Saving lives, changing minds. TERA Saving Lives By SMS TERA Saving Lives By SMS Robin Burton

Saving lives, changing minds. TERA Saving Lives By SMS Who We Are The largest humanitarian organization in the world 187 National Societies 100,000 employees 14 million volunteers worldwide

Saving lives, changing minds. TERA Saving Lives By SMS What is Beneficiary Communications? A beneficiary is a person who receives a service from the Red Cross. In other terms, beneficiaries are our customers. Beneficiary communications is about empowering people. It uses communication channels to effectively connect humanitarian programming with the people they are designed to support. Beneficiary communications is a global IFRC initiative: 40 countries in 4 years A beneficiary is a person who receives a service from the Red Cross. In other terms, beneficiaries are our customers. Beneficiary communications is about empowering people. It uses communication channels to effectively connect humanitarian programming with the people they are designed to support. Beneficiary communications is a global IFRC initiative: 40 countries in 4 years

Saving lives, changing minds. TERA Saving Lives By SMS The Beneficiary Communication Mix  One to one conversations  Radio and TV  Sound trucks  Leaflets and posters  Singing competitions  Street theatre  Children’s games  And… SMS text

Saving lives, changing minds. TERA Saving Lives By SMS Why SMS is a Vital Component  Message stored on the mobile phone  Supports “run and tell” to get messages to those without a working mobile phone  Can be forwarded to people on other networks  Allows beneficiaries to refer back to messages  Enables a two way conversation  Uses very little network capacity  Commonly available

Saving lives, changing minds. TERA Saving Lives By SMS Your Network Can Save Lives “An SMS from the Red Cross … gave me more hope” Andrena, Annexe Camp, Haiti

Saving lives, changing minds. TERA Saving Lives By SMS Location Targeted SMS  Information on where to find medical help, clean water, food, shelter  Advice on what to do  Warnings of local problems e.g. flooding  Lists to reach various aid teams and community leaders

Saving lives, changing minds. TERA Saving Lives By SMS Automated Response  System identifies key words e.g. “Cholera” and responds with an automatic message giving advice  Allows team to handle extreme high volumes of demand  Provides statistics to help manage demand  Feedback showing where aid of various types is most needed

Saving lives, changing minds. TERA Saving Lives By SMS With Minimal Disruption to the Network  Control always remains with you  You decide the rate at which messages can be sent  Localised messages  Minimises the number sent  Increases the impact  Timed messages  Off peak messages  Opt out / opt in  Blacklists

Saving lives, changing minds. TERA Saving Lives By SMS Where Did TERA Come From?  It has been designed by Trilogy, a mobile operator in conjunction with the Red Cross, addressing practical implementation and operation concerns for both sides  Designed in response to the earthquake disaster in Haiti

Saving lives, changing minds. TERA Saving Lives By SMS Performance in Haiti  Delivered 70 Million messages  Prompted over 1 Million people to respond and ask for help and information  Improved effectiveness of aid effort

Saving lives, changing minds. TERA Saving Lives By SMS How We Used the TERA SMS System Campaigns - Hurricane preparedness - Cholera - Violence prevention - First aid tips Emergency warning - Hurricane Irene - Tropical Storm Emily - Cholera increases Assessments - How useful are hygiene kits? - Livelihoods training Programmes - Water trucking is ending - Remember to come to training - Anti-fraud SMS

Saving lives, changing minds. TERA Saving Lives By SMS Results in Haiti 95% said SMS was useful 90% acted on the SMS More efficiency for the aid operation

Saving lives, changing minds. TERA Saving Lives By SMS What We Are Asking You To Do  Give us access to your network in advance of any disaster  Under clear terms of usage  Provide two simple servers and a small Oracle licence  Work with our team to implement the system (about 25 man days of effort)  Provide us with SMS messaging free of cost  Except in emergencies messages will be sent off peak  Messages are also localised to avoid “SPAM” effect

Saving lives, changing minds. TERA Saving Lives By SMS What We Will Do  Connect your network to our regional disaster control centre  Ready to move into action immediately it is needed  Co-operate with other agencies to minimise the requests made to you for help  Control usage to minimise the impact on your network  Report to you on the usage that we have made  Treat any information about your network or customers in full commercial confidence

Saving lives, changing minds. TERA Saving Lives By SMS Why You Should Do This Now  It is the right thing to do  Messages are popular with subscribers  You will give your customers the best chance of surviving a disaster  You also give them another reason for choosing your network  The cost and effort is very little by comparison with the good that you will do  It is estimated that in Haiti an investment of about $50K by the network delivered as much as $3 Million of effective benefit to the aid effort

Saving lives, changing minds. TERA Saving Lives By SMS Shall We Get Started?  40 countries  4 years

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE TERA PROJECT PLEASE CONTACT: ROBIN BURTON, TELECOM CONSULTANT TEL. : THIS PRESENTATION IS PUBLISHED BY INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT SOCIETIES P.O. BOX 372 CH-1211 GENEVA 19 SWITZERLAND TEL.: FAX.: