Mobiles4Development Case Studies

Case Studies:
Mobiles for Development

This report presents the key ﬁndings of the Mobiles for Development project,
a global research study commissioned by UNICEF.

October 2010

Prepared by: Kojo Boakye, Nigel Scott and Claire Smyth

Table of Contents
Introduction
2
Analysis of Case Studies
4
What makes a mobile so useful?
4
Value of the mobile service
5
Scaling
6
Financial implications
7
Technical resources
8
Conclusions
9
DEWN (Disaster and Emergency Warning Network)
10
Freedom HIV/AIDS
14
GCash
18
Jokko Initiative
22
Monitoring Supplies
27
Project Mwana
31
NAFDAC Mobile Authentication Service (MAS)
35
Mobile Births Registration
39
Voice of Kibera
43
BBC Janala
46

1

Introduction
This report provides analysis and write-ups of 10 M4D Case Studies (5 from within UNICEF, and 5 from the
broader M4D landscape) regarded as being of potential interest to UNICEF programming areas. The table below
brieﬂy summarises all 10 M4D Case Studies.

Project Category Country Description Organisation / Type
Developer

NAFDAC Health Nigeria The service is to verify the users’ Sproxil, Service
Mobile medicine as genuine. The user
NAFDAC,
Authentication uses an SMS service to check
Service (MAS) whether their drugs are fake or not BIOFEM
by texting in codes on the medicine
container.

Freedom HIV/ Health Malawi Freedom HIV/AIDS is a gaming Freedom HIV/ Pilots, Projects
AIDS Game initiative that uses mobile AIDS, and
telephones to engage people in Programmes
ZMQ Software
entertaining, awareness-raising
Systems
activities regarding HIV/AIDS.

GCash mCommerce Philippines G-Cash is an SMS-based m- Globe, Services
Commerce service that allows
RBAP
person-to-person money transfers
and remittances, microﬁnance
applications, bill payments, and
purchase of goods and services.

DEWN Humanitarian Sri Lanka DEWN uses widely available mobile Dialog, Services
Environmental communication technologies such
Mongolia DEWN,
as short messages (SMS) and cell

Philippines broadcasting (CB) to create a cost- MicroImage
effective and reliable mass alert
Lao PDR system. The network connects
mobile subscribers, police stations,
Bangladesh
religious/social community centres
and the general public to a national
emergency alert centre.

BBC Janala Education Bangladesh BBC Janala uses mobiles through BBC Trust, Services
calls and SMS to teach English.
English in Action
Operators generate users through
promotion on other services. It
costs 20 tk to listen to a 20 minute
lesson.

2

Developer

Voice of Socio- Kenya Voice of Kibera, an initiative of Map UNICEF, Pilots, Projects
Kibera Economic Kibera, is a citizen reporting project and
Groundtruth
based in Kibera, Nairobi - Africa's Programmes
Initiative
largest slum. The project uses the
Ushahidi platform to map reports SODNET,
submitted via SMS, email, and
website. KCODA,

Mobile births Health Vanuatu The birth registration system uses UNICEF, Pilots, Projects
registration mobile phones through the and
Johannes
software “iCount”. This innovative Programmes
Gambo,
system simplifies the process of
birth registration by entering MoH,
information about a newborn baby
into an already programmed mobile Ministry of
phone, which sends the data into a Internal Affairs,
specific Civil Registry database.
Digicel,

RapidSMS Health Nigeria The Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets UNICEF, Pilots, Projects
Logistics (LLIN) universal campaign in and
MTN,
Nigeria aimed to distribute over 63 Programmes
million bednets; the largest bednet Zain,
distribution in history. The use of
RapidSMS has increased efficiency MoH,
and effectiveness of the LLIN
Dimagi,
campaign by providing real time
information that has enabled TimbaObjects
managers to respond to challenges Company,
as they arise.
NuObjects Tech
Services Ltd.,

Techno-Science
Ltd.

Jokko Education Senegal "Jokko" Initiative involves UNICEF, Pilots, Projects
Initiative Gender empowering people to improve and
Centre of
their lives through Mobile Programmes
Evaluation for
Technology. Through Jokko’s
Global Action,
RapidSMS Community Forum, a
user can send an SMS text Dimagi,
message to a “magic number” that
then forwards the message to all Thoughtworks,
phone numbers belonging to the
Alioune Dia
network.

3

Developer

Project Health Zambia Project Mwana uses RapidSMS to UNICEF, Pilots, Projects
Mwana improve maternal, newborn and and
MoH,
child health in high HIV-burden Programmes
settings. The project involves ZPCT,
finding appropriate, scalable and
impactful ways to strengthen health World Vision,
services for mothers and infants in
UNFPA,
rural health clinics through mobile
technologies. Zain,

Caktus LLC,

Dimagi,

Analysis of Case Studies
The case study products can be categorised in a number of ways, and these are discussed in this section.
However, possibly the most fundamental distinction is between target users:

• Consumers – people download Freedom HIV/AIDS games, they listen to BBC Janala recordings, receive
DEWN alerts, transfer GCash, text codes to MAS, receive digests from Voice of Kibera, and send messages
via the RapidForum.
• Service delivery personnel – specific data was gathered by trained data “senders” in the RapidSMS
logistics system, and registrars were trained to use the iCount software in the Mobile births registration
project.

What makes a mobile so useful?
Accessibility
Among those services that are used directly by consumers, the ability of consumers to access services at the
time and location of their choice is a key feature in overcoming barriers that have previously existed before the
advent of the mobile phone. For example, women can access the BBC Janala service at home, and GCash
users no longer have to travel to a bank or pawn shop to receive remittances.

The reach of mobile networks into remote areas is also a feature in data gathering applications – the value of the
system is greater in locations where conventional systems (e.g. sending paper registration documents) is
difficult, time consuming and expensive such as among the remote and scattered islands of Vanuatu.

Speed
The availability of timely, real-time data is essential for planning purposes. It is, therefore, the speed with which
mobile based data collection systems can collate and analyse data at a central location that makes them so
useful. Over the course of a four- to five- day bed net distribution exercise, the ability to identify problems as
they occur helps ensure that more people receive bed nets. When dealing with PCR (Polymerase Chain

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Reaction) testing, the ability to inform mothers of the HIV status of their newborn babies within a week, rather
than waiting for 3 months, can make the difference between life and death.

When it comes to early warning alerts, such as DEWN, it is the combination of speed of communication and the
fact that people often have a mobile with them (accessibility) that makes the mobile such a powerful tool.

Women’s empowerment
The BBC Janala project explicitly targets women, who may otherwise have limited opportunities for learning.
Tostan targets women and girls even more specifically, as they account for 80% of participants in their training
programmes. One of the most promising outcomes of the Voice of Kibera project is the coordination of local
groups addressing gender based violence.

These reflect the gender neutral nature of mobile phones and their potential to provide interventions for women
in communities or family units in which male dominance may make it difficult to do so by other means.

Technology complementary
Information communicated via mobile phones often forms part of a wider system employing a number of
technologies. For example, data gathered by service delivery personnel is processed and accessed via a
website. BBC Janala is part of a wider programme including a TV show and a website. Alerts sent by the
DEWN system are also disseminated using radio. GCash can now be used for on-line shopping. Voice of
Kibera also makes use of local radio and community newsletters.

Value of the mobile service
Transformative Vs Improvements
A number of products use the mobile to improve the delivery of services, typically by doing a task quicker, at
lower cost, and with improved reliability – these offer benefits in terms of efficiency:

• RapidSMS logistics was applied to traditional paper tracking systems;
• Jokko Initiative’s RapidForum is designed to strengthen existing means of communication within
communities;
• The mobile births registration system replaces the need to transport paper documents;
• Voice of Kibera offers a more effective means for the community to engage with service providers, such as
local authorities.

Other projects can be regarded as transformative, offering a service that simply did not exist prior to the project:

• MAS
• GCash
• BBC Janala
• DEWN
• Freedom HIV/AIDS

Perhaps MAS is the best example because in most places there is no way of verifying authentic medicines. It
can be argued that there are other ways of making payments, or of learning English, but it is asserted that the

5

mobile application renders the service accessible to people that would otherwise have no access e.g. GCash
offers micro financial services to people without bank accounts, and BBC Janala can be accessed by women
who could not attend conventional classes.

Networking effect
Most of these products involve a one way flow of information:

Repository to consumer:

• Freedom HIV /AIDS – consumers play game
• BBC Janala – consumer downloads audio file
• DEWN – system sends alert to consumer
• MAS – system sends confirmation to consumer

Data collector to repository:

• RapidSMS logistics – data senders send data to the system
• Mobile births registration – registrars send data to central database.
• Only a few rely on achieving a critical mass of users in order to provide a benefit:
• GCash – only becomes useful when enough people access GCash. There is an argument that it becomes
useful when the right person uses GCash e.g. overseas remitter
• Voice of Kibera – becomes useful when enough people are submitting information of interest to consumers
• Jokko Initiative – the RapidForum becomes useful when enough consumers are registered i.e. when a
message can be reliably disseminated.

Scaling
Maturity
Most of the case studies are regarded as either pilots or in their early stages of development (BBC Janala, MAS,
RapidSMS logistics, Jokko Initiative, Mobile births registration). Most of these have already done some kind of
research, albeit among a limited target group, in order to demonstrate the proof of concept e.g. Freedom HIV/
AIDS tested learning among school students. The Voice of Kibera project is still at the proof of concept stage,
describing itself as “experimental”.

Projects for which there are clear intentions to expand reach include:

• Freedom HIV/AIDS – driven by social enterprise ZMQ;
• BBC Janala – as part of a long-term English in Action funded programme
• MAS – driven by Sproxil, a start-up company
• Jokko Initiative – will include a training module as part of the curriculum for ongoing CEP training
• Mobile births registration – the government plan to roll out to all provinces in the country.

Projects that are more mature include:

• GCash
• DEWN

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Achieving national reach
Where services are used directly by consumers, the product is offered to consumers using the marketing reach
of national companies – mostly through mobile operators, although in the case of MAS it is the pharmaceutical
company that promoted the service. These services have achieved national scale, as they can be accessed
through mobile networks:

• Freedom HIV/AIDS
• BBC Janala
• DEWN
• GCash
• Sproxil

Voice of Kibera has only local relevance – duplicating it in another location would require duplication of many
cost components e.g. community mapping, community mobilisation. The same is true of RapidForum (Jokko
Initiative).

One of the challenges in the RapidSMS logistics project has been training. Rolling out the system to other parts
of the country would require training of local data collectors. Training of government staff was also an integral
part of the Mobile births registration process in Vanuatu.

