---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2008 02:21:51 -0700
From: The Soul Beat <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: The Soul Beat Issue 109: Mobile Phones for Social Change in Africa


The Soul Beat Issue 109: Mobile Phones for Social Change in Africa
June 25 2008


From the SOUL BEAT AFRICA partnership - Soul City and The Communication Initiative

...African choices...critical voices...crossing borders...African stories...


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According to the African Telecommunication/ICT Indicators 2008 (see 
http://www.comminit.com/redirect.cgi?cimo=1&r=http://www.itu.int/ITU-
D/ict/publications/africa/2008/index.html ), the number of mobile subscribers in Africa has increased 
dramatically over the last few years. In 2007 the African continent added over 60 million new mobile 
subscribers and mobile phones represented 90 percent of all telephone subscribers. This issue of The 
Soul Beat shares a selection of programme experiences, strategic thinking documents, and materials 
related to the use of mobile telephones for social change in Africa.

If you would like your organisation's communication work or research and resource documents to be 
featured on the Soul Beat Africa website and in The Soul Beat newsletters, please contact 
[log in to unmask]

To subscribe to The Soul Beat, go to http://www.comminit.com/en/user/register/38 or send an email 
to [log in to unmask] with a subject of "subscribe".

===


Please note: We'd like to encourage all those who have not yet registered to register on the Soul Beat 
Africa website, even if you are already a subscriber to The Soul Beat. There are features that are only 
available to those who register; for example, there are polls and questions that are only available to 
registered users, and in order to tailor the information to you and your needs, registration will be 
required. In addition, we'd like to make sure that our files are updated so that we are aware of your 
specific interests and needs. To register, please see http://www.comminit.com/en/user/register/38 
(note: if you are already registered and signed in, this link will NOT work for you. It is only for those 
people who are not yet registered).


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PROGRAMME EXPERIENCES
http://www.comminit.com/en/africa/experiences.html


1. MyQuestion and MyAnswer - Nigeria
Learning about Living, a project that aims to use information and communication technologies (ICTs) 
to educate young people on issues around adolescent reproductive health, is running two information 
and advice services for young people in Nigeria called MyQuestion and MyAnswer. The project, 
launched in November 2007 by the charity OneWorld UK, in collaboration with other key Nigerian 
health non-governmental organisations (NGOs), allows young people to request information on 
reproductive health and HIV/AIDS through short messaging system (SMS), by going online, or by 
phoning a hotline. It also involves a competition which requires that young people answer a set 
question related to HIV/AIDS each month in order to win airtime.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/269380/38
Contact Finola Robinson [log in to unmask] OR Learning about Living 
[log in to unmask]


2. Groots Kenya Mobile Phone Mentoring Strategy - Kenya
This project focuses on the protection of land rights of women and orphans, many of whom are 
affected by HIV/AIDS. In order to achieve their objectives, the organisation is making use of mobile 
phones to advocate for and address women's and orphan's rights to own and inherit property. The 
project works across 4 regions in Kenya: Kakamega in western province, Kendubay in Nyanza 
province, and Limuru and Gatundu in Central province of Kenya. Mobile phones are being used by 
women and community watchdog groups to report cases of land-grabbing in these regions, and to 
facilitate interaction and knowledge-sharing between chiefs in the different regions.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/269010/38
Contact Everlyne Nairesiae [log in to unmask]


3. SMS to Treat TB - South Africa
A doctor in Cape Town, South Africa is using SMS technology to remind patients to take their 
medication for the treatment of tuberculosis (TB). This initiative is premised on the observation that TB 
patients often do not take their medication simply because they forget. Names of TB patients are 
entered onto a database. Every half hour a computer server reads the database and sends personalised 
messages to the patients, reminding them to take their medication. The idea is to use technology to 
address a real need effectively, but in a simple, affordable, and flexible way.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/125925/38
Contact Dr. David Green [log in to unmask]


4. Village Phone Rwanda (Tel'imbere) - Rwanda
Launched in 2006, Village Phone Rwanda was created as a joint venture between Grameen Foundation 
and MTN Rwanda. The Village Phone business is called Tel'imbere, loosely translated as "telephone 
forward" in Kinyarwanda, Rwanda's main language. It is designed to extend the benefits of affordable 
telecommunications access in a sustainable, profitable, and empowering way by offering villages 
opportunities to access telecommunications through a sustainable business model.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/270294/38
Contact Grameen Foundation [log in to unmask]


