MIT Solve

Solution Overview

Solution Name:

YoungHappy

One-line solution summary:

Online community that support elders’ health and well-being

Pitch your solution.

The tendency of elders who are capable to use smart phone and to access social media is growing. However, there is no online channel that give proper information for elders about health and well-being of senior people, introduce interesting and pleasant activities for them, provide online learning courses and be an online community for elders to meet with the peers. With those pain points, we have created YoungHappy application that has features that address those points. Through content and activities shared on the application, we are now enhancing mental and physical health of more than 20,000people in Thailand. Ageing society is global issue, if we expand it beyond Thailand, we will create impact in reducing the rate of mental illness and number of bedridden elders, lowering medical cost that government or family have to spend to support the them, and enhancing self-valued of senior.

Film your elevator pitch.

What specific problem are you solving?

YoungHappy aims to tackle ageing society in Thailand. There are 14 million senior citizens residing in Thailand, up to 80% are active seniors who are capable of participating in activities. Unfortunately, they are excluded from many activities due to a lack of channel to communicate among elders. The existing application are not designed for elders specifically so it is difficult for them to use. For example the text is too small, and the icon is not clear. Moreover, the content on other existing application is not friendly for elders. For example it is complex and too hard to understand. Therefore, YoungHappy application exist to be an online community for elders to stay close with their peers and receive up-to-date useful information related to their physical and mental health.

What is your solution?

Application that provides all information on how to maintain physical health and well-being for ageing, recommend online and offline activities that friendly for elders, and connect elders together through online community. The application is available for IOS and Android. User have to register to membership in order to access to those information, it has no registration fee. When they became a membership, they access to all the contents on the application and post or comment with on their peers’ post in community feature.

Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?

We are targeting retired people or pre-retired people(50 year olds and above). The reason we work to serve this group is we want to see inclusive society where seniors can engage and contribute to the society as long as their capacity allow. In the process of application development, we always include the target users, for example asking for feedback about the feature of the application and content on the application and conducting offline activities for elders so that we can strength relationship with them to gain insight about their needs and some limitation. Based on the insight, we continuously develop our application to be more suitable and friendly to the elders.

Which dimension of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?

Equip everyone, regardless of age, gender, education, location, or ability, with culturally relevant digital literacy skills to enable participation in the digital economy.

Explain how the problem you are addressing, the solution you have designed, and the population you are serving align with the Challenge.

Elders are left out from society because they lack of digital literacy, and their ability in technology is limited. Our application does not only provide information to enhance health and well-being of elders in our YoungHappy community but we also provide important knowledge and skills so that they can participate in any economic or leisure activities in the globalisation where the world is driven by technologyy more effectively.

In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?

Bangkok, Thailand

What is your solution’s stage of development?

Growth: An organization with an established product, service, or business model rolled out in one or, ideally, several communities, which is poised for further growth.

Explain why you selected this stage of development for your solution.

Online learning, Challenge just launched where it has a space to develop further and test it with target users.

Who is the Team Lead for your solution?

Thanakorn Phromyos

More About Your Solution

If your solution has a website or an app, provide the links here:

https://younghappy.com/en/

If you have additional video content that explains your solution, provide a YouTube or Vimeo link here:

Which of the following categories best describes your solution?

A new business model or process that relies on technology to be successful

What makes your solution innovative?

Our solution support elders’ physical and mental health at the initial stage as YoungHappy encourage elders to use device and online platform. Digital literacy is significantly important for anyone in this fast-growing period. We are creating a space for them, it is the path to the inclusive society. Besides, tackling social issue, our solution also generate money to sustain itself. Therefore, it is an innovative solution in the 21st century as it is a combination of social aspect and economic aspect. Importantly, the ultimate goal of our solution is to make live of ageing people better in all aspects.

Please select the technologies currently used in your solution:

Software and Mobile Applications

Select the key characteristics of your target population.

Elderly

Which of the UN Sustainable Development Goals does your solution address?

3. Good Health and Well-being
10. Reduced Inequality

In which countries do you currently operate?

Thailand

In which countries will you be operating within the next year?

Singapore

How many people does your solution currently serve? How many will it serve in one year? In five years?

Our solution are now serving more than 20,000 elders around Thailand, in other word we are now serving 0.6 % of potential target- 3,000,000 people. In 2022, we plan to expand our business to Singapore, we will be able to increase more users and create wider impact. Recently, we are well-known in Thailand as we appear on some mainstream press. Thus, at the end of 2022, we estimate that for both countries we will acquire 60,000 membership. We plan that we can reach more users every year. Within 5 years, we estimate that we will able to serve 600,000 elders.

How are you measuring your progress toward your impact goals?

YoungHappy set up 3 indicators to measure our impact goal.

First, number of elders register to the application is increased by 5% every year.

Second, number of activities that allow elders to participate is increase.

Third, Active Aging Index is increase.

About Your Team

Your Business Model & Partnerships

Partnership & Prize Funding Opportunities

Why are you applying to Solve?

We want to access to more funding to develop our application and support in expanding the team. The application still need to develop further to meet with the user' needs. We will add more feature to support elders with healthcare advice. Manpower is significant for our company to grow if we can expand the team we will be able to assist elders in digital literacy and create more event and activities for them.

In which of the following areas do you most need partners or support?

Technology (e.g. software or hardware, web development/design, data analysis, etc.)

Do you qualify for and would you like to be considered for The ASA Prize for Equitable Education? If you select Yes, explain how you are qualified for the prize in the additional question that appears.

No, I do not wish to be considered for this prize, even if the prize funder is specifically interested in my solution

Do you qualify for and would you like to be considered for The Andan Prize for Innovation in Refugee Inclusion? If you select Yes, explain how you are qualified for the prize in the additional question that appears.

No, I do not wish to be considered for this prize, even if the prize funder is specifically interested in my solution

Do you qualify for and would you like to be considered for The HP Prize for Advancing Digital Equity? If you select Yes, explain how you are qualified for the prize in the additional question that appears.

Yes, I wish to apply for this prize

Do you qualify for and would you like to be considered for the Innovation for Women Prize? If you select Yes, explain how you are qualified for the prize in the additional question that appears.

No, I do not wish to be considered for this prize, even if the prize funder is specifically interested in my solution

Do you qualify for and would you like to be considered for The AI for Humanity Prize? If you select Yes, explain how you are qualified for the prize in the additional question that appears.

No, I do not wish to be considered for this prize, even if the prize funder is specifically interested in my solution

Do you qualify for and would you like to be considered for The GSR Prize? If you select Yes, explain how you are qualified for the prize in the additional question that appears.

No, I do not wish to be considered for this prize, even if the prize funder is specifically interested in my solution