The extent of training required depends on how easily people using the system (handset operators) can grasp
the concepts involved. For example, receiving an alert warning of a storm is at one end of the spectrum,
whereas Voice of Kibera, in which people struggled to understand the potential of community mapping, is at the
other end of the spectrum.

Training is relevant to scaling because of the cost involved. Projects achieving national scale have been able to
convey the concepts to consumers through media and marketing campaigns, although GCash needed to put
people on the ground to show people how to use the system. Both data gathering systems and community
communication systems require intensive training in each location, implying large marginal costs.

Financial implications
Development costs
From the limited number of instances where any kind of cost information was made available, it appears that
M4D systems can be implemented for relatively modest sums – typically around $50,000:

• ZMQ estimated costs of development, marketing and launch were $80,000;
• Voice of Kibera estimated project costs, mostly personnel costs, were $60,000;
• The cost of implementing the pilot programme in Vanuatu (mostly training and travel) was estimated at
$40,000.

Revenue generation
The sustainability of a M4D system depends on its ability to provide a return on investment – a business case -
by generating revenue or reducing expenditure.

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The case studies provide examples of the ways in which this can be achieved.

• Consumer pays. The strength of mobile based systems is in large volume, low margin transactions. Both
BBC Janala and Freedom HIV/AIDS have lowered barriers to accessing services by making services
available at low cost – typically less than 5cents. GCash charges are higher (minimum of 20cents), but the
service involves a high value transaction with clearly identifiable financial advantage.
• Company pays. For MAS, the pharmaceutical company pays for the system, and benefits in terms of
increased sales.
• Service provider pays. RapidSMS logistics, Project Mwana, and Mobile births registration projects were
funded by UNICEF on the basis that these offered a cost effective means of fulfilling programming
requirements. DEWN also fits into this category.
• Community pays. Voice of Kibera is designed to maximise the use of volunteers and minimise financial
costs of maintaining the system; community based organisations or NGOs will need to meet ongoing costs.

Globe Telecom clearly regards GCash as financially viable, as it forms part of the business strategy. ZMQ feel
that the Freedom HIV/AIDS products reached breakeven after 3 years. After the 3 month trial period, the
pharmaceutical company paying for the MAS service increased sales by 10%, representing a return on
investment of over 1,000%.

Technical resources
Programming expertise
Despite the observation made by many UNICEF country staff that local technical capacity to lead an IT project
tends to be lacking, the technical expertise for the development of several of the case studies was sourced
locally:

• Freedom HIV/AIDS games were developed by social enterprise ZMQ
• BBC Janala is managed by international consultants and funded by UK donor, but was developed using
Bangladeshi technical expertise (SSD-TECH)
• GCash was an initiative of Globe Telecom and developed using Asian expertise (Utiba)
• Sproxil is a US/Nigerian technology company, making use of local programmers for NAFDAC MAS
• DEWN was developed by Dialog Telekom PLC making use of a local Sri Lankan technology company
(Mircroimage).

Having said that, most of these examples are taken from Asia where technical capacity is relatively high; most of
the UNICEF country staff comments about the lack of local technical expertise referred to African countries.
Most of the UNICEF case studies are based in Africa, and have relied on external technical expertise, often
sourced through UNICEF:

• Voice of Kibera was part of the MapKibera concept devised by US volunteers, and has been developed by
overseas expertise
• the RapidSMS logistics application was devised by UNICEF, and technical expertise was provided by
UNICEF, with knowledge transfer to local programmers
• Jokko RapidForum was designed and developed by US technology companies, with knowledge transfer to
local programmers

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• Mobile births registration software was developed by a programmer from New Zealand.

Role of operators
In 2 cases, the product was initiated and developed by a local operator:

• GCash (Globe Telecom, Philippines)
• DEWN (Dialog Telekom, Sri Lanka).

In other cases, the role of the operator is restricted to conventional items such as provision of shortcodes, toll
free numbers, and provision of discounted or free SMS.

Conclusions
Analysis of the case studies highlights the following conclusions.

• Developing a mobile based system does not have to be expensive – costs can be as low as $50,000.
However, the cost of developing a national platform, such as GCash, will be much higher.
• Mobiles are particularly effective in reaching women, due largely to the fact that women can use mobiles at
times and in locations that are convenient to them e.g. at home.
• The value of mobiles tends to be leveraged when integrated with other media, typically websites for
presenting and submitting data, TV and radio for disseminating information. However, some transformative
services can provide benefit through the mobile platform alone e.g. MAS, and GCash.
• External case studies can be regarded as transformative, providing services to consumers that previously
had no access. UNICEF case studies can be regarded as bringing efficiency improvements to existing tasks.
It is not clear that any qualitative judgement is associated with the distinction i.e. one is better than the other.
• Simplicity of concept is key to achieving scale. Data gathering products tend to be complex and typically
involve intensive training of handset operators, which can be challenging because the marginal cost of
providing training when rolling out to new locations becomes high. Projects achieving national scale have
largely been able to convey the concepts to consumers through media and marketing campaigns.
• Projects in Asia used local technical expertise to devise and develop products. Projects in Africa, mainly
UNICEF projects, have relied on external technical expertise, often sourced through UNICEF.
• A number of revenue generation models can be seen among the case studies:
a. consumer pays - large volume, low margin transactions, typically less than 5cents
b. company pays - and benefits in terms of increased sales
c. service provider pays - offers a cost effective means of delivering service
d. community pays - where it can identify community benefit.

Given that most case studies are in their infancy or pilot stages, it is not appropriate to make any qualitative
judgement on the relative merits of these.

9

DEWN (Disaster and Emergency Warning
Network)
The power of the mobile to Country Sri Lanka

Principle references Dialog Website
save lives
Description A mass alert early warning
In the tsunami of 2004, 35,000 lives were lost in Sri system that sends customised
Lanka alone. The World Bank estimates that worldwide alerts to selected recipients
economic losses from natural disasters in the 1990s instantaneously. Using SMS and
could have been reduced by $280 billion if $40 billion CBM, DEWN sends alerts to
had been invested in preventive measures. The socio- handsets of emergency
economic impact is worst in developing countries, where personnel, or mass alerts to
consumer handsets in selected
disasters erode development gains.
geographical areas. Coverage is
DEWN has been designed to protect life in the event of extended through specially
disasters. It is a multi-modal communication system built designed portable alarm units.
on a suite of GSM technologies that warns people of UNICEF focus area Child survival and development
impending disasters. It sends alerts both to mobile
Maturity Currently deployed
handsets and to portable alarm devices. It enables
disaster information to be communicated securely and Contact Sameera Wijerathna
instantaneously to emergency personnel and mobile sameerawijerathna@gmail.com

phone users anywhere in the country. A number of Dialag - University of Moratuwa

features make it particularly effective: Creators Dialog Axiata PLC

• it uses existing GSM infrastructure (near universal Sector Disaster management

coverage in Sri Lanka); Funders Dialog Axiata
• unlike traditional warning methods it has the ability to
Mobile tools/software Java/Symbian
wake people up when sleeping by screen ﬂashing
and audible alarm tones; Similar M4D n/a
initiatives
• it is able to broadcast alerts where normal voice or
SMS may fail due to network congestion;
• screen messages are presented in three languages.

The Target Audience
DEWN has the potential to cover 5 million mobile users (Dialog is the country’s top mobile operator) – that’s 1 in
every 5 Sri Lankans. As the poor tend to live in areas that are hardest hit by disasters, the system effectively
targets more vulnerable parts of society.

Alerts are sent to members of the emergency services, such as the police, ﬁre brigade, and Disaster
Management Centre (DMC) district coordinators, as well as key contacts in the community such as religious and
social/ community centres.

As the impact of disasters on national economies becomes apparent, governments have a clear interest in
protecting people and reducing the cost of disaster responses. In Sri Lanka, the government set up the
Disaster Management Centre (DMC) under the Ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights, and it is the

10

! DMC that currently manages the DEWN system at an
operational level.

How it Works
When institutions such as the Pacific Disaster Centre and the
Sri Lanka Meteorology Department send information of a
potential disaster to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC),
the information is first verified, and then customized alerts are
issued. The DEWN server resides in a secure facility and is
used by authorized persons to generate warning messages,
which are sent using widely available mobile communication
technologies such as Short Messaging Service (SMS) or CBM
(cell broadcast message). Emergency alarms are relayed to
end devices in seconds.

SMS is used for directed messages while Cell Broadcasting is used for mass-alerts. Cell Broadcasting is well
suited to disaster operations since it is immune to network congestion (it makes use of an 88 byte message
sent by base stations to all handsets in a cell area). Messages can be sent selectively, based on geographical
area, to specific individuals or groups of recipients, or to the general public, as directed by the authority
generating the message. The system is compliant with the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP), an internationally
recognised standard that enables the authorised entity to distribute the same warning message to multiple
media (radio and TV broadcast stations, cellular networks, satellite radio systems, fixed telephone networks etc.)
in one operation.

Although warning messages can be displayed on any GSM handset, owners of Java / Symbian capable
handsets (smart phones) can also download special phone software for free. The software causes the phone to
ring continuously until acknowledged, and displays the alert message in any of three local languages.

11

In addition to mobile phone handsets,
messages can be received by a special-
purpose wireless alarm device, currently
built on a 2.5G module, which is designed
to be ﬁxed indoors in public buildings such
as places of worship, hospitals, markets,
etc. It contains a loud siren, a ﬂashing
lamp, an LCD display, a radio, and inbuilt
call-back facility. The radio can be tuned to
a Disaster Frequency if available. It is !
powered from the mains supply under normal operation, and includes a backup battery that needs to be
replaced every 2 years. The unit costs less than $50.

DEWN is a non-commercial value added service, offered to the nation as part of Dialog’s corporate social
responsibility programme.

Operating Experience
The Disaster Emergency Warning Network (DEWN) was launched on 30th January 2009, after completing a
successful pilot period. The pilot was implemented by Sarvodaya (a local NGO) and LirneAsia (a regional ICT
policy think-tank) and demonstrated the successful operation of a hazard warning system for 4 southern coastal
villages, with a population of over 100 families.

Fortunately, DEWN has not yet had to prove itself in the context of a disaster, but it has been evaluated by a
number of leading institutions and has received a number of awards in recognition of its robust design and
pragmatic functionality:

• Commendation at GSMA World awards – 2007
• National Best Quality Software awards – 2006
• National Awards for Science and Technology – 2006

Partners and their Roles
Dialog Axiata PLC was responsible for the development of the system, having conceptualised the system,
funded its development and coordinated deployment. Dialog also negotiated policy positions with the
Government of Sri Lanka on the impact of mobile phones for early warning and disaster mitigation.

