Kakuma to pilot information project on health
Women and children wait for medical assistance at a relief health centre in Kakuma Refugee Camp. A pilot project titled m-Health, that seeks to change the way information on health is delivered in refugee camps has been be launched at the camp. PHOTO |FILE
What you need to know:
- The m-Health information project builds on Refunite’s in-depth expertise in technology for refugees and leverages mobile technology to educate refugees on issues such as Malaria, Ebola, HIV and Cholera.
- The goal is for m-Health information to be accessible through various devices – even without access to the Internet. All refugees will need is a low-end mobile phone. Data will be collected through interactive games and quizzes.
A pilot project titled m-Health has been be launched in Kakuma Refugee Camp. m-Health is a brainchild of Education Above All (EAA) and Refunite that is part of an ongoing effort to address barriers to education.
The initiative seeks to change the way information on health is delivered in refugee camps and is a part of The Kakuma Project, which brings together a wide range of partners, including experts in construction, management, solar technology, sports, water and sanitation.
Leonardo Pinheiro, Director of Strategy, Policy and Research for EAA, said the project is not a relief programme.
“The Kakuma Project represents an innovative approach to providing education in a conflict-affected community. Not a relief effort, The Kakuma Project focuses on improving camp infrastructure and providing educational opportunities to residents of all ages in order to give them the confidence, skills and knowledge necessary for self-reliance. Together with our partners, EAA seeks to give the residents of the Kakuma Refugee Camp the tools and agency they need to create a better future for themselves.”
MOBILE TECHNOLOGY
David Mikkelsen, co-founder of Refunite, a non-profit tech organization that reconnects forcibly displaced families digitally, said m-Health will be focused on educating refugees.
“Self-empowerment is at the heart of m-Health. While technology makes the process easier, the real impact comes from educating refugees and innovators to educate themselves. Having assisted over 30,000 refugees in Kakuma, piloting m-Health information is a natural extension of our current activities,” Mikkelsen said.
The m-Health information project builds on Refunite’s in-depth expertise in technology for refugees and leverages mobile technology to educate refugees on issues such as Malaria, Ebola, HIV and Cholera.
The goal is for m-Health information to be accessible through various devices – even without access to the Internet. All refugees will need is a low-end mobile phone. Data will be collected through interactive games and quizzes.
Upon successful implementation in Kakuma, the m-Health information project will be scaled rapidly in other camps in Africa and the Middle East.
Education Above All is a global initiative spearheaded by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser of Qatar.
