Background
When we surveyed villagers in rural Tanzania, we learned that much of the communication within a community was either through a message board, controlled by a village chief, or by somebody driving around with a loudspeaker and microphone.
These existing methods of communication don’t allow everyone to contribute to their community, and quite often those who are illiterate and women are left out of the conversation.
The Solution
Voicebook is a community message board by voice. Users call in to Voicebook to hear the recent messages left by other people in the community, and can leave their own messages to let people know what’s going on. It’s simple. It’s like Reddit over the phone, without the cat gifs.
Constraints
Given the low smartphone penetration through much of these rural communities, and the challenges faced by illiterate people, Voice is the most effective form of communication, and it will be for a long time.
The digital divide is real, and is leaving behind those without the resources or those who can’t interact with technology because they can’t read or write.
Our goal is for Voicebook to become a platform that empowers conversations to happen. Within the first week of our pilot in the Bagamoyo district in Dar es Salaam, we already saw a successful business transaction take place between a cassava grower and buyer.
Pilot
We are currently piloting Voicebook in communities in Tanzania, and have already seen some promising results. Village chiefs have recognised the potential for voicebook to make their communication more effective, and we’ve also seen a business deal between a cassava grower and buyer take place.
The Future
Longer term, once voicebook is established as a tool within these communities, we can leverage this platform to deliver other important messages: such as important health announcements from local NGOs, or educational content… It all starts with a conversation.
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