Keeping it Simple with SMS

We are delighted to feature a guest blog post from Rosa Akbari and her work in Algeria, funded by a  grant from UNOCHA. Rosa used what was already in place – a mobile phone in each household – capitalized on existing information flows as they worked without technology, and only added FrontlineSMS to ease the communication at the camp. Fantastic stuff! UN Special Envoy to the Western Sahara Christopher Ross landed in Morocco last Wednesday.... Read More

MfarmerSMS service links farmers to better markets in Nakaseke- Uganda

We’re delighted to share this guest post from FrontlineSMS user Peter Balaba, project manager for Nakaseke Community Telecenter in Uganda.  The MFarmer SMS service, a project of the Nakaseke Community Telecentre in Uganda, helps farmers in rural areas to connect with better markets. It encourages two-way feedback with farmers, buyers and agro-processors, and other service providers. The project is designed to help farmers access agricultural... Read More

Kenya: From the ‘phone booth’ to widespread mobile adoption in Silicon Savannah

Motorola M3888 I had my first mobile phone in 1999, a metallic blue Motorola M3888. Its street name was “phone booth” because it was the cheapest mobile phone available, even though it was a luxury. It cost 14,000KES ($160) – a gift from my father bought during a Safaricom Valentine’s Day special. I could make calls – for 40KES (50 cents) per minute, and send SMS, and that was it; I loved that phone! Today, you can buy a phone for as... Read More

Mobile Design. Sans Frontieres.

Although I find myself intrigued by the convergence of computer science, human computer interaction (HCI) design and international development, it’s not often that I find myself in a room of experts. They’re just not places I tend to mix, most likely because I have no professional IT qualifications, let alone a computer science degree, and I’ve done most of my own software design off-the-cuff, much to the dismay of people who hoped... Read More