The Cellphone that Keeps the Water, and Data, Flowing
January 24, 2012
By National Geographic Emerging Explorer
NGOs don’t always have the best reputation in the developing world. Sometimes they come into a community, install complex systems to fix a problem, and then leave – abandoning technology that can break down, become unsustainable or simply not help the people it’s supposed to. Water For People is different. They’re an NGO committed to their own accountability – to working with communities to find creative, collaborative solutions to the problem of clean water and sanitation access.
In this edition of Mobile Message, Water For People’s Senior Manager of Programmatic Data, Keri Kugler, explains how they use a mobile phone-based technology called FLOW – Field Level Operations Watch, that is – to maintain this accountability and allow communities to monitor their own water and sanitation. By providing an easy way to collect data and photos, conduct surveys and communicate information, FLOW keeps track of water access in the most simple, adaptable ways.
This isn’t just useful for involving the whole community in monitoring and contributing to Water For People’s work. When you have information, you can challenge what you’re being told. Records on the state of water and sanitation access provide “proof that cannot be ignored” to governments and agencies who otherwise might be unaccountable for their people’s wellbeing. It’s an instant feedback tool, for people who need it most. This way it’s a critical part of Water For People’s mission – to provide clean water and sanitation for everyone, forever.
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