The Audiopedia Web App provides an accessible user interface to publish and share audible content.
Extended mobile coverage, low prices for mobile broadband services and affordable devices have led to an increasing number of smart phones and smart feature phones among marginalized populations of the Global South. The Audiopedia Web App enables local NGOs and CBOs to use tailor-made technology to make audible health education accessible and therefore scale their community outreach.
Benefits of the Audiopedia Web App
- Simple user interface: accessible for readers and non-readers, Question/Chapter navigation
- For groups: can be used in combination with an external loudspeaker
- Customizable and flexible: contents can easily be updated and made available in different languages, branding and URL can be customized
- Progressive Web App: No installation required the app is accessed using a URL, audio is loaded and cached on the device for off-line listening, content is always up to date
- Sustainable and scalable: the app can be used to empower community outreach volunteers and is also available for smart feature phones, free access using Audiopedia HotSpots is possible
- Trackable: usage of app can be easily measured (geographically, by topic, by user etc.)
Scaling the Impact with Community Outreach Volunteers
Not all of the beneficiaries among marginalized populations might have access to smart phones. Local NGOs and CBOs can work around this problem by empowering Community Outreach Volunteers (COV).
A Community Outreach Volunteers is a beneficiary and member of the local community that has access to a smart phone. Basic capacity building can prepare this person to use the Audiopedia Web App in order to play back audible health information to her family and community.
Community Outreach Volunteers can be motivated by providing them with „member cards“, T-Shirts, free airtime or similar giveaways. They should provide adequate referral linkage corresponding to the local health infrastructure.
Theoretically, the activity of each COV could be tracked by providing them with specific URLs for the Audiopedia Web App. In any case, COV should document their activities by making photos or videos and sharing them with their Community Health Worker (CHW) and NGO. Also, a backchannel to the CHW should be established in case of any questions or feedback. This should ideally be done using WhatsApp, allowing the CHW to coordinate a group of COVs.