In an effort to create a system that aids to save more mothers and babies in high crisis areas, the Women’s Refugee Commission paired up with Marketing for International Development to create a system that connects practitioners all over the world via the Internet. They created an integrative system called, ‘Mama: Together for Safe births in crisis’ that links Facebook andSMS messaging in an effort to connect practitioners and citizens in high crisis areas who may not have regular accessto the internet. This new technology allows a more consistent information flow that otherwise would be impossible. Medical practitioners in areas with little Internet access  are able to get updates posted on the Facebookwall through SMS messaging that provide useful informationand updates onnew medical technology and methods that may help save more women and babies, especially during childbirth. A similar initiative was used after the 2010 hurricane in Haiti. A local radio station developed a way to reconnect families that had gotten displaced due to the hurricane, through the use of social media and SMS messaging. Technology is improving everyday and expanding our ability to communicate with one another. Looking into different ways that technology along with social media can benefit NGOs can provide new methods and ideas that could significantly help your cause. 

For more information about this topic:

• http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs348/en/
• http://www.fmreview.org/technology/krause-quick.html
• http://www.fmreview.org/technology/wall.html

Olivia Nalepa