About FrontlineSMS

A lack of communication can be a major barrier for many grassroots non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working throughout the developing world.

FrontlineSMS is the first text messaging system to be created with this problem in mind. By leveraging basic tools already available to most NGOs FrontlineSMS enables instantaneous two-way communication on a large scale.

FrontlineSMS is free software that turns a laptop and a mobile phone or modem into a central communications hub. The program enables users to send and receive text messages with large groups of people through mobile phones, with no need for the internet. What is communicated is up to the user, making FrontlineSMS useful in many different ways. FrontlineSMS is being used around the world in a wide range of social change projects, including:

• Human rights and election monitoring
• Disaster relief coordination
• Natural resource management
• Emergency alerts and mobilising task forces
• Field data collection
• Conducting public surveys
• Health care info requests
• Agricultural price updates
• Organizing protests
• Mobile education programs
• Coordinating fundraising efforts
• Providing weather updates

Visit the FrontlineSMS website for further details, or read kiwanja’s FrontlineSMS-related blog posts by selecting “FrontlineSMS” from the category options on the right, or click here