Local NGOs in Dnipropetrovsk Use Mobile Technology to Disseminate Important Information

The local NGO Tamarisk was among several local NGOs in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, that launched pilot projects in cooperation with IATP using mobile phone technology to promote social change. At the beginning of 2009, IATP began conducting training for local NGOs on mobile technology and the use of FrontlineSMS, open source software developed specifically for the non-governmental sector.

Tamarisk serves as an information and resource center for similar organizations in the region. It manages an online portal on citizens’ initiatives in Dnipropetrovsk, runs a media center for NGOs, and regularly organizes training sessions, roundtables, and other events for representatives of local NGOs and media outlets. FrontlineSMS is thus a valuable resource for organizations, such as Tamarisk, to send important information to large numbers of people. Tamarisk staff found that FrontlineSMS might be helpful for contacting their target audience in Dnipropetrovsk, as well as surrounding rural areas. Having mastered the software, Tamarisk staff compiled an SMS mailing list with 50 mobile phone numbers of local NGO representatives, and sent SMS notifications on events. The staff was impressed by their ability to inform dozens of people in a few minutes instead of spending half a day to contact them by phone.

Tamarisk still uses e-mail to send the same information, but not all NGOs and citizen activists have access to e-mail, especially in rural areas. More people have mobile phones and are likely to read messages they receive immediately.

Disseminating information using FrontlineSMS has had a positive impact on Tamarisk’s ability to reach its target audiences. For instance, at an April 2009 event held at the NGO’s office, 60% of attendees heard about the event via SMS. Participants expressed their gratitude to Tamarisk for using a convenient form of outreach, allowing them to get timely information and facilitating their participation in what was an important event for the local civil society community.

Tamarisk is constantly adding new contacts to their SMS mailing list and plans to divide it into several sub-lists for NGOs working in different fields. The NGO’s President Tatyana Barashkova commented, “We started working with IATP less than a year ago. Since that time, they have introduced us to a number of new and useful technologies. First, we participated in a series of training on Web 2.0 applications, and organized other NGOs to take this training at IATP. Now we learned about a new opportunity to increase the effectiveness of our work through mobile technology. We are sure that the positive impact of IATP activities on our local community will be noticeable for years after IATP is officially closed in Ukraine.” IATP is graduating its centers in Ukraine to Independent Internet Centers in May, ending over a decade of programming in the country.

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