THE EBOLA CRISIS: Using Bluetooth To Reach

Sierra Leone's Rural Women and Girls With News and Information

MMW connects women and girls with information that enables them to access and fully enjoy their rights

Ebola 2014 - 2015

West AfricaDeaths 9,400

People infected 23,300

World Health Organization, February 2015

Communication in a crisis

MMW began building our first

innovative communication

networks in 2013, a year

before the Ebola crisis began

Providing the right information,

at the right time, through the right channels

can save families, livelihoods and lives

Some MMW program content

• Ebola• Teen-age pregnancy• Child marriage laws• Birth control• Fistula• Birth registration

Listen to us! 120 original programs on SoundCloud

SoundCloud.com/mediamattersforwomen

Our professional freelance journalists report weekly on women’s issues

We envision

…a communication network where listeners share information, learn from each other, entertain each other, hear crucial messages,

and give feedback

Who we are

• MMW is a registered NGO in the U.S.

• MMW-Sierra Leone is a new local NGO created in 2013

Our MMW-Sierra Leone team

Victoria Nicol, Project Coordinator

Alinah Kallon, Senior Journalist

Ndeamoh Mansaray, Senior Journalist

Victoria Bernard, Journalist

Mariama Khai-Fornah, Journalist

Bintu Conteh, Journalist

Our international volunteers

Our international donors

MMW addresses

three major problems

1. Women face stubbornly high rates of:

• Maternal mortality• Under-five deaths• Illiteracy• Female Genital Mutilation• Gender-based Violence

2. Media is expensive to build and run

3. Media’s relevance to women is low• Women’s issues not covered• Female journalists are underemployed• Women don’t own radio sets

Our solution: Leap-frog the high costs of radio

• Production: Solar-powered Mobile Production Units (MPU)

• Distribution: Bluetooth on cell phones to reach the “last mile”

We harness the potential of Bluetooth

• Easily share audio files for free• Connect journalists

with rural women and girls

.

Local female journalists

• Resources

• Support

• Equipment

• Opportunities

We organize our listeners to extend our broadcast reach

We listen to our listeners

MMW = relevant news and information

Concept demonstration

Distribution – the exchange of Bluetooth audio files via cell phone

Production – the creation of an original radio-styled program on a Mobile Production Unit (MPU)

Replication – what is needed to set up our concept elsewhere

Pilot Project 1 - Distribution

Pre-Ebola:

Listening Centers

Pilot Project 1Distribution

1. We select Focal Persons

2. We provide cell phones, solar rechargers, audio recorders and small monthly stipends

3. Bluetooth audio files are passed to Focal Points weekly via Bluetooth exchanges

4. Focal Points also share their programs with phone kiosks and community radios and directly to listeners

• 3 Operational areas• 15 Listening Centers

Pilot Project 1Distribution

Pilot Project 2 - Distribution

Ebola crisis:

Listener-Distributors

Distribution flow to rural villages

Distributor 1

Distributor 2

Distributor 3

Distributor 4

AMBASSADOR

JOURNALIST

RURAL WOMEN

AND GIRLS

Production

Mobile Production Unit (MPU)• Laptop & software• Audio recorder• Solar recharger• Cell phones• Headphones• Microphone• Batteries• Carrying case

Sustainability

Our networks are inexpensive

compared to radio

Replication of our concept

Our “MMW In A Box” webpage has tools for adapting our concept… anywhere!

http://www.mediamattersforwomen.org

To start your own MMW network, contact us!

MMW E-mail: mediamattersforwomen@gmail.com

MMW-SL E-mail: mediamattersforwomensl@gmail.com

Alinah Kallon E-mail: almadh1079@gmail.com

Sharon Bylenga E-mail: sharonbylenga@gmail.com