common struggles that these poor populations have to deal with is the lack of reliable means of making and receiving their daily payments- leading towards an inability that disturbs their chances of gaining and making full potential of their mobility. Consequently, these countries are always forced to be dependent on external sources who can help them obtain financial services through most often unethical means.

Additionally, they are also deprived of credit, so most of the population in emerging countries tend to be working within the informal sector. One part of the population grows crops and maintains animals; the other serves as artisans who sell their crafts to the population. And the rest of the people simply sell basic necessities such as food to their local consumers. Even though they have the potential to make further progress in their small-scale business, lack of credit denies them the opportunity to make the most out of their business endeavors.

Consequently, all of these factors lead to them being unable to make any savings for themselves or their businesses. Being able to save up on money helps people improve their life or business conditions, such as buying more products to enhance business revenue.

However, we have been witnessing a change within developing countries such as Bangladesh due to the relentless efforts being made by Tanvir A Mishuk.

As a Bangladeshi Fintech entrepreneur, Tanvir A Mishuk believes that in order for Bangladesh to improve its economic condition, they would need to have access to a stable stream of financial services for their business or personal projects. Hence, after being a part of the fintech industry for many years, he started investing his time and efforts towards entrepreneurship. One of his many accomplishments includes serving as the founder and Managing Director of Nagad in 2017. His progress with Sigma Telecom Limited and Sigma Group has aided in radically changing the International Telecom Gateway (IGW) business has made it easier for people to communicate over the internet.

Furthermore, by integrating technology with finance, he was able to give them an opportunity to attain financial inclusion which has significantly improved the socioeconomic structure of Bangladesh.

Business

Turning Tragedy into Triumph Through Walking With Anthony

Published

1 day ago

April 18, 2024

Rosario Farell

On the morning of February 6, 2010, Anthony Purcell took a moment to admire the churning surf before plunging into the waves off Miami Beach. Though he had made the dive numerous times before, that morning was destined to be different when he crashed into a hidden sandbar, sustaining bruises to his C5 and C6 vertebrae and breaking his neck.

“I was completely submerged and unable to rise to the surface,” Purcell recalls. “Fortunately, my cousin Bernie saw what was happening and came to my rescue. He saved my life, but things would never be the same after that dive.”

Like thousands of others who are confronted with a spinal cord injury (SCI), Purcell plunged headlong into long months of hopelessness and despair. Eventually, however, he learned to turn personal tragedy into triumph as he reached out to fellow SCI victims by launching Walking With Anthony.

Living with SCI: the first dark days

Initial rehabilitation for those with SCIs takes an average of three to six months, during which time they must relearn hundreds of fundamental skills and adjust to what feels like an entirely new body. Unfortunately, after 21 days, Purcell’s insurance stopped paying for this essential treatment, even though he had made only minimal improvement in such a short time.

“Insurance companies cover rehab costs for people with back injuries, but not for people with spinal cord injuries,” explains Purcell. “We were practically thrown to the curb. At that time, I was so immobile that I couldn’t even raise my arms to feed myself.”

Instead of giving up, Purcell’s mother chose to battle his SCI with long-term rehab. She enrolled Purcell in Project Walk, a rehabilitation facility located in Carlsbad, California, but one that came with an annual cost of over $100,000.

“My parents paid for rehabilitation treatment for over three years,” says Purcell. “Throughout that time, they taught me the importance of patience, compassion, and unconditional love.”

Yet despite his family’s support, Purcell still struggled. “Those were dark days when I couldn’t bring myself to accept the bleak prognosis ahead of me,” he says. “I faced life in a wheelchair and the never-ending struggle for healthcare access, coverage, and advocacy. I hit my share of low points, and there were times when I seriously contemplated giving up on life altogether.”

Purcell finds a new purpose in helping others with SCIs

After long months of depression and self-doubt, Purcell’s mother determined it was time for her son to find purpose beyond rehabilitation.

“My mom suggested I start Walking With Anthony to show people with spinal cord injuries that they were not alone,” Purcell remarks. “When I began to focus on other people besides myself, I realized that people all around the world with spinal cord injuries were suffering because of restrictions on coverage and healthcare access. The question that plagued me most was, ‘What about the people with spinal cord injuries who cannot afford the cost of rehabilitation?’ I had no idea how they were managing.”

Purcell and his mother knew they wanted to make a difference for other people with SCIs, starting with the creation of grants to help cover essentials like assistive technology and emergency finances. To date, they have helped over 100 SCI patients get back on their feet after suffering a similar life-altering accident.

Purcell demonstrates the power and necessity of rehab for people with SCIs

After targeted rehab, Purcell’s physical and mental health improved drastically. Today, he is able to care for himself, drive his own car, and has even returned to work.

“Thanks to my family’s financial and emotional support, I am making amazing physical improvement,” Purcell comments. “I mustered the strength to rebuild my life and even found the nerve to message Karen, a high school classmate I’d always had a thing for. We reconnected, our friendship evolved into love, and we tied the knot in 2017.”

After all that, Purcell found the drive to push toward one further personal triumph. He married but did not believe a family was in his future. Regardless of his remarkable progress, physicians told him biological children were not an option.

Despite being paralyzed from the chest down, Purcell continued to look for hope. Finally, Dr. Jesse Mills of UCLA Health’s Male Reproductive Medicine department assured Purcell and his wife that the right medical care and in vitro fertilization could make their dream of becoming parents a reality.

“Payton joined our family in the spring of 2023,” Purcell reports. “For so long, I believed my spinal cord injury had taken everything I cared about, but now I am grateful every day. I work to help other people with spinal cord injuries find the same joy and hope. We provide them with access to specialists, funding to pay for innovative treatments, and the desire to move forward with a focus on the future.”