Today, science and technology are constantly changing the way we live our lives in modern society, but what about technologies that have a social impact? Technology for Social Change is the story of how technology can be used to transform society, supporting Impact investments and successful solutions for social change and environmental impact.
Many tools, including websites, apps, and social media, can be used for social change and sustainable development. Technological innovation has the potential to make a difference in people’s lives by empowering them to take action and giving them the tools they need to bring about sustained change and economic development with concrete effects.
Let’s explore different ways in which technological advancement and digital inclusion can help fight poverty: encouraging access to education; enabling better measurement of levels of poverty; improving government transparency and accountability; connecting communities and international organizations through storytelling; implementing a Glocal Healthcare or access to education for all, and many more.
Modern Technology to empower women and girls
Africa is one of the fastest-growing regions globally and, by 2023, is expected to have the largest youth population in the world, with half of all Africans aged between 15 and 24.
There are many challenges to achieving development goals in this context, including an education system that leaves a third of African children out of school with little chance of attending further studies, gender equality, and access to healthcare.
Disruptive technologies are making a difference for women and girls, helping to reshape attitudes toward gender equality, and better educate, empower, and protect them.
Women’s rights organization Womankind Worldwide used SMS to get more than 80,000 phone numbers of prospective voters in Malawi to be invited to register for the 2008 elections.
During this registration period, Womankind Worldwide sent daily messages with updates on when registration would start, reminders about the importance of registering, and information on how and when to register. This resulted in a four-fold increase in the number of people registered to vote, especially among men.
To reduce the rate of childhood marriage in Malawi, one program provides a platform for discussion on the issue at the local and national levels.
It has developed an interactive network that enables people to post content and discuss topics such as education on raising children and how to safely avoid child marriage.
It also organizes discussions in schools, where child marriage is discussed by students, teachers, and parents.
In Kenya, teenage girls are more likely to give birth before they reach age 19 than any other group of women, and in 2010, one in every two pregnancies was teenage pregnancy.
The BBC World Service Trust created Rethink, an SMS service that provides information on sexual relationships and contraception and where to find advice and medical care. A study suggests reducing teenage pregnancies by up to 40%, depending on the location.
Empowering Communities Through Storytelling
Many African countries have lively local blogs, where people post their photos, stories, videos, and medical advice. The power of the internet lies in the fact that people can build strong online communities.
On an international level, websites such as Mothers 2 Mothers, which has users from both rich and developing countries, enable mothers to share their experiences and advice on parenting.
Online parenting forums help new mothers worldwide find more information and support as first-time parents. The networks also enable parents to share best-practice advice and raise awareness about what works and what doesn’t when it comes to parenting.
Community media and cafes are being used as platforms for empowerment. Activist groups are using their digital platforms to advocate for rights; in the context of Sudan’s ongoing civil war, satellite TV has also been used as a way to communicate with people on the ground, especially victims of rape and other sexual violence.
Mobile tools to promote transparency and accountability
In Kenya, corruption is perceived by the public at all levels of government as a problem. In 2011, Citizen Report Card was established, a platform where people can report specific instances of corruption. The system has been downloaded over 127 000 times, and in 2012, already over 1300 cases of corruption were reported.
Mobile phone technology is being used to expose human rights violations and mobilize people for action. Rwanda created Kigosha, a mobile application that allows users to report human rights abuses. People are encouraged to report on many different issues, including child labor and land rights violations. In 2013, Kigosha reported more than 5000 cases of abuse through the application.
In Sierra Leone, the government has used SMS as a way to communicate with residents of areas affected by rebel groups and to inform them about humanitarian aid efforts. Through a project called the ‘Peace and Security in the Kambia District Project’, SMS messages are sent to nearly 90 000 people in rural areas to inform them about refugee returns, work on state security and peace-building efforts.
Technology for Smarter Agriculture
Many countries in Africa are still struggling with poverty and food security issues. By using digital tools to help integrate smallholder farmers, however, digital technology is making a difference.
A good example is Farm Radio International, where farmers in developing countries are enabled to get regular updates on agriculture. This helps them increase yields and income through better farming practices tailored to their community.
Another example is FarmAfrica, an SMS service that enables farmers in Kenya to receive information about agricultural practices and market prices for commodities, weather forecasting, and information about critical agrarian events such as the maize harvest season. The project has been so successful that it will be expanded in other countries such as India.
A mobile phone for the blind
In Uganda, a new approach to mobility is emerging. Blind and visually impaired people use a simple mobile phone equipped with an audio amplifier.
In 2012, over 30,000 people in Uganda could access information about employment opportunities through FM100.
FM 100 focuses on the benefits of employment for women and skills enhancement and empowering women by creating equal opportunities for them in the workplace.
Connecting lives
Mobile phones have helped families to reconnect. In Malawi, sex workers with children received health care on a regular basis, and in 2011, over 40,000 children were able to have regular access to healthcare services. HIV-positive mothers in South Africa can also afford good quality healthcare through midwives who provide services remotely.
Improved business practices
Many companies are using mobile technology to improve their business practice. In Ghana, farmers are informed about the market price of their crops by text message. The information enables them to receive higher prices for their produce and gives them more control over the market.
Connecting people in times of crisis
In the aftermath of natural disasters, people often lose touch with loved ones who may have been displaced or relocated to another country altogether. Therefore, many organizations have set up tools that reconnect people and enable them to keep their family members informed about their whereabouts.
A good example is Mxit in South Africa, which includes functionality called ‘Safe and Found’. Users can alert friends or family about their whereabouts.
Helping children to read
The use of mobile phones is transforming education in Africa. Over 80% of primary schools in South Africa now use iPads. Over 80 000 children receive education via digital platforms such as Kenya’s ‘Mobile-Maths’.
Protecting human rights
In 2012, a project called Open Defecation Free was launched to reach every household in the country within six years. The project uses SMS as a tool to mobilize people into action.
For example, the Sanitation and Water Supply department in Ghana will send an SMS to people living close to a place where there has been a report of open defecation, asking them to observe the area for three months or until they see that people are using the area as an available toilet.
There is no silver bullet when creating solutions in developing countries. What is clear, though, is that mobile technology offers tremendous potential for social-economic inclusion.
The benefits can be immediate and are often long-lasting. In these times of austerity, let us not forget that innovation within mobile technology has already had a positive impact on people’s lives in developing countries.
In many ways, the revolution is still ongoing. Even in countries where mobile penetration is very high, large groups of people have yet to take advantage of the benefits of mobile technology. It will be interesting to see how innovations like Google Glass will affect development outcomes in Africa in the years to come.