The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) of Sri Lanka is the focal agency for disaster management in the
country, and was involved in the implementation of DEWN as the de facto early warning system across the
country. The DMC currently manages the system.

Microimage (Pvt) Ltd. is a Sri Lankan mobile technology company that designed and developed software for
the system – both the backend software and the handset resident software.

Dialog – University of Moratuwa Mobile Communication Research Laboratory designed and developed the
remote alarm device.

Sarvodaya is one of Sri Lanka’s largest NGOs – they used their grassroots contacts to pilot the system among
coastal village communities.

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Funding
Dialog Axiata PLC funded the entire research and development process, and met the costs associated with a dedicated
server, VPN access to servers, and training and capacity building of DMC staff.

Microimage supported the initiative by developing the software free of charge.

Challenges
The greatest challenges were technical, particularly with bringing the system in line with the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP)
standards. In August 2010, the OASIS open standards consortium (Organization for the Advancement of Structured
Information Standards) announced approval of the Emergency Data Exchange Language (EDXL) Common Alerting Protocol
(CAP) version 1.2.

Future Plans
In terms of extending the reach of the system, Dialog is considering enabling other networks to share the facility. DEWN
would be an important value added service for the travel and tourism industry, and plans are currently under way to deploy
DEWN in all coastal hotels in Sri Lanka.

An operator from Fiji has approached Dialog with a view to deploying the DEWN solution in Fiji with the assistance of the
Fijian government.

Integration with 3G networks will enable the system to incorporate more advanced features such as GPS maps displaying
on screen ﬂashes to inform recipients of evacuation routes etc.

13

Freedom HIV/AIDS
Using games to promote Country India, Kenya, Tanzania,
Uganda
awareness Principle references www.freedomhivaids.com
Access to information on critical health challenges like
Description A set of games for playing on
disease prevention and treatment can often be the
mobile handsets (J2ME, BREW).
difference between life and death in underserved and
The games raise understanding
isolated rural communities. In response to the HIV/AIDS of HIV/AIDS by displaying
epidemic in India, ZMQ developed a series of games in information messages at
local languages to be played on mobile phones – the appropriate points in the game.
games were designed to help raise understanding of All subscribers on the network
HIV/AIDS by making information available in many of have access to the games at low
India’s local language; India has 30 languages that are cost (5 US Cents per session).

spoken by 1 million people or more. UNICEF focus area HIV/AIDS

Over a period of 3 years, 10.3 million game sessions Maturity National Scale
were played in India. After the games were transferred Contact Hilmi Quraishi ZMQ
to East Africa, 1.2 million sessions were played in a 2 Software Systems
year period. Plot No. 113, Sector 7, IMT
Manesar,
Research with school children shows that playing the
Gurgaon, 122050 India
games is linked to improved learning on HIV/AIDS
Mobile: +91 98719811960
issues. A simple set of 5 questions asked before and
hilmi@zmq.in
after playing games also shows a link with improved
Creators ZMQ Software Systems
learning. Key results include a reduction in
misconceptions, a reduction in stigma against people Sector Health
with HIV/AIDS, and an increase in awareness of safer Funders ZMQ Software Systems
sexual practices.
Mobile tools/software Java/BREW/Symbian/Fash light

Target Audience Similar M4D FreedomTB
initiatives
ZMQ started in 2002 as a social enterprise addressing M4Dev
critical social challenges. At that time, India had the
second highest HIV burden in the world, so the original set of 4 games were targeted at people most vulnerable
to HIV infection, particularly school children and youth, as well as sex workers and migrant workers. Later on,
more games were developed to address other communicable diseases as well as pre and post-natal care.

How it Works
Users access the games through Reliance, a leading mobile operator, which is a CDMA (Java) provider. Reliance
has a WAP portal called R-World, which any Reliance subscriber can access. New content and updated games
regularly appear on R-World. Every 15 days Reliance would send around a million SMS blast messages to a
random selection of its users to promote the game on R-World. Subscribers with other operators downloaded

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the game by typing the WAP ! !
link into their mobile browser.

There are 4 games available
in India, and 2 have been
developed for the Africa
Reach Programme, all
addressing HIV/AIDS issues:

1. Safety Cricket –
mimicking a village
cricket match.

2. Ribbon Chase – the objective of the game is to spread the message about HIV/AIDS all over the world.

3. The Messenger – In this game a dove is used to act as the messenger for HIV/AIDS awareness.

4. Quiz with Babu – the user is asked 10 questions about HIV/AIDS by the village boy, Babu.

5. AIDS Penalty Shoot Out – a soccer game in which the player has to save and shoot penalties.

6. AIDS Fighter Pilot – Juma and Wanjiku have dedicated themselves to spreading knowledge about HIV/
AIDS in every corner of their village using their Glider.

Once downloaded, the games are stored on the handset and can be played many times.

Games are available in English, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Telugu and Bengali. The user has an option to choose
the language of his choice from within the game itself.

The software used to develop the games are Java (J2ME), Qualcomm's (BREW), Symbian and Flashlight. 85%
of handsets in India are Java enabled, although the number of BREW phones is increasing.

ZMQ had experience of computer based CD games on HIV/AIDS, then realised the potential of mobile phones
to reach rural communities. There was no piloting of the mobile games prior to their launch as “Freedom HIV/
AIDS” on World AIDS day in December 2005. ZMQ were confident that the absence of information on HIV/AIDS
and the fact that kids love playing games meant that anything made available would be taken up
enthusiastically.

Reliance Infocomm allowed the games to be downloaded for free by all their subscribers in India during the first
year. Over a 3 year period, the games were made available to 42 million handsets (out of a total of around 150
million subscribers in India), and 10.3 million game sessions were downloaded. Almost 4.5 million of these were
in the first year when it was free. Since then, games have been charged at a cost of 2 – 3 Rs (5 US cents), and
a further 5.8 million sessions were downloaded. ZMQ is making the games available at a fraction of the cost of
commercial games (typically 20 to 50 Rs).

In December 2006 a series of new games was launched in East Africa under the Reach Africa Programme, in
Kiswahili and Shen languages. Over a 2 year period, games were made available to 6 million handsets, and 1.2
million game sessions were played.

15

67% of game sessions were played by customers outside of the main cities like Delhi and Mumbai – these
customers live in areas where there is no access to proper healthcare information, indicating that the games are
indeed being played by the target groups.

The launch of the games was accompanied by a series of promotion activities including:

• all major daily newspapers of India provided half page advertisement on World AIDS day to promote the
games;
• a poster campaign in Reliance shops (recharge centres) and other buildings such as hospitals;
• an education programme showing people how to download and play the games that involved the Reliance
shops and sending peer educators from village to village;
• Reliance Infocomm sent free weekly SMSs to their subscribers to inform about the availability of the games.

Research was conducted in 4 villages on the outskirts of cities; Allahabad, Saharapur, Patna and Sholapur, in
India. In each region, 200-300 children were invited for a 2 day workshop. Children were initially asked to
answer questions related to HIV/AIDS, they then spent around 2 hours playing the 4 games, and some time
later they were again asked questions on their understanding of HIV/AIDS. The overall result was an increase in
knowledge.

ZMQ has built a self-testing version of the cricket game. The game begins with a Pre-test form on HIV/AIDS with
5 Yes/No questions on safer sex, peer pressure, sharing of syringes, and myths and stigma about HIV/AIDS.
The user plays the game 5 times and a post-test form is then generated with 5 similar questions. Out of 15,000
cricket games surveyed there was an increase in knowledge.

ZMQ Software Systems, a leading Social Enterprise based in India, were the implementing partner and
stakeholder behind the concept and innovation of the games. ZMQ Software Systems created the games from
concept through to the final implementation of the games on the ground.

Reliance Infocomm, a leading Indian telecom operator in India, was the driving force behind the distribution
and dissemination of the games. Freedom HIV/AIDS games have run on Reliance Infocomm networks since
2007.

Delhi State AIDS Control Society (DSACS), a nodal state committee on HIV/AIDS in Delhi as a knowledge
partner, in order to authenticate the HIV/AIDS messages. DSACS was involved in the research, development
and approval of the messages in the game. When the messages were developed they tested the messages on
the ground and provided a final vetting of the messages.

UNAIDS were also involved through the final vetting of the HIV/AIDS messages in the games.

The National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) and the Delhi State AIDS Control Society were involved at
a national level to promote the games with their logo and adoption of the games for CD-Rom and the web.
NACO was then involved in the promotion of CD-Rom versions of the games titled “Health Mela”.

HIVOS was the primary partner of ZMQ Software Systems to support the rollout of the Freedom HIV/AIDS
mobile games in Africa under the banner “Africa Reach Program”. They were involved in the replication and
scaling of the mobile games in East Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

16

Funding
Development of the games was funded entirely by ZMQ. The cost of development, marketing and launch is
estimated at 80,000 USD. However, the distribution of the games (during the first year) was subsidised by
Reliance Infocomm.

Challenges
Creating a business model that provides health information to the urban poor was a challenge. People in urban
areas pay for commercial games, but the idea of asking people who cannot afford even one meal a day to “pay
and play” was regarded as immoral. The business model which led ZMQ and Reliance to provide games for
free then sell them at very low prices after they had become popular helped the partners break even in 3 years.
Features included revenue sharing with the mobile operator, sponsorship (e.g. logos on the game), and
customer subscriptions.

Games also had to be developed for multiple handsets (e.g. to fit different screen sizes), and low specification
handsets (black and white) meant that the size of the game was constrained to 32k.

Future Plans
The Freedom HIV/AIDS games are no longer available because mobiles games have a limited shelf life – typically
4 to 6 months, and need to be replaced over time. ZMQ are currently working on new games addressing issues
such as global warming, the environment, indoor air pollution and English language learning.

ZMQ are currently working on a Mobile Social VAS (Value Added Services) channel to be independent of mobile
operators, working through group subscriptions and sponsorship. The VAS content will include mGames,
mLearning Apps, Ring-tones, Wall-papers, cartoon strips, animated strips etc.

They are pursuing a multi-platform approach, making games compatible with J2ME, BREW, Android, Windows
Mobile, and iPhone.

