Hello Africa - "The mobile is the future, it's the way forward..."

The Austrian Network for Information and Communication Technologies for Development ( www.ict4d.at ) has realised this interesting documentary showing the rapid and increasingly growing development of the use of mobile phones in Africa. The video shows how so-called "developing" countries are catching up with technologies as well as the massive importance mobile communications are gaining in local societies. 

Pakistan and SMS: an inseparable binomial!

Pakistanis are increasingly becoming attracted to SMS facilities and services. Being able to use SMS has become an essential everyday-life need for thousands of Pakistanis. National and international connections amongst Pakistanis, its diaspora communities and foreign actors are however, creating uncomfortable issues as many discuss conspiracy theories through SMS messaging and much of the chatter is about foreign intervention and technological snooping through mobile networks. According to an article posted in the Nation newspaper, the vibrant circulation of SMS in Pakistan is causing the propagation of allegations which is further corroding trust in politicians which is already at an all time low.

The SMS conspiracy theories may provoke criticism and suspicion by many of us. However it is critical to understand the wide impact text messages can have on one nation and its citizens. If these technologies are to be used for social development purposes, real achievements could be made in local development and conflict resolution. Indeed, SMS and text messaging can be used to enhance mutual understanding among different religious or ethnic communities - instead of raging endlessly against politicians. The former would help the financial and social development of countries instead of tearing apart trust in political systems.

Faith Matters, a London based not-for-profit organisation, recently developed an SMS campaign to reduce inter-faith tensions in Pakistan. According to the Project Managers, the campaign has been a real success, as the majority of people responding to the SMS received showed great receptiveness and willingness to solve specific issues affecting the nation by suggesting solutions. Millions of Pakistanis were engaged in this process with over 4-6 million people engaged with and over 100 million SMS text messages were sent in FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) and AJK (Azad Jammu and Kashmir). Faith Matters also mapped responses at a district level in relation to each message showing which ones resonated in which districts in Pakistan and which did not.

The use of SMS in countries like Pakistan can be a great tool for development. Yet, here is the key problem? It can also be used to promote fear, tensions and mistrust. 

A turning point for Senegal: SMS and innovative mapping technologies to ensure fair and democratic elections

February 2012 has been an innovative year for Senegal and its political processes. The impatiently awaited presidential elections have been monitored nationally and internationally to secure a more just and free result, making sure that no incidents were to be obstructing the democratic process. The not-for-profit organisation One World in partnership with different international organisations set up an innovative technological system that allowed monitoring the elections in real time.

The project included a consortium of officers and analysts collecting and monitoring data coming from different regional polling stations on a national level. The analysed results were then sent to the One World team, who from their London based office mapped the results in real time. This innovative project clearly shows the potential residing in simple communication tools, such as mobile phones. Indeed, the collected data were sent to the UK by using a standard SMS code that could rapidly be analysed and made public.

The mapping system was developed to clearly and publicly show real-time statuses of each regional polling station by using a colour-based coding system: green if the situation was good, shading to red if there were problems reported. Problems could include organisational or logistical issues, as well as incidents of violence, tension or potential attempts to corrupt voters.   

The success of this ground-breaking technique was shown just few hours after the opening of the polls; where about 1021 polling stations were sending information in. As suggested by One World, one of the greatest outcomes of this project has been the possibility to measure the amount, capacity and location of well-functioning polling stations.

The election monitoring through this system proved itself for both rounds of elections and enabled Senegal, as well as the international public, to access the final results in real time. Therefore, Wide World technologies not only have proved to be able to speed up the electoral process, but also to ensure transparent and fair elections.  Indeed real-time monitoring enabled to screen and manipulate potential dysfunctions rapidly.

According to Senegalese citizens the February 2012 elections represented the victory of democracy in Senegal.

San Francisco Putting Itself On The Map

P. Barden 

San Francisco is increasingly being referred to as a "truly smart city”, thanks in large part to the introduction of SanFran311: a revolutionary application for reporting local public concerns directly to local government offices - in real time.


