The proliferation of mobile phone usage in Africa and the Middle East has created great opportunities for positive social change. NGOs and charities are capitalizing on use of mobile phones and mobile devices in the developing world to overcome previous logistical barriers, allowing them to maximize reach, better drive fundraising campaigns and have a greater impact on socioeconomic development.
translated as ‘mega goodness’, is TA Telecom’s (http://www.tatelecom.com/) not-for-profit NGO mobile services suite. The innovative and highly flexible platform works with NGOs to harness the power of mobile technology in an effort to address and combat pressing social issues ranging from poverty and illiteracy to unemployment, child-mortality and gender disparities.
The Megakheir services suite allows NGOs to launch and manage fundraising projects through a mobile donations platform, as well as create apps for mobile users with particular special needs.
The Megakheir mobile donations platform allows mobile users to contribute to NGO development programs via SMS. The mobile donations platform has allowed local NGOs across Egypt to reach new supporters and effectively drive fundraising campaigns. Megakheir targets users based on a number of criteria, including
- Area of residence
- Invoice amount
- Type of handset, including feature phones and smartphones
- Geographical location
TA Telecom works with NGOs on specific projects, tailoring the mobile donations platform to meet their needs. This customized approach ensures the delivery of successful mobile fundraising campaigns, allowing NGOs to build more support and better achieve their aims.
The app development platform is underpinned by the ideology that mobile technology can have a positive impact on society and accelerate socioeconomic development in the Middle East and Africa.
The Megakheir services suite also develops specialized mobile apps for use by people with a range of special needs and disabilities. Offerings include a money counting app for users with visual impairment and an app to enhance the mobile experience for children with autism.
Megakheir’s app, currently available on Android, the most popular operating system in the Middle East, allows users to send hundreds of SMS donation messages in one go, providing smartphone users with the opportunity to make bigger donations more quickly and easily.
The app also has a ‘shake to donate’ feature – when users shake their smartphones the app generates a charity at random and provides background information and the option to donate. The app provides information about each legitimate charity or NGO, and allows users to track progress towards donation targets and goals.
TA Telecom’s original Megakheir service, when launched in 2010 was the first and only SMS donation platform in Egypt. It is responsible for more than 95% of the mobile donations raised in the country.
Amr Shady, CEO and co-founder of TA Telecom, the Middle East and Africa’s premier mobile platform, says: “The mobile phone is the most trusted, ubiquitous device for so many of us, not only in Egypt but across the Middle East and Africa. Now, when we are reminded about the importance of charitable giving, we can act on impulse very quickly and make a donation at the touch of a button, or in fact the shake of a smartphone, with our preferred device.”
The below is an interesting infographic provided by TA Telecom about the growth of mobile donations in Egypt, from 2012 to 2014.
