the African Uptimist

Another smart application of mobile phones

Tapan Parikh of Washington University has created CAM, a smart way of using mobile phones equipped with digital cameras to capture microfinance data in developing countries.  In Africa, the shortage or inadequacy of such data is a major reason why financial institutions are unable or reluctant to extend loans, savings, insurance and other essential financial services to rural and peri-urban groups.  Parikh's system could help change all that if deployed in a way that exploits mobile phones’ utility, usability, and growing ubiquity to integrate paper-based tools--such as loan application forms, repayment records, ledgers, and the like--with computing and other modern information resources.  The Figure below illustrates how this integration is achieved within a 3-tiered structure:

The user tier comprises a set of paper forms and artifacts that people in remote locations can use to record information, perform queries, and conduct transactions. The server tier is a standard Web application server, which can reside in a given village, a nearby town, or somewhere on the Internet.  The mobile phone acts as a roving middleware, playing the role of scanner, user interface, network, cache, and preprocessor. Parikh explains why the use of smart mobile phones makes a lot of sense, compared to a PC:

Mobile phones have been cited as the most likely modern digital tool to support economic development in underdeveloped regions. As shown in the example of Grameen Phone, if a phone is shared by a group of people, it can be afforded by even the poorest communities. For rural computing applications, a mobile phone has inherent advantages over a PC in terms of cost, portability and familiarity to users.

The specific components of the CAM framework are: the CamForm augmented documents, which users interact with; the CamBrowser mobile phone application, which interprets these documents; the CamShell scripting language, which ties the two together; and the CamServer, which receives and organizes CamForm submissions via the CamBrowser and supports additional data entry and document processing.  Parikh articulates very well the rationale for combining the paper and computing components:

...Having daily lives filled with physical tasks, rural users are much more comfortable with artifacts they can handle and touch. Paper affords a physical representation of information that can be communally viewed, edited, and stored. In some cases, illiterate users have even learned to interpret data from paper forms. For the time being, it’s unlikely that any affordable digital interface will be suitable for this kind of use...However, paper is notoriously bad for other uses. You can’t easily search, index, or archive it. Using it to perform calculations and create consolidated reports is difficult. In our work with community microfinance groups around the world, we found that data consolidation and reporting using manual, ledger-based systems is virtually impossible. We needed a way to digitally capture information from paper and let computing systems do the things they’re good at. So, we had to find a way to link the physical world of paper with the digital world of information.

To better appreciate the relevance of CAM to African needs, consider the following scenario: An international program has been launched to finance solar-powered pumps for rural farmers in an African country.  The loans are to be offered to agricultural self-help groups (ASHGs) for redistribution amongst the members.  The money is to be repaid with interest at regular intervals.  This calls for proper management of internal accounts and lending.  However, most ASHG members are minimally literate.  Hence, they are not able to produce the needed financial statements and lending reports. They also tend to have inadequate accounting controls and systems for monitoring risk in the loan portfolio. Under these conditions the local bank responsible for managing the program finds it difficult to assess ASHGs’ stability and financial history when considering loan applications.  To address the problem, local people who have some basic education are hired to provide the needed support to the ASHGs.  But even for these field staff, preparing the needed financial and accounting reports for any one group is a difficult task, severely limiting the number of ASHGs that each of them can effectively support.  This is one instance where CAM could come in handy: By automating  a large part of the accounting and reporting process, CAM can dramatically reduce the work load on field staff while improving the efficiency and transparency of all ASHGs.

For instance, field staff equipped with mobile phones will record member-level transactions during scheduled meetings with ASHG members, using CamForms similar to that shown here.

Transactions are entered on the phone using the CamBrowser application, at the time of the meeting (or afterward) from the CamForms as illustrated  below.   In operation, the CamBrowser--which has been implemented for phones based on Nokia’s Series 60 platform--acts like a virtual window and one-button mouse for paper documents.  To deal with the limitations of a mobile phone’s physical interface (small screen, a 12-button numeric, etc), the CamBrowser uses the phone's camera to recognize visual codes, effectively extending its interface to a nearly infinite number of widgets situated in the real world.  This useful feature is based on software developed earlier by Rohs and Gfeller (2004).