The label "smart city" is still somewhat fuzzy. To some its definition rests on the development of a hyper-connected "internet of things" allowing a city to speak to itself, to others an environment driven by opportunities in ICTs to boost local business competitiveness. In the midst of ever-accelerating technological evolution it might be easy to forget to put the human at the centre of urban development. Not so for the case of San Francisco. 

SanFran311, built by the developers HeyGov!, is a sophisticated web and mobile app for citizens to submit, track, and analyse service requests in the city’s 311 non-emergency reporting system. Requests include “Illegal_dumping”, “Pavement_defect”, “Sign_defaced”, or even the very specific “Damaged_Side_Sewer_Vent_Cover”. Pictures can be uploaded at the same time to validate requests.

Reports already suggest that this system has improved community engagement and increased public collaboration, as well as shortened the time taken by the local authority to address service requests and implement updates – “even during peak times” (Forbes, April 29 2012).

The programming for the next Credemus Associates event, Put it on The Map: Smart Cities and Crowdmapping was inspired by this ground-breaking public service. We think this is a monumental game-changer, fundamentally changing the face of local government by giving city residents the ability to upload a huge range of hyper-local service requests in real time.


With SanFran311 for inspiration, we believe the smartest thing about smart cities is smart citizenship - a line of argument this event seeks to explore.

The programme will feature the following speakers:

• Dr Mike Short, President of the Institution of Engineering and Technology & Vice President of Public Affairs at Telefonica International

• Francois Gray, Director of Citizen Cyberscience Centre

• Paul Conneally, Head of Communications & Partnership Promotion at International Telecommunication Union, former Head of Media and Public Communications at International Red Cross

• Esther Gunn-Stewart, North Ayrshire Council Customer Services Manager – developer of “Report It” app

For more information about the event click HERE.

Monitoring Aid and Climate Change on a Map

Two US based organisations, AidData and Climate Change and African Political Stability (CCAPS), have launched a pilot programme developed around a dynamic mapping tool. 

The aim of this platform is to help people visualising African climate change, conflict and aid through the support of an interactive map.

This tool not only allows policymakers to analyse data on a wide and varied scale, but can also enable a deeper understanding of factors influencing aid, as well as a broader share of good practices among interested parties.

The integration of a mapping system within climate change and conflict resolution projects represents a great way to effectively present both natural and social changes that would otherwise be difficult to track.

Ashley Moran from CCPAS confirmed that although the pilot is still at its initial stage, the organisation is working to develop further applications around crowdsourcing in international development.

The greatest merit of this tool is that it increases disaster response capacity by enhancing a two way communication with citizens, who constantly input with their feedback and contributions.

Our suggestion: UK based NGOs should start looking at the potential embedded within these tools.

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Iran - Double Standards

MTN Group has denied allegations made by US-based lobbying group Uani that it bought technology that allowed the Iranian government to track mobile users, saying in a letter to the lobbyists that its Iranian unit is compliant with all laws, Dow Jones Newswires has reported. The claim was made in a letter to MTN's CEO in January. Similar claims have been made of Huawei and Nokia. However the Lawful Interception Management System is a feature of mobile network architecture, mandated by the US Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA). 

Zain Mobile Signs up for Windows SmartPhones

Microsoft and Zain are co-operating to promote Windows Smartphones in the Middle East, the Kuwait-based telco said in a statement issued on Sunday. The deal was struck last week in Barcelona.

It is planned to launch Windows Phone software later this year, jointly with smartphone devices from selected manufacturers, which will be targeted at businesses and consumers in Zain’s mobile operations in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and South Sudan.

It is envisaged that the partnership will permit the development of an applications ecosystem within Zain’s mobile network, facilitating developers to create and publish applications for the marketplace.

Nabeel Bin Salamah, CEO of Zain Group noted that, ‘the smartphone has become a necessary item in today’s society…’. Gustavo Fuchs, Microsoft Mobility Director, Middle East and Africa said that the growth of smartphones is fuelling the global mobile market. He quoted research house International Data Corporation (IDC) as having forecast that the Windows Phone will have the second largest share of the smartphone market by 2015.

He noted the growth of smartphones in the region with a prediction of 38 percent year-on-year growth for 2012.  

