Facebook and its Internet.org initiative (now called ‘Free Basics’), have faced their fair share of criticism, but I’m guessing that neither is going away anytime soon. So, here’s something that may be of interest to folks working with and/or designing mobile tools for lower income populations or those with lower end phones.
Praekelt Foundation is partnering with Facebook on an open source toolkit of technologies and strategies that will open the Free Basics platform to more organizations and/or tech developers to adapt existing services or create new ones for distribution through the web and the Free Basics platform.
Praekelt Foundation will be running this incubator for Free Basics. It will provide 100 social change organizations with tools, service and support worth a total of $200,000. The tools and lessons that emerge will be shared with the public in 2016.
Praekelt is working with a broad range of experts in international development, user experience, mobile technology and digital safety and security to create an independent panel that will be responsible for selecting the members of the incubator from an open call to developers, social enterprises and NGOs. Disclosure: I’ve been asked (and agreed) to join the selection panel and will be involved in reviewing applications. I have also provided input into the topic areas.
Applications are sought in the areas of health, education, agriculture, economic empowerment, gender equality, citizen engagement and others. The aim is to enhance information and services available via low-end phones for low-income communities, youth, women and girls, healthcare workers and/or other frontline staff, refugees and migrants, and/or the LGBTQI population. This might include provision of information about and/or access to things like financial services, medical services, advocacy initiatives, citizen engagement efforts, behavior change communications and support and/or counseling.
For questions, comments, or to find out more about the initiative, here’s Praekelt Foundation’s blog and a link to the call for proposals and the application form.
(I’m also interested in feedback to improve on the idea and process, etc., so feel free to get in touch with me also if you have comments.)
Wait... What? 