Election monitoring technology is changing - driven by two, key developments: ‘digital sovereignty’ and ‘Internet shutdowns’. Now is the time to ensure those changes are for the better. For the last 14 years, Frontline has helped support election monitors communicate using messaging. When you absolutely need to reach everyone, there’s simply no substitute for SMS.
The arrival of COVID-19 in Africa promised to claw back gains made in the education sector, as schools remained closed and curriculum interrupted. To keep learning happening during the lockdown, stakeholders in the industry have come up with numerous policies and guidance, such as rolling out online-based courses, and use of television and radio broadcasts. More than often, the majority of the students are left out as their households cannot afford these platforms. We interviewed Ellen Carney, Geneva Global’s Associate Program Director in Uganda and Ethiopia, on the Frontline+Education platform that offers possibilities of addressing these challenges.
Radio is the world's most powerful broadcast platform that unites communities. South Sudan’s Sawa Shabab (Together Youth) is one of many radio stations that use FrontlineSMS to provide entertainment, host community dialogue, and support targeted educational messages. The result is increase in listenership, positive impact of its educational goals and enhancement of peace and stability among the youth.
Saving lives and alleviating suffering in refugee camps is the hallmark of caregivers across the world. A cogent humanitarian response plan ensures those communities affected by the crisis to access services and resources provided safely and with dignity. A meaningful two-way communication system is an effective and beneficial way to achieve this. FrontlineSMS partnered with the Danish Refugee Council to provide essential Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) services in Malakal and Melut counties, South Sudan.
Messaging is by far the best channel for attendees to engage on-site, and it also provides a natural connection point between art lovers and the artists. Craft Contemporary's On the Inside exhibit is not only supporting powerful new art, it is finding new and innovative ways to connect its audience to artists and the show’s cause.
One of the biggest challenges that public health systems face is reaching last-mile communities. And, for as large as that problem is in direct service provision - it can be even harder to stay in contact for researchers. Read how FrontlineSMS is currently involved in combating HIV spread in Thailand…
At Frontline, we believe that partnership and collaboration best help us drive positive social change. Today I’m delighted to share how our partnership with SocialCoding4Good, an initiative of Benetech, has resulted in great improvement to the FrontlineSMS contact search and selection capability, using our newly released Multi Selector tool. See the demo of the multi selector to see how it works.
After successfully using FrontlineSMS in the Tomorrow is a New Day (TND) project to monitor and improve radio dramas in the Niger Delta, SFCG Nigeria chose to use the platform in a completely different capacity in Jos, a city in Northern Nigeria. SFCG Nigeria is part of Search for Common Ground, one of the first and largest conflict resolution focused NGOs.
The University of Alberta, MARS lab and the Centre to End All Sexual Exploitation (CEASE) have been using FrontlineSMS in a ground-breaking pilot to assess the impact of using SMS to engage women who are trafficked and exploited in Edmonton, Canada. They have very kindly collaborated with us on an in-depth case study, looking at how the system was designed and set up, its impact, and what's happening next.
When monsoons flooded southern Pakistan in 2011, the Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO) quickly implemented a disaster relief project to distribute food items and shelter. This case study takes a look at their work, in collaboration with the Popular Engagement Policy Lab and Raabta Consultants, using FrontlineSMS to improve services in the aftermath of disaster.
The Oro Verde Program, a social enterprise committed to supporting mining communities in Colombia shares a case study on the impact market prices via SMS have had on ensuring miners have access to current Gold prices. This pilot has demonstrated the potential of SMS in improving the way market prices are communicated to miners; both in terms of efficiency, and the utility of the information shared. This case study details how the Oro Verde Program set their Price SMS service up, and shares the key learning from the experience.
This case study shows how Georgetown University’s Institute for Reproductive Health (IRH), a global organization dedicated to improving reproductive health worldwide, has used FrontlineSMS to provide a rapid prototype of a new mHealth service. This service — called CycleTel™ — empowers women by providing them with accessible reproductive health information through SMS. Click here to read the full case study.
This case study looks at how Plan International, a global organization dedicated to improving the lives of children around the world, integrated FrontlineSMS into their work in Benin. Plan International's use of FrontlineSMS for violence tracking was piloted in Benin, and this case study demonstrates the role FrontlineSMS software played, and lessons learned from the pilot. Click here to read the full case study.
This program has now expanded to include 'Zemidjan', or 'Zem', the motorcycle riders that are common in Benin. Zem are trained to report violence against children through SMS sent to Plan Benin's FrontlineSMS installation. This is then mapped using Ushahidi and passed on to government officials. You can read more about it in this blog post from our Foundation Board Member, Linda Raftree, and watch a video made by Plan Benin about the program! Don't forget to check out the case study, too.
