Viamo

Viamo is the social branch of VOTO Mobile that specializes in mobile engagement and Information and Communication Technology for development. It works Read more in partnership with various organizations, helping them make better, more informed decisions through the use of digital technology. Viamo has worked in more than 20 major markets in Africa and Asia, reaching more than 100,000 people per day. Viamo provides its clients with strategy advice, mobile engagement services, and technological integration with mobile network operators. Its specific services include mobile campaigns and surveys that are quick and efficient, mobile engagement solutions, support and understanding of digital ecosystems in specific countries, and strategic partnerships with telecoms to offer special services, lower prices, and high reliability. In India, Viamo has reached 1,148,171 people through 1,221,197 engagements, and 31 partner organizations. Its "Crowdsourcing of Power-Outage Patterns" project was conducted in India, Uganda, and Nigeria. Viamo conducted surveys in each country through an Interactive Voice Response, in order to collect data regarding blackouts. The purpose of the data collections and mobile surveys was to help its client understand how long vaccine refrigerators would need to stay cold without electricity, in order to develop specifications for the refrigerators. Through its surveys, it was able to create a large-scale, nationally representative sample of people in each country. The method was a cost effective, quick, and efficient way to help the international management consulting firm identify the appropriate specifications for vaccine refrigerators. Similarly, future governments and other development agencies can use Viamo to crowdsource geolocated information, providing an efficient and easy way for policy makers to make more informed choices, monitor the effect of their policies, and increase the success of their initiatives. The aim of its other project in India, “Mobile Health / mHealth: What’s your mobile strategy?,” was to improve the quality of healthcare provided to under-served populations. Viamo was involved in improving patient case management, disease prevention, diagnostics, audio job aids, and surveillance and monitoring. In India specifically, it worked on building the capacity of health workers by extending on-site training, addressing skills gaps, using audio job aids, and continuously evaluating care providers' knowledge, skills, and competencies. Through Viamo's assistance, BBC Media Action is using audio courses using IVR (interactive voice response) technology to train community health workers (CWH) in Bihar, about life-saving health behaviors, so that CHWs can complete the training at their own pace from any mobile phone.