Me Padi SRHR info mobile app

Inadequate access to Sexual reproductive health and right information and resources. In most homes in Sierra Leone, it is a Taboo to discuss sex, or anything related to it this culture has exposed more than 1million+ girls in the country to teenage pregnancy and unsafe abortion. Thousands of girls and young women are exposed to domestic violence and sexual exploitation. as many do not know what is their right and have little or no knowledge about abuses the face in their homes and various communities. Ann this is not only limited to Sierra Leone, the problem of inadequate information and access to resources on sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) affects millions of people of people around the world. Lack of information and resources can lead to and expose us to many dangers like sexually transmitted infections (STIs), unsafe abortion amongst others. STIs including HIV/AIDS, continue to be a major public health issue. The WHO estimates that there are approximately 357 million new cases of curable STIs each year, and more than 1 million people acquire HIV/AIDS every year. according to the United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA) IN 2020, the teenage pregnancy rate in Sierra Leone was approximately 1001 per 1,000 girls aged 15-19. this means that about 10%of girls in this age group become pregnant each year and limited or access to sexual reproductive health information and resources is one of the major factor contributing to such. 

Me Padi means "My Friend." in English. We all need that friend we can confide in and seek for solutions from them. So, Me Padi SRHR info mobile app is designed to be that friend to the 1000+ girls and young women in Sierra Leone and millions of others across the world that lack access to sexual reproductive health and right information and resources. This app is designed with different sections like: STIs diagnose (by selecting the options which best describe how you feel or what you see and the app is there to help with suggestion of what might be the case or tell if that's a sign of STIs), prevention tips and links to health care facilities to visit for treatment, links to over-the-counter tablets and nearest pharmacies they can get those tablets, Menstrual hygiene and tips for using sanitary pads including re-suable sanitary pads and links to where they can get pads, compressive sex education and different sexual health trainings, modern contraceptive options and links to where they can get it etc. We will be partnering with health service provides that dose health trainings, SRHR advocates to disseminate vital information or raise awareness about SRHR on the Me Padi SRHR info mobile app. The app is user friendly, and a lot of awareness will be raised on how to use the app. 

This solution serves girls and young women from age 13-28 who lack access to SRHR information and resources and because of this they have been exposed to a lot of dangers. There is little or no resources to be access by GYWs and this has contributed to the high rate of teenage pregnancy, unsafe abortion etc. Sex education is not taught in schools, and it is forbidden to talk about it at homes, so the naive teens and uninformed young women always decides to take matters into their own hands and endanger themselves. This SRHR info mobile app will provide them with the resources and information needed to promote and protect their dignity. 

Our team is enriched with the experience needed to deliver and serve our targeted population, as every member of our team has been working for and with young people on different projects and are well informed about challenges and possible solutions to tackle those challenges faced by young people. We work collaboratively for 36 hours every week and make sure every voice counts and every idea has been taken into consideration. We are a team of 4, one telecom engineer, two software engineers and our team lead who is currently in university but has been working for and with girls and young women since she was 10 and she is well informed with the challenges girls and young women face and possible solutions to solve these problems. As a young woman I love colorful videos and that has been the same for most of my friends and most girls and young women I have directly worked with love colors and fun videos. so, the idea is to pass 75% of the information and recourses through colorful visual art videos etc. By June- July first week completion of the app, July- August testing, September is launch of the app on both IOS and android and anybody can download it and October is massive awareness raising and sensitization on using the app and how to navigate through it.

We have completed 55% of the app which includes the name, logo, introductions, how to use the app and 3 sections which include: Menstrual hygiene, modern contraception and access to mental health resources and we have some to show and can be use or the idea and what we are trying to do can be seen hence that makes it a prototype. 

Currently our solution is not set out yet as we are still developing it and it will be out for testing later this year. 

Reviewing the goals of Solve and what they dose for previous solvers attracted me to apply, we need the technical support in the area of advancing our mobile app and the global visibility that comes with been a solver, partnership connection that will expose us to wider opportunities and also the financial support all this we need it as it will help us greatly to get our app running and serving it purpose.

Years back have been part of a team that do house to house, chiefdom to chiefdom and media tours to raise awareness and do sensitization on SRHR. and most times these people do not remember all the information been shared to them by us, I usually leave my phone number with them so they can contact me anytime they have questions. Even before I reach home, I will start receiving rapid calls from different numbers and they will be asking question on everything we shared and where they can buy these drugs, how many time they should wash their reusable pads, sometimes I missed their calls and will receive a WhatsApp message from them telling me to do a record and send it for them. I realized that we were doing a good job, but our good job was not being channel for our targeted population in the right way hence having an app they can open at any time to access the information or the resources they needed at the right time makes our solution innovative as it caters for our targeted population in the correct way, and it stands to change the status quo. 

Our impact goals for the next year and next 5 years is to reach and cater for over 1 million girls and young women across the world for them to have access to SRHR information and recourse. We plan to get the videos in major languages or major tribes in different countries in the next 5 years and also work with Ministries of health in different countries to provide trainings for health care workers, to advertise and upload podcast about health, gender equality etc. To reach every girl and young women across the world.

We will be measuring our project goals using the following indicators:

Key Performance indicators (KPIs): we are using this indicator in other to know how this app has positively impacted our targeted population and what they have achieved from using the app so far.

Quantitative Metrics: we are using this indicator in other to know how the number of people using the app and how far it has reached.