17

GCash
Banking without the banks Country Philippines
“The Philippines is one of the richest markets in the Principle references CGAP blog
world for mobile payments” - Rizza Maniego-Eala,
Description An SMS based service that
President of G- Exchange, Inc. (GXI) a wholly owned
provides micro-financial services
subsidiary of Globe Telecoms, one of the Philippines’ at low cost to Globe Telecom
leading mobile operators. customers. The service is linked
with international institutions and
This is due to a number of factors:
the web to facilitate remittances.
• 7,100 scattered islands makes travel and
UNICEF focus area n/a
communication difficult and expensive;
Maturity Commercial
• a large number of people living below the poverty line
have no access to banking and financial services; Contact gcashinquiries@globetel.com.ph
• a large number of ex-patriot migrant labourers Creators Globe Telecom with local
regularly send money home; technology partners
• the Philippines is the texting capital of the world!
Sector mbanking

Out of a population of roughly 90 million, around one Funders Globe Telecom

third live below the poverty line, yet mobile phone Mobile tools/software GSM phone
subscriber penetration rates are higher than 80%.
Similar M4D SMART Money (Philippines)
GCash is a mobile money platform that enables mobile initiatives
M-Pesa (Kenya)
phone subscribers to turn their phone into an electronic
wallet. It is helping to bridge the gap for the unbanked WING (Cambodia
and provide better access to micro-financial services for
Zap (Zain Customers)
millions of Filipinos, offering a quick, low cost, secure,
and efficient means of transferring money from one
location to another. It also enables subscribers to make payments (for purchases, or settling bills), and deposit
or withdraw cash using their mobile phone.

There are estimated to be between 8 to 11 million Filipino workers overseas, and GCash lets them send money
home through a network of almost 900 outlets spread across over more than 25 countries.

Target Audience
Globe has identified 2 primary markets:

• The mass market using Globe’s mobile service brands Globe Handyphone and Touch Mobile - 99% of
Globe’s 26 million subscribers are prepaid users and a large proportion belong to the middle class and low
income markets.
• International remittances from the overseas Filipino worker population.

How it Works
To use GCash, a person (or a business entity) needs to have a GCash registered Globe or Touch Mobile (TM)
SIM card. Registering and using the mobile wallet is done by simply accessing the GCash menu from the Globe

18

! serviced phone / SIM menu and follow the
instructions. Once registered, the user must then
load GCash into their mobile wallet. This is done by
visiting any Globe Store or partner outlet to do a
“cash-in”. When doing a cash-in transaction, the
outlet loads the user’s phone with GCash in
exchange for cash. The cash-in is authorised when
the user presents their identification. The cost of
converting cash to GCash is $0.20 or 1 percent,
whichever is higher.

To make a payment or send money, a user selects
“send GCash” from the menu, enters the amount and
their PIN, enters a message to the recipient (optional), enters the recipient’s 11 digit number, and finally confirms
the transaction in order to send.

GCash has been fully operational since 2004. In addition to being a key means of money transfer, it has become
a key tool for online commerce, and is now the most widely used mobile payment method for online purchases
in the Philippines.

GXI has pursued a number of initiatives that have improved the services and the reach of the service so that it
now has 1.1 million GCash customers and 18,000 outlets nationwide. The expansion of the GCash service to
international remittance was the most important of these, causing a surge in usage. Examples of improvements
to the service include:
!
• Establishing a network of local resellers extended GCash’s
reach into rural areas. The Rural Bankers Association of
the Philippines’ Microenterprise Access to Banking
Services (MABS) programme organised a group of 60 rural
banks to identify small businesses to serve as resellers.
• GCash Click – enables customers to shop on-line and pay
using GCash; participating on-line retailers offer a GCash
Click button on the website as a means of paying.
• GCash Online – is a web based service that allows
overseas users to send money to a GCash account in the
Philippines.
• GCash REMIT – cash can be sent via international partners to the Philippines, where recipients (Globe
subscribers or not) can pick up the cash from any accredited GCash REMIT outlet.
• Globe has implemented an integrated GCash strategy that includes rewards and incentives e.g. GCash
REMIT users transferring remittances over P1,000 receive free airtime as long as they are Globe, Tattoo or
TM subscribers.

From April 2008, GXI partnered with CGAP to extend the GCash service to 3 rural and low income provinces,
and signed up 120,000 customers. GXI’s approach to marketing GCash appears to have worked well, and often
involved an element of customer capacity building that enabled people to use the services. One feature was the

19

use of local sales agents who were able to train customers on how to use the service, and “roving” agents who
visited people in their homes.
To date, the average transaction size has been $21. Large numbers of customers send similar amounts of
money within the country using other services and typically pay 3 – 5% commission – GCash charges only 1%.

GCash is an in-house Globe Telecom development. The Senior Executive Group adopted the concept of
moving cash and credit cards from a customer’s wallet into the mobile phone as a strategic imperative. They
developed the technology, and designed the infrastructure required, including the business process for an e-
money ecosystem.
Credit: Ignacio Mas
Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) was instrumental in developing e-
money ecosystems in the remote areas of the Philippines, which were unserved by any
bank or ﬁnancial institution.

Utiba, an Asian mobile transactions technology company, were involved in technical mapping and
implementation, and continue to maintain parts of the GCash platform.

Oracle is a technology provider that set up the
!
database engine.

The Central Bank of the Philippines and the
Philippine Anti-Money Laundering Council
developed regulation for the mobile money industry.

Globe Telecom is partnering with mobile payments
specialist Boku to expand acceptance of the Globe
GCash service internationally.

Funding
GXI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Globe Telecom. The development, launch, and operation of GXI is funded
by Globe Telecom.

Challenges
The main constraints to increasing the number of customers in low income communities are a lack of ﬁnancial
literacy and lower levels of literacy amongst older users. This is illustrated by factors that underlie the low uptake

20

of the service when it was introduced in three low income provinces (Bohol, Surigao del Norte and Palawan) in
2008:
!
• People were reluctant to change
their behaviour from using pawn
shops for remittances. Although
commissions charged by pawn
shops were well below international
money agencies, at 3-5% they were
still much higher than the 1%
charged by GCash.
• Although texting is common in the
Philippines, literacy levels are lower
in poorer provinces and it is young
people that were more comfortable
with using the service.

Future Plans
Globe Telecom believes they are on the cusp of mainstreaming mobile commerce. Plans for the next phase of
growth include:

• Developing a robust, mobile based ﬁnancial service network of intermediaries that will serve GCash users;
• Propagating “branchless” models within target markets.

21

Jokko Initiative
Extending discussions under Country Senegal

the tree Principle references Jokko Initiative

Description (i) education in mobile/ SMS use
All across Africa people from remote and isolated
(ii)Through Jokko’s RapidSMS
communities are using mobiles to keep in touch, but
Community Forum, a user can
mobiles can be used for so much more than just send an SMS text message to a
talking. “magic number” that then
forwards the message to all
Under the Jokko Initiative (“Jokko” meaning
phone numbers belonging to the
“communication” in Wolof), local NGO Tostan are
network.
pursuing 2 objectives:
UNICEF focus area Education / Gender
• Literacy can be improved by teaching people how
Maturity Pilot completed, scale up
to use mobiles – especially texting and menu
planned
navigation; learning to use the calculator function
also improves numeracy, an essential business skill. Contact Guillaume Debar

• Practical SMS applications can be developed that Tostan International

are relevant to users. For example, RapidForum is a jokkoinitiative@tostan.org
Tel: +221 338205589
community mobilisation tool that helps community
twitter: @jokkoininitiative
members share information – villagers can send a
text message to a server that sends a blast of Creators UNICEF
messages to their peers. Sector Education and gender equality

Funders UNICEF
Working mostly with women and girls in poor
communities, the ﬁrst phase of the project involves Mobile tools/software RapidSMS

training on how to use a basic mobile phone. This then most basic phone (voice / text)
gives them the skills needed to use the SMS for end user
applications developed.
Similar M4D Project ABC (Niger)
RapidForum not only raises awareness about events, initiatives
m4Lit Project (South Africa)
but also involves the entire community in decisions;
empowering women and youth to use cell phones
widens their communication sphere, and allows them to be more effective change-makers and economic
actors.

Target Audience
Jokko is part of Tostan’s Community Empowerment Program (CEP). The CEP mainly intervenes in rural areas,
and participants are usually very isolated, both socially and economically, and more than 80% are women and
girls.

RapidForum is an open and non-directive system, meaning that anybody can use it. As a mobilising tool, people
sending messages tend to be community leaders such as community health workers, teachers, women’s group
leaders, religious leaders, and chiefs. The other group of users is group members that receive information via
SMS messages.

22

How it Works
The Community Empowerment Programme approach has been developed by Tostan over 20 years, and aims
to provide communities with the skills and knowledge to improve their living conditions. The Tostan coordinator
selects 10 villages that form a local network, they elect a Community Management Committee, and the 30
month programme enrols 50-60 people. Teaching people the basics of mobile phones (texting, menus, filing
etc.) fits neatly into this approach, and helps reinforce other subjects including literacy, numeracy, and
management skills.
!
To date, RapidForum is the only mobile based application that
has been developed. This is based on the RapidSMS code
developed by the UNICEF Innovation Unit. A user can send an
SMS text message to a “magic number” that then forwards the
message to all phone numbers belonging to the network. It’s as
simple as that.

The platform supports multiple groups of people. For example,
one village has created a discussion group exclusively for youth.
The basics of this system work much like a group list for text-
messaging, however, the sender is only charged for the cost of
one local text message - Tostan covers the costs of text
messages sent to the entire group.

For example, consider a community health worker who wants to
organise an awareness raising session in her village about
malaria prevention. She can join a virtual community by sending
a simple, coded text message to a magic number. Once
registered, all messages she sends to the magic number will be sent to her “peers”. One or two days before the
event she can use the system to remind everybody about it. Community leaders will be among her “peers”, and
they can then disseminate the information through their own networks.

RapidForum is intended to strengthen existing channels of communication (e.g. face to face, community radio)
rather than to replace them – information can reach more widely than it would do through discussions “under
the tree”.

An initial testing phase took place over a 4-month period from June-September 2009. This included building,
testing, and modifying the "community forum" application and web interface, and use of the system in 3 test
communities.

In late 2009, the SMS curriculum launched in 20 villages that participated in the pilot study, and RapidForum
was introduced in only 15 of these. RapidForum was available over a 5 month period from mid December 2009
to May 2010. A total of 570 messages were sent over this five month period. The types of messages sent were
categorised as follows (ranked by popularity):

• Social mobilization and meetings;
• Personal messages;
• Environment e.g. village cleaning events, fires, desertification, etc.;
• Health including vaccination, health alerts, etc.;

23

• Education including announcement of
courses, etc.;
• Religion including a call for prayers;
• Celebration including events such as
marriage, baptism, religious events;
• Youth Activities e.g. school, social, cultural,
and or sports, and business;
• Economic Activities such as markets, for sale
notices, etc.

The pilot which ran from December 2009 - May
2010. There were two big Virtual Communities,
one for each major local language: 219 in the
Fulani community, 217 in the Soninke
community. In addition, participants could
register for a local community in their village. The
baseline survey covered demographics (age,
gender, education, income, and employment);
cell phone usage; literacy and numeracy; and
social networks. 609 people lived in villages
receiving the Rapid SMS system and 196 in the
5 villages without the system.

