A pilot project gets underway soon to test whether mobile phones
can be used to help educate the poor. It’s estimated three
quarters of the world’s poor have access to mobile phones. More
and more people are downloading application software – better
known as apps – to their mobile phones. They can be used to play
games, navigate, surf the web, shop and much, much more. Now, a
project announced at the recent World Economic Forum will use an
app to help alleviate poverty and improve education. It’s called
AppBridge. The idea is to link software developers with
communities and non-governmental organizations, or NGOs. The
pilot project is led by a World Economic Forum community called
Young Global Leaders. It’s made up of about 700 people under age
40 from business, civil society, government and academia.
AppBridge Founder and Young Global Leader Margo Drakos “There’s
an incredible opportunity to be able to deliver simple
educational or job skill training tools to those who already
have phones and are most in nee