Interventions Using Mobile Technology to Support Rural Communities

Dr Loren TreismanExecutive: Indigo Trust

• The Indigo Trust is a UK based grant making foundation that funds technology-driven projects to bring about social change in Africa

• The Trust focuses mainly on innovation, transparency and citizen empowerment

• We also support innovative tech-driven projects which support development outcomes in any social sector including the health, education, human rights and agricultural spheres

• We believe that if people have the ability to access, share and create information, then they are empowered to make positive changes in their own lives and communities

What factors enable success of a mobile project which aims to serve rural communities?

• Run by passionate individuals• Use available and appropriate technology• Has a clear theory of change• Understand local needs and listen closely to beneficiaries• Takes into account tech capabilities, literacy and language• Project run by technologists and civil society• Two-way interactivity• Sustainable financial model or low operating costs• Takes into account marketing and training needs• Ideally replicable and/or scalable • Interoperable • Transparent and willing to communicate

A Role for Innovation Hubs

Our Grantees in the Agriculture Space

• Agricultural extension services-iCow, Question Box, Grameen Foundation-trusted intermediaries

• Market Prices-Esoko, mFarm

• Link farmers to buyers-Agrohub

• Product Authentication-Crop Life

• Mapping & transparency-Action Aid Tanzania, iCow, Water Point Mapper

Agriculture

• Integrated Business Solutions-Manobi, Logistimo, Esoko

• Financial Services-m-Pesa, Musoni, FrontlineSMS Credit

• Insurance-Kilimo Salama

• Data Collection-EpiSurveyor, EpiCollect

Agriculture

Our Grantees in the Health Sector

Health

• Health Information-Young Africa Live, Cell Life, Medic mobile, MOTECH

• Support-SHM Foundation, Youth for Tech

• Alerts-Cell Life, Textually, Praekelt, Text 2 Change

• Training and support for Community Health Workers- Child Count, eHealth Nigeria

• Drug Authentication-mPedigree, Sproxil

• Data Collection-EpiCollect, EpiSurveyer, Child Count

• Data Management-iBirth, Open MRS

• Health Service Accountability-WOUGNET, CIPESA, GACC

Health

Our Grantees Supporting Transparency, Accountability & Citizen Participation: Open Data

Our Grantees Supporting Transparency, Accountability & Citizen Participation: Connecting to Local Media

Our Grantees Supporting Transparency, Accountability & Citizen Participation: Citizen Reporting

Our Grantees Supporting Transparency, Accountability & Citizen Participation: Digital Mapping

Our Grantees Supporting Transparency, Accountability & Citizen Participation: Supporting Activists

How Indigo Trust Supports Such Projects

• Providing small, high risk grants to not-for-profit & social enterprises which contribute towards social change at the early stages

• Enable entrepreneurs to pilot new ideas, room for trial & error

• Preference for locally owned interventions

• Some projects will achieve financial sustainability or make a profit, others need on-going support

• Multi-year funding

• Advice, access to our networks, leveraging support

Factors for Consideration

• The best solutions to Africa’s challenges will be devised by Africans

• Need to build local capacity

• Increased collaboration is necessary

• This sector is still in its infancy-jury is out on most effective projects

• It remains a challenge to identify financially sustainable business models

• Social start-ups are tough-accept high failure rate, time for profit

• Data costs are still prohibitively high, esp. for IVR and SMS

• Mobile operators and ISPs could help reduce costs & make a profit (↑market share, shared profits, free advertising)

• Interoperability, sustainability, replicability & scalability remain challenging

• This is a new model of development-local empowerment, Private-Public-Charity Partnerships

Thanks for ListeningAny Questions?

Dr Loren Treisman

http://indigotrust.wordpress.com/Twitter: @indigotrustLoren.treisman@sfct.org.uk