The Aka people, also known as Bayaka, are an indigenous population living in the Likouala region of the Republic of Congo. Despite their rich cultural heritage, the Aka have faced numerous challenges and obstacles.

As someone who is passionate about gender equality and the empowerment of all marginalised groups, you understand the importance of education and access to knowledge as tools to achieve these goals. But what about the millions of people around the world who face barriers to education, such as poverty, illiteracy or lack of access to technology? How can we ensure that their voices are heard and their potential is realised?

Access to health education is crucial to improving the health and well-being of individuals, especially in challenging settings such as refugee camps where access to information is limited. The Audiopedia project in Uganda, in partnership with the local NGO TPO (Transcultural Psychosocial Organisation), aimed to address this issue by providing accessible health education to women in the Palorinya refugee settlement using solar audio players. 

Indigenous peoples around the world have been facing many challenges for centuries. They are often marginalized, displaced, and their rights are not respected. The Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) has published an infographic that highlights some of the key facts about the state of Indigenous peoples today.

Indigenous communities are among the most marginalised and vulnerable in the world, and their traditional knowledge and cultures are at risk of being lost forever. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) call for the protection and promotion of cultural and linguistic diversity, as well as the rights of indigenous peoples. One of the most pressing issues facing indigenous communities is the loss of their traditional languages.

The visually impaired population in developing countries faces significant challenges that can greatly affect their ability to access education, employment and overall quality of life. One of the main causes of visual impairment in these areas is lack of access to proper health care and nutrition. Many people in developing countries do not have access to regular eye examinations or treatment for common eye diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma. In addition, poor nutrition can lead to vitamin A deficiency, which is a leading cause of blindness in these areas.

The project “Enhancing Access to Health Education via Audiopedia” was awarded to our partner Red Aid Nigeria as part of the EU/BMZ #SmartDevopmentHack at bridging the health and development information gap among illiterate women and girls in Nigeria through the use of smartphones to access audio messages. Its implementation comprised a pilot phase and a 2nd phase.

We are delighted that Audiopedia has been selected for the Digital-X catalogue by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) following an extensive selection process. More than 30 UNDP experts worked to find, match and link ready-to-use digital solutions to the pressing needs of UNDP, UN partners and governments. In the end, 100 solutions were selected from more than 4,000 submissions.

To increase awareness on COVID-19, substance abuse and MHPSS amongst refugees and those in the host communities TPO Uganda adopted the use of the solar-powered MP3 Audiopedia devices as part of the innovations to ensure continuity.