Yet another use of cell phones in Africa has come to my attention. Like other novel, African uses of cell technology (checking the validity of medicines, receiving crop price information, and banking), this one offers real help at the grassroots level on the continent. Farmers in Kenya while purchasing seed and fertilizer for their crops can, at the same time, use their cell phones to scan a bar code on the products to purchase weather related crop failure insurance. They receive weather advisories on the same devises. Ultimately, if the rains are not sufficient or abundantly destructive they will receive payouts on those devises.

There are no forms to fill out nor claims to file. The entire system is automated on their cell phones. This insurance scheme is the result of a partnership between UAP Insurance Company of Kenya, Safaricom Ltd., and two crop input providers (MEA Fertilizers and Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture seed supplier).

The name of this Kenya insurance scheme is called Kilimo Salama (’safe farmering’ in Swahili).  Farmers can insure the seed and/or fertilizer for as little as one acre.  The cost to the farmer is five percent of the purchase price of the products.  That five percent is matched by the product producer, MEA or Snygenta.  When a local weather station detects that there has been either too much or insufficent rain a payout is automatically triggered to cover the seed or fertilizer.  The scheme has gained momentum this year because of the payouts it made in 2o1o to farmers in effected areas.  The farmers now have confidence that their investment in the insurance will actually result in a payout.

View this video describing the scheme and a payout last year:

Of course, as is the case with all forms of insurance, premiums could increase if multiple, major payouts are made due to chronic weather problems. Yet, the ease of purchase and payout will most likely continue to attract greater numbers of Kenya’s farmers. The success of the Kilimo Salama scheme will surely spawn similar coverage in other African countries.

Africans used to be continually lag far behind the rest of the world in the implementation of technology, but they are quickly becoming the trend setters when it comes to the use of cell phone and mobile media technology. More power to them!

Other Africa Technology articles in Stories Of Africa Blog:

CMS Employed to Monitor Sudan Referendum

Cell Phone App to Fight Counterfeit Meds in Kenya

Africa’s Use of Mobile Technology Assists Healthcare

Circumcision Reduces Risk of Contracting HIV/AIDs

Some have referred to it as the surgical vaccine that reduces the risk of men contracting HIV/AIDs by at least sixty percent. Some say that the reduction in risk, or protective effect is as high as 76 percent, which is equal to the protection that the flu shot gives against the flue. What is this wonder surgery? Circumcision.

The controlled, clinical trails were held in three African countries: Kenya, Uganda and South Africa. All three countries have high levels of HIV/AIDS. More than 11,000 HIV negative, uncircumcised, young men took part in the trials. In order to be accepted into the study, the young men had to be willing to be circumcised. A randomly selected portion of the men were immediately circumcised by a doctor, while the others did not undergo the surgery. The trials in all three countries were halted early because the results were so evident that it would be unethical to continue to forbid the control group from being circumcised. The South African Study lasted 18 months and 1,446 who young men who remained uncircumcised 49 contracted HIV. While only 20 of the 1,431 who were circumcised became infected.

Scientists believe that the region between the foreskin and the shaft of the penis provides a possible hiding place for HIV to hide after intercourse.

In the face of such compelling trials, the World Health Organization and the United Nations HIV/AIDS agency both recommend circumcision as a component of any comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention program.

Even though circumcision was being practiced thousand of years ago, and these recent trials point its ability to reduce the risk of contracting HIV, the very brief and cheap surgery is far from being the norm all over Africa. Neither Christianity nor many forms of African Traditional Religion forbid circumcision, and it is among the rites of Islam. Traditional beliefs in many ethnic groups in east and southern Africa require circumcision of adolescent young men. Yet, other ethnic groups in that part of the continent view circumcision as a part of their identity. In West Africa, even though many ethnic groups do not require circumcision, community health education has caused a growing number of parents to take their infant sons to clinics to receive the surgery.

Most development and aid agencies currently attempt to persuade families to have their sons circumcised, yet they will have to study further to come up with compelling, culturally appropriate instruction to persuade more to go under the scalpel.