Once captured by CamBrowser, the data is posted by the field staff to an on-line server via an SMS message.  The resulting reports and financial statements may be printed from a secure access point at the field office where they may be picked up by a representative of the ASHG or delivered by the staff.  Such reports can be used by the group to monitor their portfolio and to apply for loans and other services.

Pilot testing of the system in India last year returned promising results.  Parikh reports that:

The users we tested had never used a camera or a PC. Most had never used a mobile phone, although they’d seen others using one. We found that most of these users were using the CamBrowser with ease in five to 15 minutes. This was a remarkable improvement in the learning times we’d noted in our earlier research with a PC-based interface. The accessible locus of interaction afforded by paper CamForms and the guided interaction driven by the audio-enabled CamBrowser made introducing the system almost seamless. Out of the 14 users with whom we conducted detailed usability tests, all found the system either easy or very easy to use.

We hope to develop--possibly with Parikh's help--a CAM architecture into the management information system of the eCARE project.  It will be interesting to see how it works out, and i am looking forward to reporting our experiences here :)

For more information on the CAM architecture, follow the link below to Parikh's article:

Using Mobile Phones for Secure, Distributed Document Processing in the Developing World

Note: If the link fails, just type the full title into a search engine and it should take you there.

Access Energy starts up in Senegal

Access Energy, a Senegalese start-up is the latest small-scale energy enterprise to be supported under the AREED initiative.  Inspired by the Village Phone Program of Grameen Phone in Bangladesh, Senegalese entrepreneur Alpha Diallo approached AREED in 2005, with the idea of creating a business that would “fill lthe need for real time communication in rural Senegal using GSM technology.” With the assistance of AREED partners E+Co and ENDA Energy of Senegal, Mr. Diallo developed the initial business concept into a bankable business proposal.

AREED approved start-up financing of FCFA 58,736,150 (approximately US$106,793).  This will enable Access Energy acquire 100 GSM phone systems with associated solar power solutions, and will also meet Access Energy's initial working capital requirements.  With this support, Access Energy is poised to roll-out 5,000 phones in about 3,500 villages over the next five years, bringing telecommunication services to over 2.5 million people living Senegal’s rural communities.

One aspect of Access Energy that i really like is the strategic relationship Mr. Diallo managed to  forge with Sentel and Credit Mutuel du Senegal (CMS). As some of you may know, Sentel is a subsidiary of Millicon International Cellular.  It is also the second largest cellular operator in Senegal, serving over 700,000 subscribers as of November 2005.  Credit Mutuel du Senegal (CMS) is a mutualist microfinance institution operating since 1988.  Now, add a social enterprise like Access Energy, and what you get is a mutually reinforcing alliance of value-adding partners in sustainable development.  E+Co's Investment Officer for Africa, Kofi Nketsia Tabiri, explains how the Access Energy-CMS-Sentel partnership is set up to expand access to solar-enabled telephone services in rural Senegal:

A rural phone operator, who is a current CMS customer, will secure a loan from CMS to purchase a GSM telephone from Access Energy and start the business of reselling telephone services within the community. Sentel will provide access to its existing telecommunications infrastructure and will provide airtime at a wholesale rate to the rural phone operators. Individual villagers in rural areas can then visit their local phone operator and make affordable phone calls. With proceeds from the business, the phone operator makes loan repayments and purchases additional airtime. CMS earns money from the loan and also a percentage of the revenue from airtime sales from Sentel. Sentel earns money through volume sales of airtime. Access Energy earns money from sales of phone systems and also a percentage of the revenue from airtime sales.

"Rebranding" Africa: A role for denizens of the African blogosphere

At a recent edition of "Global Players," Sabine Christiansen asked her guests

(1) whether Africa can resolve its crises and “re-brand” itself as a continent of opportunity rather than one plagued by disease, corruption and strife; and
(2) whose business is it to help Africa grow.

