The App and the Cut: Strategic Technological Development against FGM

Arise for Girls is an organization designed to educate young girls about menstrual hygiene, as period poverty and stigma are very apparent in rural areas. The organization provides educational resources, sanitary pads, and provides a sense of community by encouraging girls to connect with each other via WhatsApp. Since May 2021, the organization has helped over 1,400 girls in neighboring areas.

The Toosdei Space provides people with a safe, judgment-free platform to express themselves, talk about their stresses and struggles, and get support. Members meet in person and communicate on WhatsApp, Twitter, and Discord to talk about a range of topics and issues from politics to relationships to mental health and social pressures.

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."

In a nation that traditionally does not believe or address that adolescents have sex despite overwhelming data, Nigerian web- and mobile-based platforms are expanding access to quality sexual education for youth. Education as a Vaccine (EVA), a non-governmental organization, in particular has seen success with a set of three apps called LinkUp, Frisky, and DIVA that provide anonymous, accurate, and nonjudgemental sexual and reproductive information/counseling. Since 2007, EVA has received over 900,000 text messages, 28,433 voice calls and 800 emails/web entries.

The Nigerian state of Oyo has a modern Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (mCPR) of 24%, which is the highest in the country compared to the national average of 10.8%. This can be attributed to family planning services brought to citizens through a fruitful partnership between government efforts and outside partners like nonprofit Marie Stopes International Organization of Nigeria (MSION). Since 2013 MSION has helped bring an influx of new family planning information and media outreach, improve clinic facilities and services, offer counseling for pre- and postnatal care, and much more.

Anxiety, suicidal ideation, and depression are all alarmingly prevalent amongst Americans. Crisis Text Line lets you text immediately with a crisis counsellor when you need someone to talk to. The organization is growing and 86% of users report that the conversations are helpful.

Building on the widespread use of mobile phones in Kenya, applications have been developed to provide people with financial services. Through these applications people can securely receive money, save money, and make payments increasing their fiscal stability and their ability to access assistance when adverse events happen. The applications also create a record of financial transactions resulting in people being able to establish credit, receive loans, and access pay-as-you-go programs.

Though the big players in the sharing economy like Uber and Airbnb are eyeing growing middle class markets like that of Kenya, the concept of shared access to goods and services is nothing new for Kenyan communities. Whereas in the West, the shared economy structure arose largely from a desire for flexibility, in Kenya, much of it arose from need. Now platforms like Lynk and Little Cabs are helping connect Kenyan customers to a broad range of service providers.

A decrease in arrests in Chicago public schools is a result of the district moving away from a zero-tolerance policy for discipline and acting in favor of more instructional intervention. This approach has allowed for kids experiencing trauma and lashing out to receive better care and direction than is provided by punitive action.

After shortages of mental health options for kids and untold grief, counties in Wisconsin have responded with new kinds of support for at-risk youth. Wisconsin communities have increased access with reduced wait time, and have used horse therapy, support groups, charity golf that raises awareness, school-group therapy, as well as mobile live chat sessions, among others.