5. Xam Marsé - Senegal
Launched by Manobi in 2001, Xam Marsé provides market information about various products to 
Senegalese farmers, traders, hoteliers, and others via internet and free, daily telephone SMS messages. 
Meaning "know your market" in Wolof, Xam Marsé provides SMSs with real-time information on the 
prices and availability of fruit, vegetables, meat and poultry, on any of Senegal's markets. Manobi 
introduced the service to increase access of producers to information that would allow them to make 
better decisions about sales and purchases.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/266053/38
Contact Daniel Annerose [log in to unmask]


6. Mobile Dictionary (MobiDic) - South Africa
This is a project developed to enable South African dictionary users to access dictionary content via 
their cellular phones. The project works by sending a word for which the user needs an explanation to 
a premium-rated short code number. They will instantly receive a definition in return via SMS. Most 
definitions will be contained in one SMS. On occasion, a definition will be longer than one SMS and in 
those cases two return SMS messages will be sent without any additional costs to the user.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/128965/38
Contact Danie Swart [log in to unmask]


7. Using Cellular Technology to Monitor Rights Violations and Improve Child Protection in Eastern DRC 
- Democratic Republic of Congo
In April 2005, Ajedi-Ka and the Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict (CAC) began work on a pilot 
project using cellular phones and internet technology to facilitate existing Village Committees for 
Child Protection (VCCP) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to monitor and report on child 
rights violations. The programme aimed to empower local organisations and community members to 
use the technology in the context of armed conflict, and make monitoring and reporting more 
efficient. Cellular phones were used to relay information on child rights violations from the VCCPs to 
Ajedi-Ka staff. Ajedi-Ka shared detailed information about each of the fully verified cases with 
Watchlist headquarters in New York.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/135290/38
Contact Bukeni Beck [log in to unmask] OR [log in to unmask]


8. Freedom HIV/AIDS Game - India, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Uganda
This gaming initiative uses mobile telephones to engage people in entertaining, awareness-raising 
activities regarding HIV/AIDS. Designed to appeal to different gaming mind-sets as well as the 
psychology of mobile phone users, the games were crafted in such a way that both the casual player 
and the game enthusiast might be drawn to play. Sports is a central strategy for engaging players, 
especially youth, and the first game, "AIDS Penalty Shoot-out" is based on soccer.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/133100/38
Contact Bhanu Sahni [log in to unmask]


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Rising Voices, the outreach arm of Global Voices, in collaboration with the Open Society Institute Public 
Health Program's Health Media Initiative, is now accepting project proposals for the third round of 
micro grant funding of up to US$5,000 for new media outreach projects focused especially on public 
health issues involving marginalised populations. For more information visit the Rising Voices website 
http://www.comminit.com/redirect.cgi?cimo=1&r=http://rising.globalvoicesonline.org/about/


===


STRATEGIC THINKING
http://www.comminit.com/en/africa/strategicthinking.html


9. Mobile Activism or Mobile Hype?
by Firoze Manji
This paper, published in the Gender and Media Diversity Journal, argues that while technology offers 
many opportunities, the push to bridging the digital divide and harnessing the power of ICT often 
neglects people as the resource that is most central to development. The author proposes that while 
technology may provide tools that people can use, it should not be over-rated as the solution to every 
problem. Based on 2 experiences using mobile phones in Africa to address women's rights and social 
development, the key lesson learned is that mobile phones are only useful as one part of a strategy in 
which people must remain at the forefront.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/270107/38


10. The Un-wired Continent: Africa's Mobile Success Story
by Vanessa Gray
This paper explores trends in mobile telephone use on the African continent. According to the author, 
there is a persisting need to provide access to those who have been excluded - mainly, rural dwellers 
and lower-income citizens. Research suggests that low-income households are prepared to spend 
relatively large amounts of their revenue on telecommunications because it helps them save money in 
other areas. The article also includes examples of the use of the mobile phones and cites an example 
where farmers in Uganda have used them to find out about the latest crop prices.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/265616/38