• At baseline, 44% of respondents could
correctly identiﬁed the symbol on the cell phone which represents service, that rate was almost universal
(96%) at the follow-up
• Cell phone use rose to be nearly universal (98%), from 58% at the baseline
• At the follow-up 65% of the total population reported being able to send and receive text messages in
addition to make calls with a cell phone, up from 8% at baseline. This steep increase in ability to send and
receive messages on the follow-up survey is mirrored by the percentage of the total sample which reports
being able to read the messages they receive- 73%.

24

• 36% of the SMS Community Forum users we called randomly were not enrolled in Tostan’s Aawde adult
literacy class. In fact, 55% were not even in one of the villages with classes which received training on the
SMS Community Forum
Total Literacy & Numeracy Scores
40 The evaluation points out that
37.98
texting was free to participants
35 35.24
for the duration of the CEP
30 29.81 training, so it is not clear how
Percent of Population

26.31 texting behaviour will change
25
when users have to pay for texts.
20 19.8 Baseline Findings from operating
17.69 17.25 Follow-up
15 15.92 experience to date include:

10 •You need to keep it cheap, or it
won’t be used;
5 •You need to have someone
local that can maintain the
0
None Low Medium High system;
•Technology by itself is not a
panacea, although it can ampllfy the effects of a broader programme like Tostan’s CEP.

This is the first time RapidSMS has been developed for directly use by lay-people, as opposed to trained data
collectors or health professionals.

UNICEF provides the financing and the technical support for the design of the RapidSMS system and the
overall financial support of 200 villages in rural Senegal currently undergoing the CEP program.

The Center of Evaluation for Global Action (University of California Berkeley) is designed and conducted
evaluations of impact on literacy, numeracy, and social networking.

Dimagi and Thoughtworks are US based technology companies that provided technical programming
expertise to develop the system.

Alioune Dia is a local programmer who was trained on RapidSMS by UNICEF programmers.

Funding
Tostan’s work is supported by foundations, agencies and individuals. UNICEF has been a long time collaborator,
supporting the educational program. The UNICEF Innovation Unit funded the Jokko Initiative project.

Challenges
“You need to realise that some people are just not so keen on your cool RapidForum system” – the challenge is
to encourage them to use it without making them antagonistic towards it.

It’s really tough to reach women and girls – it’s difficult to convince local leaders that access to technology is of
value to girls. This requires careful social mobilisation, and strong champions (and championnes).

25

Setting up RapidForum in languages like Wolof, Pulaar and Diola was essential, and involved programming the
system to support local language characters such as ‘ŋ’ and ‘å’ on mobile phones.

When targeting low-literacy users, the system needed to be easy to learn e.g. giving clear feedback, and
making best-guess recommendations for mistyped commands.

At the moment, Tostan is still paying for broadcast texts. This raises certain questions of sustainability, although
there is potential for collaboration with network providers.

Future Plans
The capacity building component will be scaled up as part of the ongoing CEP work – this is expected to reach
2,000 communities in the next 5 years. There are, however, no speciﬁc plans for RapidForum.

Tostan have plans to adapt the RapidSMS system to further applications including Jokko Diaspora, an SMS and
web based system for reinforcing links between communities and their extended social networks.

Although Tostan buy phone credit from Orange, the mobile operators remain outside the initiatve – there is an
opportunity to create partnerships with local operators as this type of initiative generates additional trafﬁc (and
revenue) for them.

26

Monitoring Supplies
Tracking from Port to Point of Country Nigeria

Use Principle references RapidSMS Case Study and
http://rapidsms.nmcpnigeria.org/
The universal Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLIN) bednets
campaign in Nigeria aimed to distribute over 63 million Description Reporters at various points in the
bednets; that is something like 36 kilometres of trucks supply chain text in data on
back-to-back - the largest bednet distribution in history. stock, coupons, households
visited etc. Analysis of the data
The objective of the campaign is 100% coverage of
highlights problems arising.
households, and 80% utilisation by beneficiaries. This
depends on: UNICEF focus area Child survival and development

Maturity National scale pilot
• a logistics operation that tracks commodities from
port to distribution point to ensure their presence on Contact Emmanuel Gemade
time and in correct quantities; egemade@unicef.org

• a household mobilisation process to identify Obinna Idika obidika@yahoo.com
beneficiaries;
• training the team members so they understand how Tim Akimbo takinbo@gmail.com

to collect information for reporting on daily progress. Creators UNICEF, National Malaria Control
Program
The use of RapidSMS and mobile phones to collect
Sector Health
data helps address one of public health’s most
Funders UNICEF
fundamental problems – getting timely, reliable data.
The system has increased efficiency and effectiveness Mobile tools/software RapidSMS
of the LLIN campaign by providing real time information
most basic phone (voice / text)
that has enabled managers to respond to challenges as
for end user
they arise.
Similar M4D EpiCollect (but smartphone)

Target Audience initiatives
DataDyne (but smartphone)

The system was designed to meet the needs of Federal
Ministry of Health agencies that had responsibility for the distribution campaign, principally the National Malaria
Control Programme (NMCP), and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency. The mobile handsets
were operated by the “data senders” on the ground – outreach health workers or ad-hoc recruits. The indirect
beneficiaries of the system were poor households who might not have received a bednet had supplies ended up
in the wrong place.

How it Works
Data senders were trained to send SMS messages containing data on the movement of bednets at various
points in the supply chain:

• Warehouse stock managers reported incoming and outgoing supplies as well as stock balance
• Mobilization team leaders submitted data on the number of villages, number of people, number of coupons
issued, and number of households to be revisited

27

• Distribution point team leaders submitted data on the number of nets distributed and the actual balance;
they also reported certain situations, which required immediate action such as shortages, discrepancies with
stock balances, and refusals (non-compliance).

Programme managers at different levels were able to log on to a website and access the analysed data.

Before the nets were distributed, door-to-door visits were made to register households, issue net cards, and
encourage participation in the campaign. RapidSMS was used to gather this data, which enabled the
programme to deliver the right number of bednets to local distribution points.

Distribution took place over a 4-5 day period at fixed distribution points. RapidSMS was used to collect the
following data:

• number of LLINs distributed – based on paper tally sheets;
• number of net cards exchanged;
• number of LLINs in stock at the start and end of each day.

Analysis of the data highlighted trends, coverage, and challenges (e.g. mobilising activities could be undertaken
in response to low net card exchange rates), and discrepancies in the data identified where leakage was
occurring.

Monitoring teams were able to focus their supervision on locations where RapidSMS highlighted difficulties e.g.
non-compliance with delivery schedules.

The project took a training of trainers approach. Techno-Science provided training for master trainers at Federal
and State levels, and they in turn provided training with the States.

Reporters send an SMS to the shortcode number. This message is sent to the content aggregator and from
there it gets "pushed" to the RapidSMS server (hosted in an Amazon data centre).

The system was first used in May 2009 for the distribution of over 4 million LLINs in Kano State. Over the course
of fourteen days RapidSMS captured data for the distribution of 141,773 coupons, or 283,546 LLINs in total.
During this time, 232 stock transfers were tracked, spread out over 226 unique locations. NMCP calculated that
RapidSMS directly monitored distributions that met 69 percent of the projected demand in Kano State, or
652,919 beneficiaries.

Despite the size of the operation, this is still regarded as a pilot – the team is learning valuable lessons, and the
system is evolving as the Government of Nigeria is preparing to adapt the system for other distribution
programmes.

28

!

UNICEF came up with the initial concept and the Innovation Unit (which originally developed RapidSMS)
provided technical expertise for developing the application, and has worked to transfer knowledge to other
partners. The country ofﬁce has appointed a project manager, who interfaces with government departments.

Mobile operators MTN and Zain provided toll free short codes for sending and receiving SMS messages.

The Ministry of Health was a partner in the design and deployment of the system, and appointed an individual
from the NMCP to mainstream RapidSMS in the LLINs campaign. They also participated in monitoring the
distribution.

Dimagi is a US based technology company that plays a leading role in the support and development of
RapidSMS, and provided training for the project.

TimbaObjects Company and NuObjects Tech Services Ltd. are indigenous application developers that
were involved from the initial design stage, and are now responsible for managing and maintaining the system.

Techno-Science Ltd. is an indigenous training consultancy company that was involved through the project
from design to deployment.

Funding
UNICEF has been the sole funders to date, though the Federal and State governments have contributed staff
time.

Challenges
Building local technical capacity is critical for in-country and regional support. At the outset of the project,
UNICEF identiﬁed ten Nigerian programmers and provided a rigorous training on the code base for RapidSMS.
Two outstanding programmers were then hired by UNICEF to continue providing support for the project. This

29

signiﬁcantly decreased operational costs for the country ofﬁce, while ensuring timely and appropriate responses
to changing needs on the ground.

The process of selecting data senders did not include any kind of competency test, which resulted in problems
in the quality of data received.

Not enough time was allocated for training. Within a 2 day training, only 1-2 hours was dedicated to RapidSMS,
but this needs to be increased to around 4-6 hours. The training of trainers approach also needs closer
supervision to ensure integrity of knowledge transfer.

There are still some bugs in the system that will be ironed out in time.

Future Plans
The NMCP has adopted RapidSMS to be an integral part of the campaigns to distribute LLINs in 24 out of a
total of 36 states in the country. RapidSMS has already been used in immunization campaigns to track vaccine
distribution and non-compliance. The system was deployed in 2 states in December 2009, and discussions are
underway to ensure its deployment across all 36 states (over 28,000 distribution points) as part of ongoing
MNCHW campaigns held twice yearly in May and November.

UNICEF is exploring the use of RapidSMS for reporting within the midwifery service, with the aim of increasing
attendance of skilled personnel at births. Other possibilities include registration of births and deaths.

