Mobile Phone Games & “Empower She” Train Rural Women Technology
Location
Within ZMQ, "Empower She" provides a grass-roots training program for women in Asia and Africa on issues related to Rural Women technology. Empower She has 2 goals: 1) gender equality and 2) promotion of appropriate technology. We train simple scientific techniques, to broaden women’s knowledge and help them achieve economic power.
About You
Section 1: About You
Section 2: About Your Organization
Is your initiative connected to an established organization?
Organization Name
ZMQ Software Systems
Organization Website
Organization Phone
Organization Address
Organization Country
India
Is your organization a
For‐profit
How long has this organization been operating?
1‐5 years
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Your idea
Name Your Project
Mobile Phone Games & “Empower She” Train Rural Women Technology
Describe Your Idea
Within ZMQ, "Empower She" provides a grass-roots training program for women in Asia and Africa on issues related to Rural Women technology. Empower She has 2 goals: 1) gender equality and 2) promotion of appropriate technology. We train simple scientific techniques, to broaden women’s knowledge and help them achieve economic power.
Country your work focuses on
India
Innovation
What makes your idea unique?
Freedom HIV/AIDS is a pioneering initiative to create awareness about HIV/AIDS to under-privileged communities of the world through the mobile games.
The project is innovative in 2 ways; firstly for the methodology of presentation of highly serious information by using Games, and secondly the mode of dissemination by exploiting the reach of mobile networks.
1. Spread of HIV/AIDS and the reach of Mobile devices have taken place simultaneously. Such a wide spread disease can only be controlled a technology with a great reach to the masses. Mobile phones are the most prevalent technology tools in the hands of common people.
2. HIV/AIDS is a global problem and Freedom HIV/AIDS proposes a global solution to create awareness and disease management.
3. Freedom HIV/AIDS can not only help in controlling the epidemic but also support to manage the people living with HIV/AIDS in prolonging their lives and ensuring better health.
4. The solution is highly cost-effective.
5. Recognizing that women lack access to technology in many pats of the world, we are developing initiatives like Empower She to level the playing field so that women can use and benefit from technology.
Do you have a patent for this idea?
Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
Tell us about the social impact of your innovation. Please include both numbers and stories as evidence of this impact
ZMQ Software Systems initially benefitted mobile phone users in different parts of the world, with Mobile Phone Games to create HIV/AIDS awareness in Asia and Africa. The games were first launched on Reliance Infocomm Ltd. in India with a reach of 9.1 million users. Later the games were designed for newer devices and reach was scaled to 22 million users. Freedom HIV/AIDS is tying up with Qualcomm Inc. to provide free games for CDMA devices. This will help to scale a reach to over 40 million users in Latin America, China, South Korea and Russia.
Over time we developed initiatives to use technology to empower women. The Empower She program reaches women across these rural areas. Additionally, we have several technology based health initiatives like pre-natal/post-natal care for mother & child, TB, HIV/AIDS, Connect4Health; and all of them touch women aspects in some way as well.
Problem: Describe the primary problem(s) that your innovation is addressing
The major barriers are:
1. Developing for vast variety of Mobile Devices and platforms to maximize reach.
2. Making arrangements with Mobile operators to make economical downloads.
3. Understanding local content, context and sensitivities.
4. Developing content in local languages.
5. Constantly designing new games as the shelf life of a game is not very long.
6. Finding like-minded partners in the new regions.
Actions: Describe the steps that you are taking to make your innovation a success. What might prevent that success?
High HIV/AIDS prevalence, and low information penetration & literacy rates are the two major criteria for selection of a region for development and deployment of HIV/AIDS awareness games. Freedom HIV/AIDS teams works closely with local NGOs and knowledge organizations to develop new games and understand the social sensitivities of a region. The games and applications are designed and developed by a voluntary team of developers of ZMQ Software Systems working on the project.
The mode of disseminations is mobile networks and the games are deployed in the regions through local mobile operators and mobile content aggregators. Freedom HIV/AIDS management ensures that the games are pushed by the operators through regular viral SMSes and marketing. The management also ensures that the users are either not charged or are charged nominally for games downloads. The Operators and providers provide the management with regular updates of downloads sheets, completed games session history.
With our women-specific initiatives, we are working to show the value of technology to rural women. We find that women are eager to engage and use these simple new technologies, once they go through the grass-roots training.
Results: Describe the expected results of these actions over the next three years. Please address each year separately, if possible
Freedom HIV/AIDS is being scaled both horizontally and vertically as well. Constantly new games and applications are being designed and more regions are added. The project has reached Africa under the Star Program covering Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique and Namibia. Starting from 4 games, namely, Safety Cricket, AIDS Messenger, Babu Quiz and Red Ribbon Chase, the initiative has developed over 12 more games. Some of our most hit games have been Safety Cricket, AIDS Messenger, Babu Quiz, AIDS Safety Shoot-out and Game of Life. The initiative is in the process of rolling out new games for Latin America, South-East Asia and East Europe. The games will be developed in local languages.
The initiative is also using a mobile-based Care Support and Treatment System (m-CST) for people living with HIV/AIDS in India and Kenya.