Successful Conference Launch on the Use of Mobiles in Community Development

Credemus Associates launched the successful conference entitled 'The World in the Palm of Your Hands:SMS and Mobile Communications.' The conference took place on Friday the 2nd of March at the premises of DLA Piper in Central London and Ken Banks and Hadjo Van Beijma of Frontline SMS and TexttoChange talked about the possibility of creating local sustainable communication projects in Africa using SMS. They discussed maximising messages by linking SMS dissemination to radio programmes and other community messaging systems. The Founder of Credemus Associates, Fiyaz Mughal OBE also talked about the use of SMS in countering extremism in Pakistan that had been undertaken between 2010 - 2012. He spoke about the opportunities that SMS and mobile engagement provide such as giving rich data on public opinion in real time and in snapshots at specific times. Fiyaz also went onto talk about the work that Faith Matters (www.faith-matters.org) had undertaken in Pakistan on assessing public opinion using SMS immediately after the killing of Usama Bin Laden. The findings he suggested, were startling.

All three social entrepreneurs talked about the cheapness of using SMS which they effectively utilised using existing mobile networks and they also discussed health programmes that were developed on the back of the use of SMS. The use of SMS to check whether women were aware of their HIV status in Uganda was one programme for example that was undertaken by TexttoChange with over 90% of the women surveyed being aware of their HIV status. Compare that to the UK and it puts us all to shame!

The conference also provided participants with a strong insight into the use of social media and ensuring that messages are synergised using different social media sources. The conference rounded up with a panel discussion on the future direction of mobile use on community development work and the need to develop a space in the UK where such issues could be discussed. The good practice around SMS and mobile engagement with communities was highlighted at length and provided participants with plenty of good examples of work that they could undertake in this arena to increase innovation and community penetration. The future looks good; the future is certainly mobile!

Mobile phones: the latest tool to transfer money!

An innovative and revolutionary system to transfer money within the UK has recently been launched by Barclays Bank. The new mobile application called Pingit allows Barclays customers to easily transfer money to any individual who has a UK-based mobile number or bank account.

National money transfers have never been that easy as mobile phones are indeed playing a huge role in simplifying the whole process with the simple use of a five-digit passcode. As a matter of fact, registered customers can send and receive amounts up to £300 and £5000 just by knowing the name and the mobile number of the person they want to transfer the payment to.

Once chosen the contact from the address book, the payer just need to insert the five-digit security code to confirm the payment and everything is done! The amazingness of this system is that not only does it allow people to simply sort payments from any locality within the UK, but it also ensures a high level of security as all data are encrypted before being sent and the bank details are not saved on the phone.

Increasingly more people will be able to take advantage of this mobile application, as Barclays is working to allow any non-Barclays customer to use this service. Mobile phones are definitely becoming a major part of our lives.

Information and development through SMS! It is now possible thanks to FrontlineSMS

The power of SMS in providing equal access to information has recently been discovered by journalists all over the world. Harry Surjadi -a Knight International Journalism fellow- has initiated the (quite unusual) idea of breaking news in 160 characters. Indeed, he is enabling journalists living in remote and small communities in Indonesia to easily spread real time information through SMS breaking news.

This can be done by using FrontlineSMS, a free platform that enables companies, NGOs or simply motivated users to spread thousands of SMS globally. This platform has often been used by charities and not-for-profit organisations to promote international development, as it enables high percentages of information access as well as interactivity. Indeed, through simple SMS, people are provided with a basic but effective tool to communicate and share information both nationally –within their local community- and internationally –with the NGO or charity, which is engaging with them.

The acronym ICT4D –Information and Communication Technologies for Development- is paradoxically coming back to the “old style”. SMS, which many people would consider passés in current societies, are indeed the latest technology for development, as they assure equality of information globally.

