Thanks to some resourceful African minds, the Internet can be put to several innovative uses beyond just browsing and reading. The creative minds behind Ushahidi revealed how it is possible to tweak readily available web application into a tracking tool for election violence. Sokwanele, a Zimbabwean social advocacy group, also revealed a similar application they are using to track electoral malpractice in their country. What tops all these innovation is the “mobile researcher” – Populi, a mobile application that enables data collection- via cell phones – even in the most remote areas of Africa.

It is portable, scalable and appears extremely user-friendly. The White African blog has an extensive review of the product; I have also visited the company’s website to assess what Populi is about: It is one of the most creative mobile tools ever launched out of Africa. The best part is that it’s owned by fellow Africans – Clyral, an Internet business outfit out of South Africa.

Over the last year we have recognized the tremendous value this technology could bring to Africa. Many research organizations are battling to gather data from rural areas where this information is crucial for analyzing and improving on issues such as HIV, crime, poverty and many other problems faced by these communities. – Mark Fowles, Cryral.

Those familiar with Africa will see where tools like Populi can be put to great use. Several public agencies on the continent simply lack good data needed to guide public policies, and offer more efficient services. And this is the same experience in the private sector.

Rather than dealing with the logistical stress associated with the traditional the pen and paper survey/questionnaire, responses can be gathered more easily and quickly from the field, collated, and imported into usable formats almost in real time.

Web link: Populi – http://www.populi.net/mobileresearcher/

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