Of course, circumcised men are in no way immune to contracting HIV/AIDS.  It is still best to only have sex within marraige and for both the man and women to be tested for HIV prior to marriage.

For a more information read the following articles:

Circumcision — A Surgical Strategy for HIV Prevention in Africa - The New England Journal of Medicine, 2008

Male circumcision for HIV prevention in sub-Saharan Africa: who, what, when? -Global Health Sciences Literature Digest, 2009
Research: Male Circumcision and HIV Prevention - USAID On-Line

I continue to be amazed and excited by the ingenious use of cell phones and cell phone applications in Africa.  Just today comes news of another innovation.  This one is endorsed by the Kenyan government.  The app is from mPedigree.  It has been tested and proved effective in Ghana and Nigeria.

Here is how it works:

Article announcing mPedigree use in Kenya:
Kenya launches mobile phone application to fight counterfeit Medicines By:Claire Wanja/KNA,

Kenya has begun piloting a system that will make it possible for consumers to use text messages to find out if a particular medicine was wholesome or counterfeit. Kenyan minister for Medical Services, Professor Anyang Nyong’o has said.

The mPedigree website has additional information.

Watch the video “If Symptoms Persist” about the new app and system.

Video presented for The Tech Awards 2009 Nokia Health Award

Additional Stories of Africa article on the use of Cell Phones in Africa:
Africa’s Use of Mobile Technology Assists Healthcare

Report the News

I continue to be amazed and excited that mobile technology, mostly cell phones, are being use by Africans to help improve their lives.  I have reported here about the the use of mobile phones to monitor development projects and hold governments accountable.

A allafrica.com correspondent has just published an interview with Holly Ladd, vice president and director of AED-SATELLIFE Center for Health Information and Technology.  Ladd said,

“I think for places like Africa, South America, Southeast Asia, just simply the ability to communicate by voice or text message to different sectors of the health delivery system is revolutionary. It can identify and prevent a disease outbreak, it can mobilize resources in much smarter ways, it can help prevent stock outs, it can ensure that your staffing is appropriate to your service need and it can really save a tremendous amount of time and money for healthcare systems.”


She goes on to say, “At this moment we’re kind of in the cowboy era of this. There’s a lot going on, there are a lot of small projects. We’re going to start to see some winnowing out and cream rising to the top very, very shortly. The skepticism we all have to maintain at this point is that not every good idea is going to be an implementable idea and we’re going to have to start sorting out what ideas we’re going to make some serious investments in.”

click here to read the entire article.

3 Important Articles on Nigeria’s 2011 Election

Nigerians, in fact all Africans, and those concerned for Africa’s future need to keep informed Africa’s most populous country’s elections to be held in 2011.  Below are some recent, well rounded commentaries and opinions on the approaching polling:

2011 Elections - Impending Catastrophe or Transformative Moment?
by Richard Joseph in AllAfrica.com

Nigeria: Closer to the Brink? by John Campbell, Council on Foreign Relations.

Nigeria 2011 Elections: The Worst That Could Happen by Aina Mason-Olatunji in Sahara Reporters.

Twenty-five years living in Africa taught me that African people have a real good sense of when to plant their crops. Without a doubt, their are years when the rains do not come, or come with flood and mess everything up. I also truly believe that God has control of the rains and He will do as he pleases. But, good information is always good.  The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations has an outstanding, web based, interactive Africa Crop Calendar.

“Crop Calendar can serve as a quick reference tool in selecting crop varieties to adapt to changing weather patterns accelerated by climate change…..The Crop Calendar database is being maintained at a regional level and is based on inputs from member countries. The Crop Calendar database currently covers 43 African countries and contains information on more than 130 crops, located in 283 agro-ecological zones.”

Click here to see the Calendar.

Here is a report of a drought resistant crop in Kenya:
Could this be Kenyas answer to perennial hunger in Ukambani and other drought-hit regions? A new variety of sorghum that has withstood punishing heat and poor rainfall in Eastern province has got farmers and crop scientists buzzing with some even dubbing it a wonder crop. Whats more, theres a ready market for the sorghum gadam crop with East African Breweries promising to purchase it the moment it is harvested.