It was only a year ago that MobileImpact.org was born. It was an idea to think about how we can connect the unconnected and leverage the bounty of used phones to accelerate access for the 3 billion people on the planet who do not have this revolutionary technology.
I started the work with a handful of trusted and committed supporters. One expert in nonprofit development and youth engagement, another on international development, and a network technician with a passion for social justice and human opportunity.
MobileImpact.Org traveled to South Africa in October to MobileActive08, an international conference of mobile experts for social change. We went to learn the ropes, test our concept, and see if we might find a partner or two to test our idea about mobilizing used phones for good. We found CHoiCE community health in Tzaneen who agreed to partner with us and see what value we could provide. Their needs were simple and direct -- connect 50 partners in the field for sustainable communications channels. Though it took longer than I would have hoped, I'm proud to say we completed the project and fulfilled the order. On June 21st, it was confirmed that 50 phones and a grant for $500 had arrived at CHoiCe. We look forward to learning the effectiveness of the tools in the coming months.
Then, we reflected on our work over the last year -- from idea, to start-up nonprofit, to international partner, to phone-raiser for Earth day, and collaborator with a local cell phone refurbishing company.
We noted the presence of programs like SafeLink Wireless, a US government sponsored wireless connectivity for low-income users in the US; the abundance of Cell Phone Collectors and campaigns out there, and asked, what is the core question motivating our work...
What is our true purpose?
"...Connecting the unconnected..."
That thought lingers in the air for us at MobileImpact.Org.
While we believe in cell phone recycling as vital and will continue to support nonprofits and NGOs doing extraordinary work to leverage cell phones for social change (both have been core to our strategy thus far), we still find that MobileImpact.org's True North lies elsewhere. Indeed, we have one simple answer:
MobileImpact.org seeks to connect the unconnected to provide opportunities for a better life through sustained communications access.
Expect more on how we intend to pursue that target, in small and direct ways, in the coming weeks. And, MobileImpact.org has an exciting announcement to share very soon as well.
Brad
