4 Steps to Access Private Sector Data for Public Goods
We in the international development sector often have this perception that the private sector is way more advanced than we in the collection, analysis, and use...
Introducing 4PBot: A Facebook Chatbot for 4 Million Philippine Households
The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps for short), is the Philippines national social welfare program, which gives financial assistance to households who...
When Will We Have Our Own Cambridge Analytica-Facebook Moment? Your Weekend Long Reads
Facebook currently has a Cambridge Analytica problem. It is under severe pressure to explain how 87 million users had their personal data leaked and offer assurances...
7 Reasons Why Satellite Broadband Will Connect the Unconnected
National governments, international institutions, and the private and public sector have all acknowledged the importance of bridging the digital divide to foster...
1.5 Billion Reasons You Need A WhatsApp Business Strategy for Your Programs
Facebook recently announced that WhatsApp has more than 1.5 billion monthly active users – 20% of the world’s population! – sending more than...
Reinventing the Call Centre for Better Healthcare Services in Uganda
Uganda is one of the youngest countries in the world with 81% of Uganda’s population under age 35. Public health programs in Uganda are constantly faced with...
Which African Governments Spy on Technology Users the Most?
Governments can legally spy on their residents in many ways, most of them hidden from our purview. However, telecommunications companies, now often a target of...
I Made a Facebook Chatbot And You Can Too
When I first heard that Facebook Messenger was introducing chatbots, I immediately thought back to junior high summers.
Back then I was spending a lot of time in...
Our Experiment Using Facebook Chatbots to Improve Humanitarian Assistance
It must have been above 40 degrees Celsius that afternoon in Maiduguri, Nigeria. Hundreds of people were waiting to cash the mobile money they receive from the...
Why Aren’t You Using Facebook Groups for Greater Engagement?
Recently, I was talking with a Philippine rice farmer about the new agricultural practices he was using to achieve large crop gains on his farm. Surprised at his...