There were insightful observations, frank talk, and thoughtful suggestions throughout the excellently moderated episode.  I agreed with those guests who felt that the media tendency to focus mainly on negative news is a large part of the problem.  Alternative voices are needed to tell the success stories that are also happening daily in Africa--stories of individuals and groups discovering new solutions to old problems; winning the fight against hunger, poverty, disease, corruption, conflict. At one point, Trevor Manuel used a powerful anecdote to illustrate the nature of the 're-branding' challenge: it is easier to hear the sound of a falling tree in the forest, than of seeds sprouting or young trees growing up.

Anyone who has been following the evolution of the Web cannot help but notice the possibilities  it holds for reconstructing Africa's image by uncovering pictures, sounds and stories that the mainstream media tends to dismiss as not being "news worthy" enough.  But the monopoly of Big News is slowly giving ground to new ideas and technologies--blogging, creating and maintaining wikis, developing and disemminating pod and video casts, online news aggregation, mapping.  All these and more are making it possible for a highly motivated and growing network of 'citizen journalists' to tune in, listen and broadcast success stories from (and about) the grassroots.  Notable players in this group include Emekar Okafor's Timbuktu Chronicles, Erik's White African and AfriGadget, Ethan Zukerman's my heart is in accra, to name a few.  The African blogosphere is emerging as a global player and partner in the 're-branding' of Africa.  The content is increasingly focused, capturing real successes on the ground, reaching an ever larger global audience.  It will not be long before the collective sound of Trevor's young African trees will be distinctly heard above the occasional crash of a dried branch or two in the odd storm.

Digital inclusion and renewable energy use in Africa: zooming in with Maplecroft Maps

There is apparently no limit to the variety of practical, capacity-enhancing tools and services that one can find in the pandora's box of the emergent Web.  Over at "NextBillion.net" Rob Katz writes:

For many of us, the combination of economic data plus policy recommendations is the literary equivalent of NyQuil. Unfortunately, good research generally requires the presentation of both data and analysis. So how do we researchers and writers solve this problem? Increasingly, the answer is short and sweet: map it.

Rob cites the Inter-American Development Bank's remittance mapping project, which "started a few years ago with a simple PDF graphic, and has since evolved into a stunning web site, complete with Flash animation and easy interactivity."  Spend a few minutes on the site and it's hard not to agree with Rob.  Follow his suggested link to other examples and you are taken to the Maplecroft Maps website (screen shot below).  The initial impression one gets is that of boring simplicity.  In fact, Maplecroft Maps turns out to be

...a highly visual, web-based resource which contains detailed country information for over 200 states and maps key social, economic, environmental and political issues and their significance to business and society.

The Maps are regularly updated with new features to make them easier and more enjoyable to use.  "Learning" say the creators, "must be a pleasure."  And they walk this talk by ensuring that the tool remains on the cutting edge of relevance: New issues are added to the tool at regular intervals, as well as enhancements and updates to existing issues, adding depth by incorporating new research, data, case studies and policy developments as they become available.

Maps are currently available for more than 30 issues, ranging from Aid to Water. For each issue-map, you can generate indepth analysis and other information about the situation in a given region using tabs for analysis, case studies and resources listed in a navigation bar to the right. A drop down list at the top of the bar allows the user to zoom to selected regions or countries, as illustrated below for digital inclusion and renewable energy use in Africa:

 

Ultimately, of course, any mapping tool can only be as good as the amount and quality of input data available.  There's clearly room for further detail on both the digital inclusion and renewable energy use maps, and perhaps others. But the current shortcomings could soon be rectified as the creators of Maplecroft Maps continue to pursue their stated aim:  to enhance the capacity of organisations, "enabling them to optimise their contribution to society’s goal of sustainable development."

SEPS Call for Proposals--Applications due by July 17th, 2006

The Sustainable Energy Project Support (SEPS) program of Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy has issued another call for proposals on renewable energy or energy efficiency.  Selected projects will receive expert advice, financial and other support to help overcome barriers to implementation.  Submissions must be sent in by July 17th, 2006.  For further information, visit SEPS.

