Why Mobile?

In recent years, we’ve witnessed unparalleled growth in the use of mobile phones across the globe. Today, there are 5 billion mobile phones in the world, with 4 billion of them in developing countries and emerging markets, often being shared by several people. More than 80 percent of the world’s population lives within the reach of a mobile phone signal, making mobile phones a unique and powerful tool for delivering products and services to poor, rural communities.

Until just a few years ago, the poorest were largely excluded from technological advancements, including fixed-line telephones, reliable electricity, and access to the Internet. Today, a simple, affordable mobile phone can help provide the poor with timely and relevant information, as well as unique income-generating opportunities. For example, using a mobile phone, a farmer can find where to get the most competitive price for her crops or learn how to combat a specific crop disease ... a job seeker can connect with a potential employer in a nearby village ... a pregnant woman can find out how to care for her baby, before and after birth ... and people in rural communities can safely and instantaneously receive money from a family member working in the city.

 

For more than a decade, Grameen Foundation has been at the forefront of the growing worldwide effort to fight “information poverty” in the poorest, most underserved communities. We are a leading player in the Information and Communications Technology for Development (ICTD) and Mobile for Development (M4D) communities, which are playing a central role in meeting the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals in 2015.