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Technology for Good: Using Digital Tools in Transforming Social Impact
Technology has become an essential enabler in today’s fast–moving world. This impact is not just in communication or businesses, but also in how we address some of the societal most pressing needs and challenges. From the very remote villages in Africa to urban slums in South Asia, the impact o technology in the underserved communities—by opening doors and highlighting the impacts made by chagemakers and thus re-defining how social impact is delivered.
Why Technology Matters in impact Delivery.
Quite a lot of communities on the fridges on the society are historically known to be excluded for the digital space. However, now with cheaper smartphones, readily available internet services and transformation in mobile money technology which has bridged this gap. Yes technology matters because access to the internet means access to information and technology.
Through GPS mapping and signaling, technology is helping social workers in locating and responding to victims faster. Mobile apps are revolutionizing learning experiences by delivering education to children and adults in the remotest villages of the world. Technologically based health services are now helping people make far more informed decision than never before. On its own, technology does not solve the problem but it is an enabler to helping people navigate through the solution.
Technology that delivers to the Last Mile
The focal point of social impact is empowerment, meaning when services reaches the last-mile. Through technology, there have been a significant shift in the regard as technology makes impact delivery to some of the underserved community possible thereby limiting infrastructural and logistical challenges.
Take for example how some of the hard-to-reach communities in Nigeria, where simple mobile money systems have transformed countless community member have access to financial services, or is it many young people in Africa make their voice herd on pressing issues through U-Report a SMS platform provided by UNICEF. These are practical technological backed platforms deliberately designed and used to deliver impact.
Native Technology for Good in Africa.
African-led tech initiatives are pioneering the use of technology in solving local challenges across the continent. Let talk about startups like Flutterwave in Nigeria — using technology to enable the receipt and sending of money across Nigeria and beyond, in Ghana, mpharma have deployed digital solution to tacking the high cost of medicine with their improved inventory distribution system. These are native and genuine innovations in technology for good.
These illustrates the impact and effectiveness of technology solutions that can enable sustainability in social impact delivery.
Tech for Good: Going beyond the Headlines
It is essential to go beyond the well know advertised potentials of technology and these very important questions. Who owns, control and benefits from these systems?
One of the most effective technology build to think and act a human—Artificial Intelligence (AI) have raise very critical question in the philanthropy and nonprofit sectors. Even with its inherent potential of improving efficiency and prediction, it also is associated with high risk especially when it come to bias, privacy and surveillance
Organizations in the social impact sector must act with caution and due diligence. Generally, there should not be any attempt to replace feelings with AI, or use technology for control or exclusion. A good use of technology should include community involvement, transparency and guardrails.
Tracking the Organic impacts of Technology using Data and Social Impact
In this Era of digital possibilities and transformation, technology helps organizations and individuals measure to great accuracy its impact. With the help of data analysis, impact outfits tracks the outcome of their activities and programs real time. It also enable monitoring by donor organization helping them with data on their spending.
With the help of dashboards Social return on investment (SROI) can be calculated and help in making smart decisions.
Tech for Good, but not available for all
There still exist digital inequality, despite all the good things that have been attributed to technology, and highlighted hare too, so many communities still do not have access to affordable and reliable internet service, and in most cases do not even have access to electricity. People living with disabilities are extremely affected.
To ensure equal access to technology, there must be a huge investment in digital literacy, policies that enable infrastructure should be enacted to protect against rights via lotions.
The Future of Social Impact
Even at its best, technology should not in any way or form replace the people it is supposed to support. The future of the social impact sector should be human while technology supports for better reach and integration. Tech to help local voices louder, amplifies community leadership, supplements and not to replace human compassion and judgment.
The Future of Social Impact Is Human-Led and Tech-Enabled
At its best, technology should not overshadow the people it aims to support. It should amplify local voices, enhance community leadership, and complement, not replace—human judgment and compassion. Tech can also play important role in decolonizing philanthropy
“Tech for Good” is using technology complementarily in unlocking the enormous potentials that comes with it to unlock possibilities, change and dignity and not to let artificial intelligence lead.