30

Project Mwana
Using SMS to plug the gaps Country Zambia

The project worked directly with rural clinics to identify Principle references Project Mwana Blog
gaps in the delivery of maternal, newborn and child Description Results160: HIV test results for
health (MNCH) services. Out of a large number of initial newborns are sent securely by
ideas, the project has so far developed 2 mobile based SMS from the laboratory directly
tools using SMS: to the health facility.
RemindMi: community health
workers receive SMS messages
Results160 is a secure asking them to remind mothers
!results delivery tool. An early diagnosis of HIV in to go for post natal visits

newborn children is crucial to survival - starting anti- UNICEF focus area HIV/AIDS and child survival
retroviral treatment in children before 12 weeks of age
Maturity pilot
reduces mortality by 76%. With advances in testing
Contact Erica Kochi ekochi@unicef.org
techniques, Dried Blood Spots (DBS) can now be
@uniemk
transported from remote health facilities to high-tech
testing facilities without refrigeration. Infants can be Merrick Schaefer
tested as young as 6 weeks of age. Delays in returning mschaefer@unicef.org @unimps
results to the ﬁeld mean that mothers often receive a
Kieran Sharpey-Schafer
diagnosis after the 3 month peak mortality age.
kschafer@unicef.org @ksharpey
Results160 gets test results from the central labs back
to the clinics faster by sending them straight to the Creators UNICEF

phones of clinic workers via SMS. Shaving weeks off Sector Health
the time taken to deliver results can make the difference Funders UNICEF
between life and death.
Mobile tools/software RapidSMS
!
most basic phone (voice / text)
RemindMi is a birth for end user
registration, patient tracing and communication tool. For
Similar M4D Growth Monitor
mothers and children diagnosed as HIV positive, one of initiatives
the key constraints to providing successful anti-retroviral
therapy is following up on patients who will often miss
appointments for a variety of reasons. Health workers and community based agents (CBAs) receive automatic
SMS updates reminding them to ask mothers and children to come in for post-natal care.

Project Mwana is ﬁnding appropriate and scalable ways that mobile technologies can strengthen health services
for mothers and infants in rural health clinics.

31

!

Target Audience
The system users are rural health workers in remote clinics, and community based agents supporting health
services in rural communities. These people own their own mobile handsets to send and receive SMS
messages to Results160 and RemindMi. The cost of the messages is free to these users.

The website interface allows the Ministry of Health and participating NGOs to monitor the use of the system for
research and to provide real-time assistance where needed.

How it Works
Users register themselves onto the system by texting in their name, Clinic ID number, and PIN number.

Results160:
!
1. When test results are ready, an alert is sent to the health worker “Please
reply with your PIN to retrieve these results”;
2. The user sends their 4 digit PIN;
3. An SMS is sent giving sample ID number and a result – detected, not
detected, or rejected;
4. The user is sent a follow up message reminding them to delete the results
from their phone.

The results are sent to all trained workers in a facility and when they are received
the other workers get notiﬁed creating accountability in the system.

On the laboratory side: when test results are entered onto a computer at the laboratory (in Ndola) they are
automatically sent to a server based at the Ministry of Health in Lusaka, which hosts the RapidSMS application.
That server then sends the messages to the correct facilities.

RemindMi is even simpler. Community based agents (CBA) register births by sending a simple SMS to the
system e.g. “BIRTH Maria Banda 12-4-2010”. The systems then sends a message to the CBA asking them to
ﬁnd the mother and notify her e.g. “Hello Nancy! Maria Banda is due for her next appointment at Mansa Central
Clinic. Pls ensure she visits in the next 3 days.” The messages are sent at intervals when a mother should visit
the clinic (6 days, 6 weeks, and 6 months). The system can also be used to send messages between the clinic
workers and community based agents for planning, patient tracing and general health related communication.

Both tools use SMS, are compatible with any handset, and health workers use their own personal phones,
although messages are free of charge.

32

Additionally, there is a website which allows graphing and mapping of the data and real-time monitoring of both
tools by the Ministry of Health.

Early in 2010, a pilot system was implemented in 3 districts of remote Luapula Province, namely Mansa,
Kawambwa and Nchelenge, and staff from 10 clinics were trained.

Early anecdotal evidence is encouraging and the system technically works well. The team needs to complete
the ongoing monitoring and evaluation phase before they will be in a position to advise the government on the
next steps. An independent, formal evaluation is being done by Boston University.

UNICEF coordinated efforts from inception to implementation. The Innovation Unit co-developed the
technological solutions (with the clinic workers), developed the training materials, ran the initial trainings and
worked with the government.

Zambian Ministry of Health owns the tools, and assisted in all aspects of the project. They have a project
manager involved in the entire process. Staff from the IT department were lead trainers. District MoH offices
helped organise clinic visits, and wanted to receive reports on the number of samples being sent and number of
results being received at clinics they were responsible for.

ZPCT, World Vision, and UNFPA are implementing partners that worked with clinics to coordinate field
activities and deliver trainings.

Zain, a telecom provider, provided reverse billing SIM cards and if the project is scaled up would be approached
as a potential partner.

Zambian and US based technology companies (Caktus LLC and Dimagi) provided software development
skills through the design and implementation of the project. After the initial development phase, the local
developers took responsibility for maintenance and feature development of the tools.

Funding
Funding for the first phase of the project came through UNICEF Programme Division at HQ in New York,
although the money was provided by USAID and the UK National Committee.

If the government scales the project nationally, the operating costs for the first year will be around $100,000,
which will be funded mostly by the UNICEF Country Office.

Challenges
It has been important to provide ongoing support to users, in order to make it as easy as possible for them to
use the system. Initial effective training is needed, and for support the system incorporates a simple to use help
function – users send an SMS with a description of their problem, then a member of a support team calls them
back

As users have their own phones, they are familiar with the technology, although some need training on how to
use SMS.

Clinics in some areas were unable to use the RemindMi systems due to poor network coverage but all clinics
were able to use Results160. If a clinic did not have coverage the clinic workers would collect the results while

33

in an area with coverage, such as a market. On average the clinic workers travelled to such areas a few times a
week.

During the pilot phase, Zain provided reverse billing SIM cards, enabling costs to be centralised and UNICEF
funded the cost of the messages. If scaled the cost of SMSs will mount up and bulk SMS rates or other
partnerships would ideally have to be used to lower costs.

Future Plans
If the M&E conﬁrms the anecdotal success of the project, the government will be advised to scale the project
nationally over a 3 year period. There are no barriers and other than training and the costs of the SMS
messages to scaling.

The technology and training materials have already been adopted by an agency linked to Boston University,
which has also piloted the system with a further 10 clinics.

The project is currently being deployed in Zambia and Malawi and, if successful, UNICEF has plans to raise
funds to roll the project out across the region.

34

NAFDAC Mobile Authentication Service
(MAS)
Scratch and Carry Country Nigeria

Drug counterfeiting has become a $200-billion business Principle references www.sproxil.com
annually, according to the World Customs Organization. Description Consumers scratch off a panel
The business is huge in Nigeria, where the WHO on blister packs to reveal a PIN.
estimates that up to half of medicines circulating in On sending the PIN to a free
Nigeria are fake. The trade makes millions of dollars for shortcode number, they get a
the unscrupulous people that import and sell fake reply that confirms whether the
products, while leaving consumers out of pocket and package is authentic or not.
without the medication required to improve their health. UNICEF focus area Child Survival and Development
The Nigerian National Agency for Food and Drug
Maturity Operational
Administration (NAFDAC) Mobile Authentication Service
(MAS) is a free SMS service that allows consumers to Contact Dr. Ashifi Gogo CEO
Sproxil, Inc
confirm that a pharmaceutical product purchased in
+1 3148274434
Nigeria is genuine simply by texting a PIN number to a
ashifi@sproxil.com
shortcode number.
Creators Sproxil
The MAS helps improve health by enabling consumers
Sector Health, Diabetes
to use only authentic medication, especially those at the
Bottom of the Pyramid who may be more likely to Funders Sproxil/NAFDAC
purchase cheaper, counterfeit products. It also has a Mobile tools/software SMS and Cloud
number of indirect benefits: Authentication system

• patients feel empowered in the fight against Similar M4D mPedigree
counterfeiting; initiatives

• regulators are able to get timely information about
counterfeiting activities in the field by connecting directly with patients and consumers;
• it helps eradicate various types of criminality associated with the counterfeit drugs trade.

Target Audience
Consumers are the victims of fraud, by losing money and by failing to look after their health. The target
population of the NAFDAC Mobile Authentication Service are consumers of pharmaceutical products in Nigeria
who own or have access to a mobile phone with SMS functionality.

Drugs manufacturers and retailers also suffer as consumers loose trust in the products. BIOFEM paid for the
system, and benefited in terms of increased sales.

How it Works
The NAFDAC Mobile Authentication Service works in three simple steps:

Step 1. Scratch a label on drug to reveal PIN
Step 2. Text PIN to NAFDAC short code 38353

35

! Step 3. Get a response confirming “original” or “fake”
Step 1
Each pharmaceutical product has a one-time individual
pin number that are printed on blister packs by
BIOFEM Pharmaceuticals and is encrypted, so that
only Sproxil’s cloud computing servers can only verify it.

The Mobile Authentication Service is available
nationwide and can be used by anywhere there is a
Step 2
mobile signal. Importantly the short code number is
free to use, and is the same on all participating
networks. The verification responses on the MAS
Step 3
platform are typically delivered within 1 minute,
depending on the number of people using a mobile
network at a time.

The MAS uses discounted, reverse billed SMS
messages, which makes it free to end users. BIOFEM,
a pharmaceutical company, met the cost of the SMS
messages.

A 100 day pilot project (February to May 2010) was
successful in proving the concept and viability of the
MAS. Glucophage (metformin), an anti-diabetes drug, was used in the pilot phase. The total number of packets
labelled was 735,153. The total number of SMS messages sent and received was 22,638, and the total unique
consumers served were 6,761. The pilot was rolled out in three major cities: Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt,
with 125 participating pharmacies. The SMS and Cloud authentication system had a responsiveness of 99.99 %
in the pilot stage. After the 100 day pilot, BIOFEM continued using MAS with
Glucophage.

The new label design introduced to the market towards the end of the pilot
helped double participation. The updated label provided better instructions with
the provisions of the short code. The previous label design did not have the
short code number due to security concerns, which were later relaxed.

During the 100-day pilot, 73.9% of SMS verification requests were sent through
MTN, 18.1% through Zain, 7.1% through Glo, and 0.9% through Etisalat (who
joined later). Overall, MAS had a 97.8% mobile network reliability factor during
the pilot, factoring in all mobile networks during peak and non-peak hours.
!
BIOFEM Pharmaceuticals played an active role in raising awareness among its clients at the 125 pilot
pharmacies in Nigeria.

Less than three months after implementing MAS, Glucophage sales increased by more than 10% in Nigeria and
BIOFEM have seen a return on investment of over 1,000%.

36

Sproxil, a technology provider of software and systems, was involved in the design and development of the
Mobile Authentication Service through the development of the SMS and cloud-based symmetric encryption and
verification technology. Since the service is cloud-based, it allows hosting in the United States of America, as the
mobile application developers are based in the USA. However, to interface with the telecom companies in
Nigeria, Sproxil used local technology experts to acquire mobile short codes for the MAS service. Nigerian
technologists working with Sproxil continue to play a role in maintaining Sproxil’s connectivity in Nigeria by
monitoring traffic, security threats posed by hackers and the continued service from mobile operators, while
developers in the USA keep adding new features to MAS.