To find out more about ways to engage with your communities –nationally or internationally- check “The World in the Palm of your Hands: SMS and Mobile Communication” on http://www.credemus.org/events/event-list?task=view_event&event_id=13 

An Eye on the Middle East

The Middle East is increasingly developing the usage of Information and Communication Technology whilst consequently becoming one of the latest unexpected leading regions.  Topmost representatives of this massive growth are countries such as Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, which within the last ten or fifteen years have managed to reach amazing rates of mobile phone penetration. Indeed, as the Africa and Middle East telecom-week journal reports, mobile penetration rates in these countries are respectively 334%, 239%, 210% and 185%.

Qatar and the UAE are therefore the leading countries in information and telecommunication development within the Middle East and therefore represent the forefront of technological growth not only around mobile communication, but also residential internet access. For instance, QTel - major Qatari Telecom Company - has launched FttH, the fibre that is currently connecting more than 16,000 households and which has been estimated to be covering the whole country by 2014.

This massive growth not only provides these countries with increasingly high revenues, but is also enabling their population to stay connected and share information globally. In Saudi Arabia, revenues coming from wireless broadband usage have augmented by 126% between 2010 and 2011, due to the recent set up of the 4G network that is providing high speed internet access in the main cities, coupled with a 3G network, which is currently covering about 92% of the country.

Latest ICT developments are certainly opening new opportunities for national and international development within the MENA region thanks to their potential to actively engaging communities through instant communication. 

 Playing the Lottery in Ghana Using SMS

The National Lotteries Authority (NLA) and Airtel Ghana have come together and have jointly launched a new SMS lottery called 'Wow.' Airtel subscribers can text the word 'WOW' to a short code at a premium rate number and there are daily prizes attached. People receive monetary prices or houses and the use of SMS in Lottery Schemes is a growing venture in Africa.

The use of SMS in gaming will no doubt be a significant income generator to private businesses. It also raises an ethical question where users may become addicted to such gaming opportunities. Using a mobile phone and simply sending an SMS message is innocent enough though when allied to the fact that the individual is part of a gaming system, there are significant ethical issues. Such a scheme detracts from the simple fact that players are losing money and the chances of winning are extremely low. 

So SMS in gaming will no doubt expand through the use of mobile telephony and social impacts will be signficant in the next 5-10 years in Africa. We will no doubt keep a watchful eye on developments.

USING MOBILE TELEPHONY AND MOBILE SOFTWARE PROGRAMMES

Throughout years of experience in community engagement, experience and market data has shown Credemus Associates that the future of community engagement globally will be shaped by the use of mobile phones and mobile software platforms. Community engagement and community development will no doubt be shaped by innovation in these areas which are leading the way.
Although many have stressed the massive role played by social media such as Twitter and Facebook in enabling charities and Not-for-profit organizations in developing campaigns to reach their audiences, Credemus Associates strongly believes that the fast changing face of technology means that there needs to be consistent engagement and dissemination of good practice on innovative technologically driven social projects. Part of this focus, we believe, should be on mobile phones. As a matter of fact, figures show that people are more likely to access mobile phone facilities than internet based social networks. Even in regions like Africa and Middle East, mobile penetration rates are reaching extra-ordinary numbers. Just to quote a few examples: Seychelles has got a mobile penetration rate of 271% in relation to the entire population, Gabon 129%, Uganda 108%, Congo Brazzaville 90%, Zimbabwe 68% (Africa and Middle East telecom-week report, June 2011), while the Middle East region has seen a total subscriber rate of 285 million mobile
subscribers (Africa and Middle East telecom-week report, July 2011).


Why Charities Should Use Mobile Phones and SMS to Engage Their Audiences?
If we think about our daily life and the activities that we undertake regularly, it becomes immediately obvious that we spend a lot of time using our mobile phones. Whether undertaking work related or personal functions, communication becomes easier through mobile phones and I-phone and I-pad applications. Whether we are running late to appointments or whether we just want to say a quick “Hi” to someone we have not seen in a while, these technologies are becoming essential. Indeed, SMS is one of the quickest and easiest ways to communicate and this simple mechanism was a key driver in sweeping thoughts and communications in the Arab Spring across the Arab World. Furthermore, we need to note that mobile technology is being driven in areas like East Africa and being used by consumers in these regions in a more innovative fashion than is being used in Europe and the US.
So, it is clear that SMS use is fundamental to UK Not-for-Profits, whether in raising funding or whether used in engaging with new and ‘hard to reach’ communities or groups. What also should be mentioned is that mobile phones are seen as very personal modes of communication and people become attached to their phones. Messaging through this medium therefore will and does have an impact given the reach and continual engagement that mobiles allow for.

