Soul Beat Africa

• ICTS AND DEVELOPMENT - insights and experiences....
• ICTs AND EDUCATION - reading on mobiles and technology in the classroom...
• ICTS AND AGRICULTURE - addressing the needs of farmers and engaging youth...
• ICTS AND CHILDREN - supporting children's rights and youth migration...
• ICTS AND HEALTH - for polio prevention and maternal health...

• 1. Using Technology for Social Good: An Exploration of Best Practice in the Use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for Development [2014]By Adele WaugamanFrom Un ited Methodist Communications (UMCom), this discussion paper explores the use of ICT as a tool for economic and social development. It captures "best practice" in the use of mobile phones and other low-cost communications technologies through a series of interviews with 8 experts and practitioners.
  
• 2. Connecting ICTs to Development: The IDRC Experience [2013]Edited by Laurent Elder, Heloise Emdon, Richard Fuchs, and Ben PetrazziniThis collection highlights over 15 years of International Development Research Centre (IDRC)-supported research through its information and communication technology for development (ICT4D) programme, which implemented projects in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean. "Throughout the chapters of this book, the introduction of the mobile phone into local economic development, healthcare, local government and distance learning, among others, is a major theme emerging from the research supported by IDRC. This response to a local advantage helped prevent the type of digital colonialism that might have arisen had local skills and capacities not been developed."
  
• 3. Integrating Mobiles into Development Projects [August, 2014]By Josh Woodard, Jordan Weinstock, and Nicholas LesherThis handbook is intended for anyone interested in integrating mobile phones into development projects more effectively. The resource is divided into two sections. The first section is entitled Understand, and is meant to be an in-depth guide on mobiles for development (M4D). The section includes lessons learned from past projects.
  

• 4. Reading in the Mobile Era: A Study of Mobile Reading in Developing Countries [2014]By Mark West and Han Ei ChewDrawing on a year-long analysis of over 4,000 surveys collected in 7 developing countries and corresponding qualitative interviews, this report paints a picture of who reads books and stories on mobile devices and why. The findings illuminate the habits, beliefs, and profiles of mobile readers. This information points to strategies to expand mobile reading and, by extension, the educational, social and economic benefits associated with increased reading. The report was created through an ongoing partnership between the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Nokia, and Worldreader.
  
• 5. eLearning Africa Report 2015 [2015]Edited by Harold Ellentson and Annika BurgessPublished by Integrated Communications Worldwide Events (ICWE), the 2015 eLearning Africa Report "provides a comprehensive overview of the impact technology is having on education and development throughout the continent." The publication contains interviews, features, and literature and opinion pieces from practitioners, policymakers, teachers, business leaders, activists, and authors working throughout Africa.
  
• 6. ICT in the Classroom for Quality Education: Strengthening Learning and Teaching Methods in Under-resourced Schools in Developing Countries [September, 2014]This position paper shares perspectives from the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD) about using ICTs within the education system to improve quality teaching and learning. Based on 20 years of experience, a key lesson learned is that simply equipping classrooms with innovative technologies is not enough. The paper describes IICD's "social innovation process" which is a holistic approach that involves various stakeholders (teachers, principals, school managers, parent teacher associations, etc.) in both identifying challenges and planning solutions, while also building their capacities to use ICTs in their own work.
  

• 7. Agritools Project - AfricaSince 2014, the Agritools multi-media project is providing an online platform to document and better understand the use of ICTs in the field of agriculture, fisheries, and livestock. The platform was created in order to provide a forum to exchange information, ideas, and resources related to the use of ICT for sustainable agriculture and rural development. This journalistic research project began with information collected during field work in Senegal, Kenya, Uganda, and Ghana, and crowdsourced information is being used to update the platform tools.
  
• 8. Communication for Development, Community Media and ICTs for Family Farming and Rural Development [January, 2015]This policy brief resulted from a global online forum hosted in 2014, in which participants from different countries discussed policies to support improvements in rural communication services (RCS). Hosted as part of the e-Agriculture Community of Practice and organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC), the overall feedback from the forum was that "the starting point for improved rural communication services as part of agricultural policies should be to address the real needs of farmers and involve them in the different stages of the development process."
  