11. Livelihood Changes Enabled by Mobile Phones: The Case of Tanzanian Fishermen
by Jonas Myhr and Lars Nordström
"Mobile phones have had a tremendous diffusion rate in Africa in recent years. This has brought access 
to telecommunication to new user groups, among them Tanzanian fishermen. But how does mobile 
phone use affect the way fishermen live their lives, how they pursue economic activities and how they 
protect themselves from vulnerability to risk?" This research shows that mobile phone use empowers 
fishermen, both through increased bargaining power and increased control over external events. 
Mobile phones give increased knowledge about market opportunities and the possibility to work more 
efficiently. Furthermore, mobile phones give fishermen the possibility to take measures to decrease 
the risks they are exposed to, such as emergencies out at sea..
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/269625/38


12. Scaling a Changing Curve: Traditional Media Development and the New Media
The Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA) at the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) 
commissioned this study to examine the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in 
independent media development and to shed light on the state of current practice with respect to 
media development and new technologies. This document analyses the use of new media, including 
blogs, social networking sites, cell phone messaging, and other relatively new technology applications 
in communication for development. It contextualises new media in the rapidly changing global 
information industry, and offers recommendations on how independent media-development 
programmes can take advantage of, and keep abreast of, these new global trends.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/268329/38


13. Enterprise Across the Digital Divide: Information Systems and Rural Microenterprise in Botswana
by Richard Duncombe and Richard Heeks
This paper explores the role of information and information-handling technologies in rural 
microenterprises (MSEs). Through a case study of rural MSEs in Botswana's economically poorest areas 
in 1999, the researchers identify social networks as the primary information system among poor rural 
entrepreneurs. The vast majority of MSEs surveyed could not afford individual access to ICT. Those 
who used phones reported a reduction in their operational costs (e.g. by substituting travels), 
increased income, or reduced uncertainty of transactions with suppliers and customers.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/220054/38


MATERIALS
http://www.comminit.com/en/africa/materials.html


14. MobileActive Strategy Guide #1: Using Mobile Phones in Elections and Voter Registration 
Campaigns
by Michael Stein
This series of Strategy Guides is designed to equip organisations around the world with the know-how 
to deploy effective mobile campaigns for a variety of types of activism and advocacy. Guide #1 covers 
the use of mobile phones in elections, both as voter registration and monitoring tools. They can also 
be used to educate citizens on candidates and their stances on issues and for fund raising in support 
of candidates. According to the guide, "with 3 billion phones in circulation around the world, in many 
countries mobile phones are the easiest and least expensive way to communicate and are far more 
pervasive than the internet".
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/267971/38


15. MobileActive Strategy Guide #2: Using Mobile Phones in Advocacy Campaigns
by Michael Stein
This guide, the second in the series of 3, offers strategies, case studies, lessons learned, and a how-to 
section for advocacy organisations considering using mobile phones to advance their causes. It is 
intended to encourage the adoption of mobile phones by non-profits to build their constituent lists, 
influence political causes, and raise money.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/267969/38


16. Going the Last Mile: What's Stopping a Wireless Revolution?
by Panos
This is the fourth in a series of short briefing documents for journalists on different aspects of ICTs 
and the 'information society'. It is offered by Panos as a service to non-specialists, and in particular to 
journalists wishing to cover information society issues following the World Summit on the Information 
Society (WSIS) in November 2005.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/188878/38


EVENT
http://www.comminit.com/en/africa/events.html

17. ICTs for Civil Society Conference: Unlocking the Potential of Mobile Technology for Social Impact 
(Oct 13-15 2008) Johannesburg, South Africa
SANGONeT, a South African based organisation that aims to support the effective use of ICTS among 
Southern African civil society organisations, will focus their fourth annual "ICTs for Civil Society" 
conference and exhibition on the theme "Unlocking the Potential of Mobile Technology for Social 
Impact". The 3-day conference aims to convene approximately 250 civil society, development, and 
technology practitioners interested in the use and application of mobile technology in support of social 
impact.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/269907/38


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To view related previous issues of The Soul Beat newsletter see:

The Soul Beat 103 - Telecentres
March 12 2008
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/268000/38

The Soul Beat 84 - Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for Education
May 9 2007
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/264063/38

To view archived editions of The Soul Beat Newsletter see http://www.comminit.com/en/africa/soul-
beat-archives.html


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