Living Progress Challenge works to advance digital inclusion using tech-based solutions

[ChrisWellise]

Watch the Living Progress Challenge finalists pitch their proposals—and see who wins—starting at 10 a.m. ET August 3 

Part five of a six-part series

Photo courtesy of World Wildlife Fund

Helping vulnerable communities to achieve financial stability. Combating the illegal trade of fisheries products. Tracking the root causes of school absenteeism. Transforming how people find volunteer opportunities.

These vital issues are being addressed by four winners of the proposal phase of the Living Progress Challenge. In this multi-part series I have shared ideas ranging from helping small business prepare business continuity plans in preparation for disaster recovery; to tools aiming to improve quality of care for mothers and babies. Today, I want to share four more inspiring ideas that bridge the digital divide.

The Class Master Initiative
Submitted by: Herufi Africa Ltd.
The ability to track school attendance at both the national and county government levels in Kenya is currently a challenge. The Class Master Initiative is a tool that will track the attendance of public nursery and primary school students throughout Kenya and provide insight into the root causes of absenteeism. The aim is to build a simple, integrated information system that leverages different technical platforms to collect attendance data. The data will then be analyzed to understand the trends and root causes of absenteeism. The aim is to help school administrators to address this vital issue.

Detect IT: Fish – Using trade data to fight illegal fishing
Submitted by: World Wildlife Fund
Global estimates suggest that more than 30% of all fish caught globally is illegal. This has a huge impact on the ability to manage fishery resources, as it isn’t known how much can be safely caught and still be able to protect the long term health of fish. WWF’s solution is a web-based tool that can identify potential trade flows of illegal products by highlighting discrepancies in reported trade data of fisheries products between countries. The tool enables automated data collection, comparison, and analytical assessments to detect and tackle illegal trade of fisheries products, the most heavily traded food commodity, at a global scale.

Helping people increase their WORTH
Submitted by: Pact
Today more than 12 million of the world’s 2.5 billion adults excluded from financial services are participating in informal financial groups, accessing self-generated savings and credit services. A vital way to help vulnerable communities is to build financial stability and access to income. Pact’s m-ledger mobile application will create a simple yet reliable recordkeeping system for these informal credit groups, directly increasing their return on investment. 

Social Volunteer Discovery With All For Good
Submitted by: Points of Light
All For Good is an internet hub for finding ways to volunteer and do good. Points of Light’s vision for the future of All For Good is to transform how people discover volunteer opportunities online “from search to social.” By applying machine learning and persuasive UX design to the platform, the goal is to revolutionize how people are invited into service. It is ultimately through the power of people that social change happens, and All For Good connects people to causes that they can help using their time, talent, money, and social influence.

Our final winners will be chosen at a live event in New York. You can watch the Living Progress Finals live here on August 3!