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AfriAfya Smartphones for eastern Africa
Challenges Entered:
AfriAfya, North America,a 501 (c) 3 was established to leverage an innovative approach for knowledge management of community driven health and development through Information Communication Technologies (ICT's). We wish to raise funds to explore the impact and logistics of a community Smartphone library to benefit marginalized post conflict countries in eastern Africa. Helping communities gain access to needed Health and Development information.
Most North Americans don't realize that more lives will be saved in eastern Africa in the next ten years by effective use of Information Communication Technology (ICTs) disseminating health and development knowledge we already have than by laboratory or medical research. This may not be true in the rest of the world, but it is in rural post conflict eastern Africa.
In the most marginalized and conflict ridden places in the world, the biggest barriers to Community Health and Development are lack of knowledge and a shared community distrust of outside knowledge. We know how to reduce the risk of infectious disease but in many cases Health Knowledge disseminated by Health Workers from outside the community is misinterpreted or rejected. And so, outside Health Workers distribute treated mosquito netting which is then used for fishing or wedding veils.
We believe social change will come as a result of communities using knowledge because they have been part of the generation process and will feel ownership of the content and the technology by which it is delivered. It is the our responsibility to raise the funds necessary to bring this basic health and development information to those how need it most in post conflict eastern Africa.
By partnering with global consumer electronics companies we can more effectively create a self-sustaining lending program for mobile technology and health and development content. We have already been working closely with the largest global consumer and media research companies in order to develop effective program evaluation studies. Such research will be critical to demonstrate the value of large scale deployment to our consumer electronics partners.
We are applying for this grant in order to create the structure necessary to 1) raise funds to implement this program and 2) to establish additional corporate partnerships in the consumer electronics field in order to assist in the technology needs of the program.
In the first phase, we wish to raise funds to conduct a pilot which explores the impact and logistics of a community Smartphone library for easier access to needed Health and Development information. Information dissemination and improved health and literacy through the successful lending and return of mobile technology are our measure of success in the first year.
In the second year, we want to focus on building self sustainability in the program. If community members begin to improve health and create businesses based on mobile technology such as market price or availability services, our ability to scale this program to national or even global is greatly facilitated. Sustainability, improved health statistics and micro business development are the measures of success in the second year.
Year three, having demonstrated the value of the program to community health, literacy, and micro business development, we will seek to raise investments from social investors and companies to develop a global mobile library system for the worlds marginalized population.
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THIS IS LIFE SAVING !
Knowing that 80% of the diseases in Tropical Africa are preventable and result in high mortality rates especially among children, this idea is extremely brilliant given the circumstances in which the young adults and children live in. Given the rise in HIV/AIDs cases in parts of Africa, it is important to provide health workers and community health persons with relevant information at the finger tips to be able to share the same with remote community persons who have no access to the fruitful and life saving skills and ideas to better their life and most importantly make the right choice and descision towards their destiny.
AFRIAFYA SMARTPHONES - GREAT IDEA
This is a great idea. Given the current growth rates of mobile telephony in Africa, practically every village will shortly boast at least a mobile phone, which will in turn greatly improve communication at the village level. The idea that the communication revolution can be harnessed to improve the health and development of entire communities is truly exciting and definitely deserves to be explored.
It is, indeed, time
In a time when technology, security and the marketplace occupy the minds of first world countries, it is sad that providing basic needs such as healthcare (lets not even start talking about food) are still a problem in the third world. AfriAfya, you have realised that even though there are problems in the third world, we are still growing and learning and being impacted by the developments, specifically techonlogical developments in the world. We should definitely use this to positively impact our communities' attitudes and beliefs and effectively provide their basic needs. It is indeed time this happened.
Tackling the problems in
Tackling the problems in Africa whether sustainable health or agriculture is a long-term task that requires sustained effort and planning - both within African countries and the international community. We need explore more and more opportunities like this where the local communities are able to sustain themselves on a long-term basis. Communications and knowledge sharing are some of the major aspects that needs to be focused on and I think this is one of a great example of such kind of innovative projects.
Great idea!
This is a very good project concept. It would be good for the project to:
1. Demontrate how this technology can have an impact on some health outcome indiactors at the end of the project
2. Showcase how linkages can be developed with exisiting a national HMIS
3. Result in the development of relevant capacity building curricula and training modules + job-aides
Good job!
This is a great idea. Indeed
This is a great idea. Indeed mobile phones can do much more than just connecting people. If they can be used to save lives, then it is a venture that needs to be supported
AfriAfya Smartphones
Hey AfriAfya, the idea is brilliant. Cellphones have become common and essential, today and with this idea they will also be an essential tool to saving and improving lives and I think it is great.
GOOD INITIATIVE
Its ridiculous, how much money is spent on medication, yet its possible to pass on the much needed information, in a creative way, with a much larger impact. Prevention is definetely the best way to curb diseases, and making the information on how to; accessible to the community will go along way. Its actually more sustainable than donating the drugs when people are already sick.
You guys are different
Everyone seems to have the 'mobile bug' but what I see as differnet and special about this project is that you listen to the community first to help design your process. Touche.
AfriAfya
I never thought this way. I always believed more supplies and more vaccines were the answer until I actually met the people on the ground and how they need information, along with more mosquito nets and vaccines. We can prevent illness through better access to information. With improved satellites and cell towers...this could change the shape of community driven health.
AfriAfya SmartPhones
I never thought this way. Yes, we provide inoculations and mosquito nets but the last thing we think of is making our knowledge accessable. With the increase in satellites and cell towers I think with smart people using smart knowledge this could really make a difference.
It is truely a mind
It is truely a mind opener... what we all take for granted is much needed in other parts of the world. This is a large under taking with rewards for humanity that will impact us all.
Excellent initiative
Excellent initiative
Kudus!
This is truly a great initiative. what would we do without cell phones in this day and era!! Kudus!!