NfpSynergy have recently published an interesting report that gives great tips to charities on how to use mobile phones and text messages. Among these, a few points need to be underlined, as the results of this research support our vision. These points include the facts that:

- Text messages are immediate, effective and easy to remember, factors that would enable
them to support any kind of communication campaign,
- Text messages create a close relationship and can be used to thank audiences for their
support and donations without the need to send e-mails that can potentially be ignored,
- They are personal and make people feel special,
- They are a great medium to develop effective petitions and voting systems,
- They are new enablers for fundraising (NfpSynergy, 2009).

An organization, Faith Matters (www.faith-matters.org & www.faith-matters.pk) has developed an interesting project based on the use of mobile telephony which helped develop innovation in the organization and which also helped them to develop new income streams and engagement with new communities. Launched with the aim of countering extremism in Pakistan, the project has disseminated over 55,000,000 SMS messages into Pakistan which are based on peaceful Qur’anic, leadership and poetry based themes. By asking respondents to reply to messages they agreed with, Faith Matters managed to create a two-way communication process that produced a very positive feedback. It also helped them to develop close relationships with recipients so much so, that some are now part of focus groups which are held across the country and on a face to face basis.

Developing Mobile Software Platforms and Applications for IPhone and IPad
Charities and Not-for Profits should therefore start taking advantage of the amazing opportunities offered by new technologies such as IPhone applications and mobile software platforms.
IPhone software programmes not only have penetration amongst young people constantly looking for the latest and funniest applications, they also support learning and have a psychological and habitudinal impact on people using them. As a matter of fact, the greatest impact of these tools is that people easily get used to using them and increasingly rely on them on a daily basis.
These are some reasons why developing mobile applications as part of the marketing and engagement strategy of a Not-for-Profit can bring enormous advantages both to awareness-raising and fundraising.
As the Third Sector magazine reports, DEPAUL UK, one of the leading UK charities working on providing support to homeless people, launched an application entitled IHobo. The application was launched in May 2010 and it enables users to take care of a virtual homeless person. It has been downloaded over 600,000 times (www.depauluk.org/ihobo) and in doing so, it has engaged with large numbers of people who are now aware of what the charity does, as well as being aware of some of the issues that homeless people may come across. It also brought in £7000 worth of donations from individuals who had downloaded it. As Depaul UK has reported, IHobo also fulfilled another key aim. It has helped to develop behaviour change in people towards the homeless.

The Rise and Rise of Mobile Phones in Africa

We within Credemus Associates are fully aware of the huge impacts that mobile phones are having on mobile money transfer, health services, within countering extremism programmes and in the registration of births and deaths just to name a few of the social projects where mobiles are having an impact.

The rise of mobiles in Africa just seems to steamroller on. For example, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco have over 71% mobile coverage in the countries, with countries like Somalia, Sudan, Chad, Niger and Mali having between 21-70% of their respective countries being covered by mobile networks. Who would think that Somalia, for example, war ravaged and destroyed by war and famine, would have such mobile infrastructure in place. Yet, in does, thanks in part to the business entrepreneurism of Somalis who are particularly adept at setting up telephone and internet facilities through micro-businesses in the country. This entrepreneurism has remained under the radar of Western countries who simply cannot see the huge potential and opportunities to support the development of Somalia and even to engage with these networks to counter war and extremism within the country.

SMS for example, has been used by Al Shabaab in Somalia to mobilise troops and to provide orders to units. This in itself shows the pervasiveness of mobiles and since they are easy to use and since they can be carried, they have become the natural medium of communication in developing countries.  The future of mobiles in Africa is going to take off and given that Near Field Technology will be coming into effect, the next 20 years will see Africa at the forefront of interactive mobile NFT engagement.

A Revolution Sweeping Developing Countries