Messaging Applications for International Development

A research initiative from the Digital Impact Alliance (DIAL) and Echo Mobile.

Nearly half of the world’s population uses one or more messaging applications providing an opportunity to connect more people and allow innovative services to flourish....

Increasingly, development organizations are seeing the value of using mobile messaging applications to reach both urban and rural populations across the globe. From Uzbekistan to Brazil, messaging applications are transforming how we communicate, connecting more people to one another. Taking stock of how NGOs are already using messenger applications can help inform their broader use for development.

Review of the Research and Recommendations

Check out the full project catalog and set of case studies that informed DIAL and Echo Mobile’s research and the report that provides recommendations for using messaging applications in development projects.

Case Studies

Learn about six projects that incorporate messaging applications in several sectors, in different regions, and with varying success.

Project Catalog

Review brief project summaries of the 14 organizations we reviewed and gain a better understanding of the broad landscape of how messaging applications have been used in development.

Report

Draw on recommendations for using messaging apps in development projects—including project design and app selection.

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