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Some thoughts for International Womens Day
World bank data shows that women are the next big target group for mobile phones in developing countries, that would seem frivolous if its wasn't for another interesting piece of World bank data: GDP in developing countries has a high correlation with mobile phone penetration, a 10% increase in mobile phones relates to a 0.8% in GDP.
in this research report "Striving and Surviving" by http://www.mwomen.org/ 'hot off the press' today, we get a real picture of the challenges and potential benefits mobiles might offer to women at the BoP (base of the pyramid) living on under 2$ a day).
Here's summary of their top findings of "Striving and Surviving" include:
Targeting the whole family. Seventy-four per cent of married women who did not want a mobile phone said it was because their husbands would not allow it. Efforts to communicate the benefits of mobile should focus on the benefits for the whole family;
Eager entrepreneurs. Seventy-three per cent of participants expressed interest in entrepreneurship to help support their families, indicating that mobile solutions that help manage business or set up mobile retail enterprises could be particularly impactful;
The power gap. Thirty-eight per cent of BoP women live ’off grid’, without easy access to an electricity source. Although access to electricity varies by market, low-cost, alternative mobile charging solutions will be key for many BoP women to fully realise the potential benefits of mobile phone ownership;
The SMS utility gap. Seventy-seven per cent per cent of BoP women have made a mobile phone call, but only 37 per cent have sent an SMS, regardless of literacy levels. These women reported that they did not find the SMS services useful so products targeted at them should be of demonstrable practical value; and
The mHealth gap. Eighty-four per cent of women wanted better healthcare information; however only 39 per cent expressed a specific interest in receiving general healthcare information through their mobile phones. Therefore mobile health offerings have to be closely geared towards women’s needs and communicated clearly to be fully utilised.
ubuni mobile learning will be tapping into these needs across health, agriculture, poverty reduction and business; with a focus on empowering women in Africa at the BoP to create their own kinds of social change.
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Have had a few people puzzled why i am not running demo courses already, and i get why they are saying that, I am as keen as the next man to see what ubuni looks like on a road test. It's like, "we've liked the idea for a few weeks so now we just want to see it!". My reasons for taking it tortoise style are several.
I've started a number of businesses in the past and there is always that same intense feeling to 'launch', that rush to get over that fence. But have also over the years experimented with the cutting corners to start thing, and its either had me on the back foot for weeks after or foiled the business completely. Having some objective benchmarks set from the beginning which describe the key things that need to be in place before launch is a good way to not be distracted off plan by 'feelings'.
The biggest risk as i see it with ubuni is not getting it off the ground but in having the platform grind to a halt with thousands of learners onboard because the sustainable funding was not secure, or insufficient to fund the staged expansions as the numbers escalate.
What i am trying to do here with sustainable funding is novel, on the same scale of novelty as virtual goods were 5 yrs ago, and i am trying to present these novel funding ideas into an already tricky market. Its a jigsaw puzzle which builds and there are already pieces in place. But TIA, things take longer, tying down meetings is even a challenge.
Progress on development is good, the ubuni Social Change Model has taken on good shape and we're now looking for research partner/s to track and analyse impact of this from the start. Social change aspects of our courses are our real USP our Purple Cow; we are accepting we are working with real people with real feelings in challenging circumstances and working towards empowerment rather than information pushing or what has traditionally been called training.
The biggest thing that's changed since starting this journey is using ubuni as a mobile delivery platform - this looks to be turning out to be a core part of the project and an important revenue stream. ubuni platform and delivery methods provide an interesting proposition for NGO's and other organisations looking to reach large numbers of people with critical information which 'has social impact' or requires 'some learning to take place'. ubuni, not only provides the channel but also the expertise to ensure impact.
Next on the agenda - finding a branding partner, to get the site ready for the public, and to start our poling of global research departments for the kind of really useful expertise we want to populate our course content.
Meanwhile I'm back in the UK developing connections on this side. visit our website to sign up for futher updates or information http://www.ubuni.org/
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hmmm, well I'm not quite where i hoped to be at the end of this trip on some things, but then I am also further ahead than planned on others.
The biggest difference in the 3 months to my original plan has been the big role ubuni will play as a mobile delivery partner for other training or development/aid organisations to give them a wider reach. This also adds a another valuable revenue stream to the project and adds to impact. As a bonus any partnering organisations will get the ubuni social change model delivered alongside their content, hopefully assuring an improved impact on their agendas.
In the process of doing some pitches in the last couple of weeks i came across an interesting piece of worldbank data - if Internet penetration goes up by 10% in a developing country GDP goes up by about 1% - sweet! As ubuni will be potentially driving mobile Internet penetration and smoothing that early learning curve, think i can chalk up another potential wider benefit.
On the theorecticals, the social change model is there now - pretty happy with it - but frankly is just in the form of scribbles on a pile of paper - happily as i am not yet funded by anyone other than myself am not requiring i write it up in an extensive report - Hehe!
boarding my flight back to UK now *sad* hopefully back soon as