The Nigerian National Agency for Food and Drug Administration (NAFDAC) endorsed Sproxil's work and
conducted technology showcase events for the private sector (pharmaceutical companies and distributors) to
evaluate technologies, leading to the launch of MAS at their Lagos offices.

BIOFEM Pharmaceuticals is involved in the importation and distribution of the products on which the scratch-
off codes are applied. They provided a Merck Soreno product, which they have sole importation rights to, as the
product used for the 100 day pilot period. BIOFEM Pharmaceuticals also increased public awareness of MAS
and its benefits through the use of mass media.

MTN, Zain, Glo, and Etisalat, all the mobile phone multinationals in Nigeria, participated in MAS by providing a
total subscriber base of 70 million people. The operators were involved from the implementation of the pilot
stage onwards. MTN and Zain participated for the whole 100 day period of the pilot stage, while Glo was
involved for 91 days (9 days lost due to network upgrades). Etisalat joined later and was involved for only 26
days of the pilot. The major mobile operators see value in MAS because it allows them to use their networks to
save lives and presents them with viable business case.

Funding
Sproxil used internal resources to fund the technology development, delivery and maintenance of the system.
Grants obtained to support Sproxil’s work to date include a $10,000 grant from the Clinton Foundation, and a
$100,000 grant recently received from USAID and Western Union for promoting private sector development in
Africa.

Both BIOFEM Pharmaceuticals and NAFDAC have funded campaigns to raise awareness and encourage the
private sector to adopt MAS.

Pharmaceutical companies pay for SMSs on behalf of consumers. Sproxil is able to negotiate lower SMS rates
via volume discounts, as it grouped multiple pharmaceutical companies under the same short code. Importantly
MAS implementation costs incurred by BIOFEM have been more than offset by sales recovery and brand
retention.

Challenges
The challenges to date concern the need for security and protection of the service. The Mobile Authentication
Service has to be constantly updated so that counterfeiters are not able to duplicate this technology.

The telecom providers involved in the Mobile Authentication Service also need to continually monitor their
networks to prevent downtime so that MAS is always available in Nigeria.

37

Lastly, civil society groups and the government should keep up with awareness raising efforts to let every
Nigerian know about the service, in order to empower them to identify counterfeits and genuine drugs to
maintain or improve their health.

Future Plans
For now, at this introductory phase of the solution, Glucophage is the ﬁrst product in Nigeria to adopt the Mobile
Authentication Service. Sproxil and partners expect the service to grow as more pharmaceutical companies join
MAS and it extends to cover more products.

The pharmaceutical industry associations and trade groups in Nigeria continue to support MAS and provide
feedback on how to scale up the services so it can be used for other drugs.

NAFDAC continues to promote MAS and has embarked on an awareness raising campaign, using public
events, speeches, newspaper reports and other forms of mass media, to increase public awareness so that
more consumers use MAS. Costs of this public awareness raising campaign are being met by NAFDAC.

In due course, Sproxil hope to expand to other developing nations ﬁghting against counterfeit drugs, and also
plan to apply their authentication technology to a range of other applications e.g. university degrees.

38

Mobile Births Registration
An inalienable human right Country Vanuatu

Birth registration – the official recording of the birth of a Principle references Update on UNICEF’s work for Pa-
cific Island Children
child by a state administrative process – is ‘an inalienable
Description The birth registration system
human right’. Yet 28% of births in East Asia and Pacific
uses mobile phones through the
countries between 2000 and 2008 have not been
software “iCount”. This innovative
registered – that’s 51 million children. system simplifies the process of
Mobile registration makes the whole process more birth registration by entering

efficient: information about a newborn
baby into an already
• existing paper systems are vulnerable to vermin and programmed mobile phone,
natural hazards such as flooding; which sends the data into a
• it is difficult to search through paper systems, which specific Civil Registry database.
can result in duplicate registrations; UNICEF focus area Child Protection
• remoteness (especially in island states) can make
Maturity Pilot
travel to registration centres difficult;
• people do not see registration as a priority, so Contact Brenda Nabirye, UNICEF Child
Protection bnabirye@unicef.org
providing a mobile service makes it simpler to register
a birth. Johannes Gambo (for copy of
software) jecount@ovi.com
High registration fees act as a further barrier to
Creators Johannes Gambo
registration – costs associated with transporting papers
Sector Governance
from remote islands to the capital are to be covered by
parents. Making the process more efficient can reduce Funders Johannes Gambo, UNICEF
costs, thereby providing opportunities to reduce fees. Mobile tools/software iCount software, compatible
handsets (Nokia 6500)
Target Audience Similar M4D RapidSMS but uses Nokia 6500
The system needs to be put in place by the national initiatives which is a smart phone
registrar (the Civil Status registry in Port Vila), as
handsets send data directly into a specific Civil Registry
database. Local registrars are equipped with handsets that are loaded with the software – in the pilot project in
Vanuatu these included headmasters of schools, area secretaries, and rural health workers.

How it Works
Registration information on a newborn baby, entered into the phone by nurses and doctors, is sent via SMS to a
receiving phone based in the Civil Registration Office in Port Vila. The latter then uses Bluetooth to send the data
to the central computer located in the same office – the computer holds the Civil Registry database. All that the
end user needs is a compatible handset loaded with the iCount software.

39

The iCount software, developed by Mr Gambo, uses SMS and associated
Short Message Transport Protocol (SMTP - not to be confused with simple
mail transfer protocol for email) for data transmission. The SMTP transmits
in connectionless mode so the system is able to work with poor quality
signals and unreliable connections.

The technology does not keep personal information, which is only stored on
one computer. Its reliability therefore is guaranteed as data is secured and
can always be corrected if mistaken.

The system uses prepaid cards from the local Telecom companies (Digicel
and Telecom Vanuatu Limited during the trials in Vanuatu) so users do not
need to enter into any contracts.

Lack of access to electricity, unreliable power supplies, and poor network
coverage are common problems faced by mobile phone users. The system
uses solar power to charge mobiles to overcome energy issues. It also
stores the data into drafts when network coverage is missing, then
!
automatically resends them when a network becomes available.

The system was developed by Johannes Gambo, a Masters student from Unitec, New Zealand. It was initially
trialled for 4 months at Burumba, on the island of Epi, Vanuatu. Two out of three health facilities participated,
including Vaemali Health Centre, where most children are born (others are born in other clinics or at home).

Early in 2009, when the system was still in its initial stages of development, UNICEF experimented with using
mobile phones to support traditional paper based systems as part of a birth registration campaign in Tafea
Province (a group of the most southerly islands in Vanuatu). The trial of the system resulted in the registration of
close to 17,000 children in the province. The national average rate of children 0-5 years registered is 25.6
percent and registration in Tafea Province is especially low at 12.5 percent (according to 2008 MICS).

Towards the end of 2009 mobile phones were distributed to health workers in Sanma province, where they
continue to be used to notify births – an average of 60 per month.

During the registration campaign in Tafea, registration was free of charge, and a number of awareness raising
activities and training sessions were conducted. The Civil registry conducted awareness training on the
importance of birth registration in different communities. Training was provided for senior government staff as
well as teachers, nurses, chiefs and other community leaders on their role in the birth registration process. There
is widespread familiarity with SMS, so no special training was needed.

Johannes Gambo designed the system, developed the iCount software, and was responsible for
implementation in the ﬁeld as well as evaluating its performance. This was done as part of his postgraduate
research.

40

UNICEF has working relationships with the Government of
Vanuatu, and was able to work with government partners to get
the system up and running. It also provided financial support for
associated activities such as training.

Ministry of Health personnel are mandated to register births,
given that 80% of children are born in health facilities. The
Ministry of Health also had permission to conduct surveys, which
covers the use of mobiles to collect personal information.

! Ministry of Internal Affairs has responsibility for registering
births and hosts the Civil Registry – they provided access to the central computer that holds the Civil Registry
database.

Digicel, one of the local mobile operators, provided 6500 Nokia handsets to be used in the provincial level
rollout.

Funding
There was no external funding for the development of the system. The initial development of the system was
self-funded by Mr. Gambo in order to avoid any influence on the outcomes.

During subsequent pilots, UNICEF have met the costs of travel to the islands, and provided training for health
workers, at a total cost of around $40,000. This does include indirect costs associated with the time and effort
they have put into supporting the system.

Challenges
The Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu was chosen for testing this technology because of the tough conditions the
country faces. Mr. Gambo’s view was “If it works in Vanuatu, it can work everywhere”.

The solution had to be suited to the local environment, for example:

• the skill levels of intended users
• existing infrastructure; the mobile network capacity was limited – research indicated that there was no GPRS
service in most islands, and it required subscriptions, so the system was designed around SMTP for data
transmission
• the prevailing technology; 6500 Nokia phones were given to the assigned persons, a reasonably high
specification phone with 3G and camera.

Despite Digicel offering wider network coverage than Telecom since its entry to the market in 2008, coverage is
still largely limited to population centres. The extent to which the registration system could be rolled out will be
constrained by network coverage.

Future Plans
Implementation of the system in Sanma is regarded as only the beginning of a process under which UNICEF will
support the government acquire more mobile phones and rollout the project to other provinces. As with the pilot
project, the rollout initiative will be accompanied by advocacy at policy level, training of staff, and awareness-
raising at a community level.

41

There are plans to extend its use beyond health centres and health !
staff, to link with other social services and administrative structures to
facilitate birth registration at the village level.

The high cost of collecting data in a nation of small, scattered islands,
makes the system especially attractive, and UNICEF have plans to
use it to gather data for other practitioners e.g. immunisation, deaths,
school enrolment. They recognise the need not to congest the
system – “keep it simple”.

Mr. Gambo has pointed out that the technology could be used not
only to register births, but also for other applications involving the
exchange of data to a central location, such as ordering medical
supplies. These types of applications will save time as orders could
be sent directly to suppliers in Port Vila without having to walk long
distances to send the order.

Mr. Gambo has made the software freely available to any organisation
in the Paciﬁc; this will not only foster widespread adoption of the
system, but also make it easier for others to adapt the technology for
alternative applications.

