Kiwanja.net offers a new SMS Tool FrontlineForms

Kiwanja.net a mobile technology developer focused on social change has created FrontlineForms. It is a SMS tool which will allow real time data collection and aggregation for NGO’s (non-government organizations).

From the press release

“NGOs working in emerging countries face many challenges in their humanitarian and development initiatives – particularly in meeting the needs of poor rural communities,” said David Edelstein, Director of Information and Communication Technology Innovation at Grameen Foundation’s Technology Center. The Center focuses on harnessing the unparalleled opportunities information and communication technologies provide to improve the lives of the world’s poorest people by creating jobs, improving access to health care, education and other services, and connecting far-flung communities to each other. Edelstein continued, “As access to mobile devices in rural communities continues to expand, appropriate mobile technologies will be crucial for NGOs and others helping poor people improve their lives and livelihoods.”

Today many NGO field workers manually collect information, entering information into a centralised database over time – for example, when returning to headquarters. With the FrontlineForms tool a single mobile phone can be used to collect structured data while off-line. Collected data can then be sent via SMS from a mobile phone in the field to a central database where it can be aggregated, analysed and shared.

Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF) conducted field-tests of FrontlineForms in Niger – a country of more than thirteen million people in which remote populations live in some of the harshest deserts in the world. “Simplicity is crucial for on-the-ground organisations using data collection and dissemination systems,” said Grégory Rebattu , Niger Representative for TSF. Rebattu continued, “We see a real potential for FrontlineForms to collect important health indicators and monitor cases in remote areas.”

FrontlineForms is an important enhancement to FrontlineSMS – kiwanja.net’s free, multi-use text messaging platform which has helped NGOs in more than forty countries use text messaging to deliver a range of humanitarian and development initiatives. Masabi – an influential developer of secure mobile applications – built FrontlineSMS and FrontlineForms. Students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology validated the new SMS tool’s architecture with the needs of isolated communities in mind.

What we think?
Anything like this is a great initiative. Mobile has huge potential in the developing world and if this helps to improve lives, or save from threat then it is extremely positive.