“Over the past 10 years, as internet usage in low- and middle-income countries has doubled, technological evolution has helped accelerate progress across virtually every aspect of development,” said Samantha Power, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID.
“When development is not progressing in a community, in truth, it is very often because people are disconnected – disconnected perhaps from the health care they need when they're sick, from the education or training they need to pursue their dreams, disconnected from the financial services that give them the resources they need to invest in their futures, disconnected from their governments, themselves.”
That is why USAID prioritizes building foundational connections in society. “I've seen how these initiatives can transform countless lives around the world,” said Administrator Power.
Take, for example, Tanzania, where expectant mothers experiencing complications during pregnancy or childbirth must often walk miles to reach help, due to lack of available transportation.
So, USAID partnered with Vodafone to develop m-mama, an emergency transport system for mothers and babies.
“In the pilot region, maternal and newborn mortality using the m-mama app fell by nearly 40 percent over four years. So, we have worked to scale this across Tanzania – worked very specifically with the Tanzanian president and government. And, recently, we have taken m-mama to other African nations,” said Administrator Power.
In Fiji, where storms can damage critical infrastructure systems, such as water pumps, in hard-to-reach villages, USAID delivered 3-Dimensional printers, allowing local people to make needed replacement parts themselves, instead of having to wait weeks or months for delivery.
And in Ukraine, USAID helped to develop the Diaa App, which allows citizens to connect with over 120 government services at the touch of a button, said Administrator Power.
“The Ukrainian people can renew their IDs; they can start a new business. They were pioneers in digital passports, they can register the birth of a new child, all from the same platform.”
“Diia’s adaptability and all that it has added in wartime has been a major source of resilience for the Ukrainian people,” said Samantha Power.
“Development is digital. If we come together to extend the reach of foundational technology across the planet, to put the safeguards in place to manage potential harms, and to deploy technology to take on humanity's greatest challenges, then technology can in fact play a role in making the world a better place for people everywhere.”