The current call is the third in a series that began in 2004.  There are currently 17 SEPS-funded projects worldwide, four of which are in Africa--Eritrea, Burkina Faso, Cameroon and South Africa.  Click the markers on the map below for brief descriptions of each project. 

 

 

Energy Factor. Part 2

eCommerce and Renewable Energy (eCARE), which i briefly mentioned in an earlier post, is a recent 3-year initiative that addresses the energy factor in ICT for development.   UNEP DTIE started this effort last year with funding from the United Nations Foundation (UNF) and Telecom Management Partner, a subsidiary of Telenor.  Important local partners include Kumasi Institute of Technology and Environment (KITE) a Ghanaian NGO, the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) the National Communications Authority (NCA) of the Government of Ghana, and Ghana Telecom, the main telecommunications service provider in Ghana. These partners share a common vision: to develop ecommerce as a viable sector of rural economies by extending internet and other IT services; and to eliminate the energy barrier to telecoms and internet access by using renewable energy technologies. UNEP DTIE's main rationale for involvement in eCARE is that it demonstrates a practical and scalable approach to deployment of environmentally friendly and sustainable energy technologies.

The eCARE homepage reports that there are currently:

...25 centers...in successful operation in Ghana. By the close of December 2006 a total of 50 eCARE Centers will be in operation, benefiting more than 300,000 people. People in the beneficiary rural/peri-urban communities will have access to affordable telecommunication services which was previously lacking. eCARE is bridging not only the “energy divide” but also the “digital divide”. eCARE is expanding into all regions of Ghana with at least 200 centers offering renewably powered telecom services to more than one million Ghanaians by the end of 2008!

Not surprisingly, the project enjoys considerable support from local people and their leaders.

The experience and lessons learned during the first 3 years are being fed into the design of a longer-term strategy to scale out the business model to other regions and countries in Africa.  The slideshots below provide a self-explanatory overview of the business model, technology, financing and institutional structure of eCARE.

Energy Factor. Part 1

"Without energy, nothing is possible." That was the dramatic opening slide of a talk on modern energy for sustainable development by a former Director of UNEP DTIE in June, 2002.

In other words, the 575 million people in Africa (60 percent of the population) without access to reliable, modern forms of energy cannot attain better conditions of life.

On that note, one can't help but agree wholeheartedly with the point emphasized by Johansson and Goldemberg in Energy for Sustainable Development--A Policy Agenda (2002):

"Given that they can so dramatically increase human capabilities and opportunities, adequate energy services are integral to poverty alleviation and environmentally sound social and economic development."

There are several ways in which energy helps  improve living standards.  Eric Usher of UNEP has  highlighted a few that i consider quite relevant to most African countries:

• Education: from reading by candlelight to internet access
• Health: from disease to well-being
• Agriculture: from crop losses to food preservation
• Communication: from isolation to networking

UN-Energy has done a comprehensive report covering the large number of ways in which energy may contribute to the attainment of the Millenium Development Goals in Africa and elsewhere in the developing world.

But the use of modern energy technologies comes with adverse environmental, social and political issues that are well known.   So what we need is a transition from the most common energy systems in use today, to an alternative regime of technologies and institutions that can provide for everyone while decreasing harmful side-effects.  They include techniques and institutions for:

• promoting more efficient use of energy, particularly in electrical appliances, vehicles and production processes;
• expanding the use of renewable energy technologies such as wind, solar photovoltaic (PV) and hydroelectric systems (preferably on small-scale); and
• Accelerating the deployment of "new energy technologies particularly next-generation fossil fuel technologies that release almost no harmful emissions into the atmosphere."

These have come to be known as "sustainable energy" in energy-development speak.

UNEP's Energy Branch is one of several international bodies that are working to expand access to sustainable energy in Africa.  Eric has provided a nice summary of our work in the slide below.