42

Voice of Kibera
Making the most of mapping Country Kenya

Voice of Kibera is a citizen-reporting project based in Principle references http://voiceofkibera.org/reports
Kibera, Nairobi - Africa's largest slum. It is an initiative of Description A citizen-reporting project using
Map Kibera – a project that in 2009 enabled Kiberans to the Ushahidi platform to map
create the ﬁrst public digital map of their own reports submitted via SMS,
community, which had previously been a blank spot on email, and website.
the map. UNICEF focus area Education, Gender

The original idea behind the mapping project was to Maturity Experimental
shape a better understanding of what’s happening on
Contact contact@mapkibera.org
the ground, in order to help service providers, such as
Creators Erica Hagen & Mikel Maron
local government, respond more effectively to needs.
Voice of Kibera is one of several channels used to Sector Governance
repackage and communicate information gathered from Funders UNICEF Kenya
citizens – others include the Kibera Journal, published
Mobile tools/software Ushahidi Platform
by KCODA, Pamoja FM community radio, and a Flip
camcorder video team. Similar M4D Gaon Ki Awaaz
initiatives
Kibera residents use SMS to submit reports or local Voices of Africa - mobile

news on anything they feel is of interest to Voice of reporting

Kibera. Citizens can then receive updates and
subscribe to thematic SMS reports, which are also available on the website.

Target Audience
Due to the participatory nature of content generation, local residents are the principal users of the system – both
in the submission of information and accessing reports.

Local community organisations and informal groups are eager to learn how they can make use of Voice of
Kibera to highlight their activities.

The aim is for service providers such as local authorities and NGOs to use Voice of Kibera as a source to inform
their policy and work plans.

How it Works
To submit an SMS report to Voice of Kibera, citizens send a message to the short code 3002. The SMS must
include the word "Kibera" in the text, as much information as possible, and location information, all in 160
characters or less. The cost of an SMS is 5 KSH (6 US cents) across all networks in Kenya and only works
within the country. Messages can also be submitted by email or on the website.

Messages cover information about local organisations, opinions about local businesses and services, problems
encountered, events, and local news (good or bad).

43

The general public can sign up for alerts via SMS based on specific categories. For example, someone
interested in sporting events could text in: “Kibera alerts sports” and then receive an SMS every time a report
tagged “sports” is approved.

People who have signed up to receive the “alerts digest”
receive an SMS at the end of the day with a summary of
news from the day.

The Editorial Board is responsible for administration of the
website, compiling the alerts digest, and for verifying
incoming messages – they decide which messages are
relevant to post on the site. The Board members also act
as SMS reporters within their community, sending in
messages to let Kibera and the world know what is
happening around them. The Board is made up of 6 young
volunteers from Kibera who were picked because they are
committed to community work, and were quick to learn the
technology.

! Voice of Kibera is distinct from MapKibera, which used
open source mapping to create a map of Kibera, although the map is used to present information gathered.
Aggregating information on the map is done using Ushahidi, an open source platform that gathers data via
SMS, email, or web, and visualises it on a map..

The Voice of Kibera Editorial Board was formed in May 2010 and the programme is fully operational. A listing of
posts on the website indicates around 70 messages a month are verified.

The open mapping project (MapKibera) has successfully demonstrated that it is possible to generate high quality
maps at low cost using open source software. However, the challenge of getting information into the hands of

service providers remains. The Voice of Kibera project is still described as “experimental”, but there are
encouraging signs – a network of local groups combating gender based violence (GBV) are excited about the
potential of the system, and have already created a detailed child protection and girls’ vulnerability map.

UNICEF identified the potential value of situation mapping to their programme planning (e.g. vulnerability to HIV/
AIDS through GBV) and supported the project through grant funding, and personnel.

Groundtruth Initiative generates maps using OpenStreetMap; it is a group of technology professionals set up
by the founders of the MapKibera project, who conceived Voice of Kibera as part of the overall vision.

SODNET is a local NGO that works with NGOs to make better use of technology, and was a source of local
technical expertise.

KCODA is a local CBO promoting citizen journalism as a means of securing improvements in Kibera. It was
instrumental in communicating the vision and mobilising the community.

44

Funding
Overall costs were around $60,000, most of which covered personnel costs e.g. technical, management.
UNCEF Kenya funded this in full.

Once the system is up and running, costs of maintaining the system are minimal and should be manageable by
local NGOs, such as SODNET.

Challenges
The trickiest part of the overall vision is to build a platform that works for the various groups that use the
information i.e. getting information into the hands of service providers.

Acquiring a short code can be difﬁcult and expensive. SODNET already had a shortcode that they used for
Voice of Kibera.

External organisations tend to be regarded as a source of funds, especially in Kibera, which has many NGOs.
KCODA played an important role in fostering volunteerism and community ownership.

People did not understand how the map could help them, and the concept of achieving change through
sending an SMS is difﬁcult to grasp.

UNICEF grant allocation procedures make no special provision for small grants, so dealing with administration
was time consuming, and payments were delayed.

Future Plans
Groundtruth Initiative is commited to the MapKibera project, and plans to pursue a programme of development
towards the ultimate goal. They have recently won funding from UN-Habitat. Groundtruth Initiative also have
plans to replicate the approach in other locations.

It is proposed that community mapping offers a high quality, low cost alternative to current approaches to
creating maps for UNICEF operations, especially in emergency response situations.

45

BBC Janala
A new way of learning Country Bangladesh
BBC Janala is the first large scale mobile-based English Principle references BBC Janala
language teaching service in the world.
Description By dialing 3000, audiences can
There is a huge demand for English language skills in choose from a menu of bi-lingual
Bangladesh – both from employers who want to audio lessons costing 4 cents
compete in the global marketplace, and from families each. Learners can also test their

across the country – a BBC World Service Trust survey English language skill via audio
quizzes.
indicated that 99% of Bangladeshis now want their
children to learn English. UNICEF focus area Education

With over 50 million mobile users in a population of 160 Maturity Operational

million, a mobile based service is an effective way of Contact BBC World Service Trust
reducing barriers to learning English. It is simple to use -
Creators BBC World Service Trust
users follow voice prompts and press keys on the
Sector Education
handset. It is inexpensive - each lesson is a 3 minute
call, costing about 3 taka (4 US cent). It is accessible – Funders DFID
using any handset, from any network. It is convenient – Mobile tools/software IVR, SMS and WAP - IVR and
users can access lessons wherever they like (as long as SMS accessible via any device;
there is a signal) and whenever they like. one WAP site for low-end data
phones
BBC Janala is just one component of “English in
Action”, a 9 year programme aimed at increasing Similar M4D n/a
initiatives
English.

Target Audience
BBC Janala is aimed at younger people (18 – 35 year olds) living on less than £2 a day. It is targeting people
from lower socio-economic classes (B, C, and D).

The English in Action programme was initiated at the request of the Government of Bangladesh, which
recognises how improved English language skills can contribute to the economic growth of the country. The
programme has a national reach through mobiles (Janala), TV and schools.

How it Works
By dialing 3000, audiences can choose from a menu of bi-lingual audio lessons. The selection can be made by
pressing a number on a handset, after listening to a short series of Bengali voice prompts. Lessons are
organised into series, and according to the level of difficulty. Learners can also test their English language skills
via audio quizzes. A new lesson is made available every day, five days a week. The previous week’s lessons are
available via a simple archive.

The BBC WST has negotiated a reduction of standard mobile tariffs (peer to application) of up to 75% to make
the service affordable to people with limited incomes. The 3 taka (4 US cent) users pay for a 3-minute lesson is -
less than the price of a cup of tea from a stall in Dhaka. The service is accessible by users of all six operators in

46

Bangladesh via a single shortcode – providing a simple, memorable point of entry for a potential audience of 50
million plus mobile users.

!
BBC Janala also offers an SMS service, and a mobile internet site for the growing number of mobile internet
users. Users of the site can download all the audio lessons free, upload their proﬁles, and interact with other
users.

Under the English in Action programme, BBC Janala is closely linked with Buzz, a weekly TV show broadcast
on satellite channel ATN Bangla. Using a lighthearted format, this presents features around inspirational
Bangladeshi individuals in both Bangla and English. Within 4 weeks it had become the second most popular
programme in its prime-time Friday evening slot.

Launched in November 2009, the service is less than a year old, yet more than 1.5 million people have already
used it. One third of users of the service are repeat users – this is impressive when compared with other value
added services that typically achieve a return rate of 5%. After three months, the online community at the
website had reached 56, 637 registered users.

The project is taking a serious approach to evaluating its achievements. Not only is there a real-time reporting
system tracking calls and users, but baseline surveys have also been carried out – a survey towards the end of
2010 will then assess impact on language ability and attitudes towards learning English.

The BBCWST are assessing impact via a nationally representative 'cohort panel' of 160 people and via another
panel of 40 mobile phone users. They test members of the mobile phone panel every six weeks, through sit
down formal written and spoken English tests, and there is no doubt about the impact – regular users of BBC
Janala are learning and retaining the functional English language and vocabulary that is taught via mobile
phones.

The BBCWST still regard the project as being in its due to the potential of the project in the future and the
processes in order to reach that potential are still at the beginning stages.

BBC World Service Trust (BBCWST) designed, developed, implemented, and marketed the service from
inception to ‘go live’ and beyond, continuing to maintain it.

All six mobile operators in Bangladesh - Banglalink, Citycell, GrameenPhone, Robi, Teletalk, and Warid
have been involved from the launch by providing connectivity; marketing; end-user support; guidance and
feedback.

SSD-TECH developed the application and is responsible for hosting and maintenance of the platform, including
content management and reporting (statistics).

47

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) authorized the service, facilitated a
reduction in standard tariffs, and supported negotiations with mobile operators. They also helped with reviewing
services during development.

Ericsson Consulting (in Bangladesh and Singapore) analysed the BBCWST research and helped develop the
business case as part of the initial project design.

Gray Advertising, Bangladesh participated in designing the marketing campaign strategy (at launch and
ongoing) including television and press adverts etc.

Funding
UKaid for the Department for International Development (DFID) has committed to providing £50 million to
English in Action over nine years, as part of the English in Action project in Bangladesh, which then helps fund
BBC Janala.

Challenges
Most users have to learn how to use the service themselves, which can be a major challenge in Bangladesh.
Users have a lack of conﬁdence and a fear of learning, due to poor teaching practice and negative experiences
of formal education at school. Many poor people (principal target group) also have limited ability to use the
phone – in particular, they struggle with navigating IVR (interactive voice response) menus.

Future Plans
Reducing end-user tariffs to further expand the reach of the service to people on low incomes.

Developing personalised, progressive learning functionality to provide individual users with tailored courses.

The BBCWST has a global presence and, if the service proves to be effective as it appears, could roll the project
out in other countries (contingent on funding approval).

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For more information, contact:

UNICEF
Erica Kochi

T. +1917 251 2954

E. ekochi@unicef.org

CTO
Kojo Boakye

T. +44 208 600 3815

E. k.boakye@cto.int

Gamos
Dr. Nigel Scott

E. nigel@gamos.org

This document is an output from a project funded by UNICEF. The views expressed here are not necessarily the views of
UNICEF

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