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  • Using satellite photos to help distribute cash

    March 16, 2021 |

    BBC |

    Podcast |

    Over 15 Minutes

    Response Location: Togo

    Togo distributed money to people in need, including informal sector workers, by identifying them using machine learning. Algorithms search satellite photos for clues of poverty, using measures like building density, and individuals within those areas are found using mobile phone data as a proxy of their wealth. Media campaigns also encourage people to apply for assistance. Once eligibility is confirmed, the first of five monthly payments is instantly sent to their phone and can be collected at local pick-up points. People without mobile phones can use an inexpensive SIM card in a borrowed phone.

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  • Road Salt Is Imperiling Aquatic Ecosystems. It Doesn't Have To.

    March 11, 2021 |

    Undark |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Lake George, New York

    An experiment in upstate New York showed how town officials could maintain clean and safe roads during the winter season and protect the environment. By using a salt brine before winter storms, they were able to plow the roads more efficiently and, at the same time, reduce the amount of salt going into waterways that could impact freshwater ecosystems. The effort, launched by the nonprofit FUND for Lake George, required “a culture shift within the towns’ maintenance departments,” but the communities were able to cut their salt usage in half over two years.

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  • Hunting for a Leftover Vaccine? This Site Will Match You With a Clinic.

    March 09, 2021 |

    The New York Times |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, New York

    To help with the coronavirus vaccine distribution, a New York-based start-up has introduced a service that connects "vaccine providers who find themselves with extra vaccines to people who are willing to get one at a moment’s notice." Although the project is still being piloted, more than 500,000 vaccination-seekers and 200 vaccine providers have signed up for the initiative, and some health officials believe it could become a model for a more equitable distribution strategy.

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  • OMOMi is leveraging digital technology to provide women with easy access to quality maternal health care

    March 08, 2021 |

    Nigeria Health Watch |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: Nigeria

    An app is offering reproductive healthcare help to women in Nigeria who don't always have access to reliable maternal and prenatal health information. While it does require the user to have access to technology, it has attracted 40,000 users so far, providing "pregnant women and mothers with access to life-saving maternal and child health information, as well as access to doctors with the touch of a button."

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  • To Tackle Homelessness, Santa Fe Found a Better Plan

    March 04, 2021 |

    Bloomberg CityLab |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Sante Fe, New Mexico

    The adoption of the “Built for Zero” campaign in Sante Fe, New Mexico, allowed the city to effectively respond to the housing crisis that unfolded as a result of the pandemic. The data-driven approach gives cities a better snapshot of how many people are homeless at any given time and also encourages agencies to work together, which creates a network that can adequately address chronic homelessness.

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  • For those frustrated with vaccine system, a crew of volunteers is ready to help

    March 02, 2021 |

    The Boston Globe |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Massachusetts

    A community effort is underway in Massachusetts to help people secure Covid-19 vaccination appointments, despite a confusing government roll-out system. The Massachusetts COVID Vaccination Help volunteer group is composed of volunteers from across the state, who are using their free time to help individuals schedule appointments. Although there are concerns about privacy, users thus far have commended the group's persistence and success in booking appointments.

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  • ‘There's so much gratitude': engineer who created viral vaccine site for $50

    March 01, 2021 |

    The Guardian |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, New York

    Frustrated with the Covid-19 vaccination system in New York, a local software engineer created a "much-needed vaccination appointment-finding bot" that shares available times and locations on a website and Twitter. Although the website was not built "in the way that modern websites are supposed to be built," it has still been extremely popular and users have reported successfully booking appointments because of it.

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  • How new technology is helping to identify human rights abuses in the seafood industry

    February 25, 2021 |

    The Counter |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: Ghana

    A growing number of governments, companies, and nonprofit organizations are working together with new technology and data to identify fishing vessels that are breaking laws and engaging in human rights violations. Using satellite imagery and tracking signals, for example, a philanthropic company and a nonprofit worked with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime to help the Ghanian navy arrest four vessels for illegal fishing practices. Technology by itself won’t stop forced labor and unregulated ships, but it can be helpful for cash-strapped governments looking to increase oversight of their fisheries.

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  • How some frustrated COVID-19 vaccine hunters are trying to fix a broken system

    February 17, 2021 |

    The Seattle Times |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Washington

    Retired software engineers in Washington have joined together and created a website that aggregates all available COVID vaccine appointments by using "screen scrapers." Although the site doesn't allow the visitor to book an appointment, it has routinely averaged "10,000 visits a day from anxious shot hunters."

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  • Boosting Voter Turnout: Seth Flaxman

    February 13, 2021 |

    How Do We Fix It? |

    Podcast |

    5-15 Minutes

    Response Location: United States

    Democracy Works has a suite of programs that make it easier to vote. TurboVote helps its 7 million subscribers easily register to vote by taking them to their state's online registration site or by sending them the paperwork with envelopes pre-addressed to their county election office. The service also sends emails and texts to remind users to vote, as well as with other deadlines and their polling location. Their Voting Information Project provides data for all districts in the U.S. that groups, such as Google and Facebook, use to provide their users with their polling place location information.

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