• 9. ICT4D Effects: Youth, ICTs and Agriculture - Exploring how digital tools and skills influence the motivation of young farmers [November, 2013]Published by the IICD, this report shares insights gained from three projects implemented under the Connect4Change (C4C) Economic Development programme located in western Kenya, which deal with the links between the introduction and use of ICTs in farming and the interest of youth in farming and value chain development. It was found that ICTs can enhance access to market information, production techniques, new technologies, and financing opportunities, which can help encourage young people's uptake of farming as a career.
  

• 10. Children, ICT and Development: Capturing the Potential, Meeting the Challenges [January, 2013]By Dorothea Kleine, David Hollow, and Sammia PovedaThis study on ICTs, such as mobile phones, computers, and the internet, examines the ways in which these tools can contribute to child-focused development goals. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Office of Research - Innocenti initiated the study in collaboration with the ICT4D Centre at Royal Holloway, University of London and Jigsaw Consult. It is a mapping review of recent literature and expert opinion obtained through 35 in-depth interviews.
  
• 11. ICT-Enhanced Advocacy: Mobilising Communities Around Children's Rights - MalawiLaunched in July 2014, this project is using SMS (text messaging) to mobilise communities in Malawi around issues affecting children's rights and education. The initiative is designed to provide information, empower the community to voice their concerns, and put a structure in place for facilitating follow up and feedback about abuse. The project is a collaboration between IICD, Connect4Change consortium, TTC, and the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWEMA).
  
• 12. Modern Mobility: The Role of ICTs in Child and Youth Migration [October, 2013]By Linda Raftree, Katie Appel, and Anika GannessThis report discusses how children and young people are using ICTs before and during migration, as well as how organisations supporting children and youth are using ICT in their work. According to the report, "children and young people are using ICTs to prepare for migration; to guide and facilitate their journey; to keep in touch with families; to connect with opportunities for support and work; and to cope with integration and forced repatriation. ICTs are also being used by civil society organisations to facilitate and manage their work; to support children and youth on the move; and to communicate and advocate for the rights of child and youth migrants."
  

• 13. Using Mobile Phones for Polio Prevention in Somalia - An Evaluation of the 2013-14 Interactive Messaging and Mobile Voucher System Deployed in Hard to Reach Areas in Somalia [May, 2015]By Amy O'DonnellThis report discusses evaluation findings of a mobile-phone-based health promotion project in Somalia to improve awareness as well as sanitation and hygiene practices to support polio prevention and control. Beginning in November 2013, Oxfam, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and local partner Hijra implemented a mobile-phone-based project with two complementary components: pre-emptive community education delivered through interactive SMS on polio prevention and the distribution of water and sanitation items through SMS voucher redemption.
  
• 14. m4Youth Project - EthiopiaLaunched in 2014, m4Youth is a free, menu-based SMS service designed to improve Ethiopian university students' knowledge of sexual and reproductive health and encourage healthy behaviours, including using health services. The SMS service is provided by Pathfinder through the Integrated Family Health Program, in partnership with John Snow, Inc.
  
• 15. Utilizing ICT in Demand Generation for Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Child Health [July, 2014]This resource provides an in-depth look at three programmes that illustrate the use of ICTs and new media as part of an integrated strategy to increase demand for and use of reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH) commodities and services. The three case studies - Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action (MAMA); Ananya; and Mobile Technology for Community Health (MOTECH) - are chosen as examples on how to use technology as part of a larger, integrated communication strategy for demand generation. It is intended as a guide for programme managers, planners, and other professionals.
  
• 16. Reimagining Mobile in South Africa: Lessons from Year One [June, 2014]This report discusses the processes, successes, and lessons learned by Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action South Africa (MAMA SA) related to using mobile technologies to deliver health information to new and expectant mothers and their families. Working together with a consortium of organisations, MAMA SA is using mobile-based technology channels to provide information, improve access to clinical services, and build proficiency in research. This report reflects on the first year of implementation.
  

• The Soul Beat 241: ICTS for Development in Africa - June 2014