Seeing the success of the project, the company is also developing similar social initiatives for TB, Malaria, Anti-Smoking, Drugs, Pre-natal Care, etc.
With regard to Empower She we want to Unlock women's power - Empowering women through technology support. The key focus areas being addressed are: Education, Economic Opportunities (development), Equality (Rights) and Health. Within three years we look forward to expanding this program through our areas of operation.
How many people will your project serve annually?
More than 10,000
What is the average monthly household income in your target community, in US Dollars?
Less than $50
Does your innovation seek to have an impact on public policy?
If your innovation seeks to impact public policy, how?
Approximately 150 words left (1200 characters).
Sustainability
What stage is your project in?
Operating for 1‐5 years
Does your organization have a board of directors or an advisory board?
Does your organization have a non monetary partnerships with NGOs?
Yes
Does your organization have a non monetary partnerships with businesses?
Does your organization have a non monetary partnerships with government?
Please tell us more about how partnerships could be critical to the success of your innovation
The Freedom HIV/AIDS is a social initiative program of ZMQ Software Systems by under the companies CSR. It is funded by ZMQ. For the Africa Reach Program, ZMQ was supported by HIVOS- the Dutch development agency, for developing games for Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Namibia and Mozambique. Reliance Infocomm Ltd. Also supported the initiative by providing the games for free to all its subscribers across India. The games have been deployed at R-World for almost 18 months now.
ZMQ has also received support from Johns Hopkins University/HCP and Plan International, India to develop desktop games for local interventions on HIV/AIDS awareness.
We would like to learn more about how your initiative is financially supported. Please explain your business plan/revenue model
Approximately 250 words left (2000 characters).
The Story
What was the defining moment that led you to this innovation?
ZMQ Software Systems is an innovative Gaming and Educational Technology Company based in New Delhi, India with a strong social development program. At the time of inception in 1998, ZMQ had dedicated 12% of its net profits for social development programs using its core competencies. Freedom HIV/AIDS initiative was the result of company’s understanding about the issue not only as a health calamity but also an economic crisis, which affects labor and productivity.
The concept of Freedom HIV/AIDS project was the brainchild of Hilmi Quraishi, the Chief Learning Technologist of the Company. Initially he designed 4 games were for various mindsets of people in India. The games were Safety Cricket, AIDS Messenger, Red Ribbon Chase and Babu Quiz. Right now there are over 16 games developed under the project.
For more information on the initiative you can download information from www.zmq.in/ZMQ_Media1.zip
In January 2006, the company has started a Mobile & Educational Technology Lab for Social Development at Manesar, Gurgaon in India. The lab is dedicated to develop pilot projects in mobile and Information Technology for social development in the areas of Education, Skill Development, Poverty alleviation, Global Health and fighting diseases like HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria and Disaster Management using Educational Technology.
Tell us about the person—the social innovator—behind this idea.
Hilmi Quraishi, CLTO of ZMQ, is the brain behind the initiative. He is Master of Tech. in Computer Science with specialization in Educational Technology. He is an innovator in the field of educational technology having created many solutions to entertain and educate the minds. He is also the Director of House of Learning, a social initiative wing of ZMQ, which develops solutions for semi-literates, under-privileged, physically handicapped and school children for variety of technologies.
How did you first hear about Changemakers?
Web Search (e.g., Google or Yahoo)
If through another source, please provide the information
ICRW
Does your project address any of the following barriers to women’s technology access and use?
Social norms, Women’s lack of involvement in the technology development process.
If you checked any of the boxes above, please explain how.
Approximately 250 words left (2000 characters).
Does your project involve women in one or more of the following stages of the technology lifecycle? Identification of the problem the technology will solve:
Technology introduction, Technology training.
If you checked any of the boxes above, please explain how you will ensure women’s involvement in each relevant phase of the technology lifecycle.
Approximately 250 words left (2000 characters).
If women are a focus of your project, how did this focus evolve?
The project developed a focus on women over time..
Which type of women will your project reach directly?
Rural.
In what ways does your project team/leadership involve women?
Has your organization formed any new partnerships in response to this challenge? If so, with what type/s of organization/s?
Has your project leadership had prior experience with the following?
Working with women, Working with technologies, Working on innovation.
 | isabelle@ilearn... said: I really like this idea also, I am a big iPhone fan, and I can see many opportunities for developing applications which could be useful ... about this Competition Entry. - 721 days ago read more > |
| karen.diop said: I love this concept of using mobile games and people-friendly approaches for social marketing. How is it going, or is this only an idea ... about this Competition Entry. - 737 days ago read more > |
| hilmi submitted this idea. - 742 days ago |
Comments
I love this concept of using mobile games and people-friendly approaches for social marketing. How is it going, or is this only an idea right now?
I really like this idea also, I am a big iPhone fan, and I can see many opportunities for developing applications which could be useful in the field of education, social entrepreneur..
I am actually willing to get involved at a more personal level, since I have created applications for iPhone, and would really be willing to give more of my time, energy... to make something useful, so please contact me if you think I can help.