Company
Date Published
Author
Kyle Kelly-Yahner
Word count
698
Language
English
Hacker News points
None

Summary

The IDEO.org team, led by Robin Bigio, hosted a hackathon to address public defecation in Kumasi, Ghana. The project aimed to collect data and organize community members using a Twilio-powered app, but faced challenges such as residents' preference for SMS over voice calls and issues with literacy. The team pivoted to focus on data collection and community organizing, rewriting the app's language and signs to make them bilingual and graphical. They also introduced flashing, a mobile communication method where users can report their location without incurring charges. The app is now operated by IDEO.org's partner, WSUP, with potential for scaling to other communities if successful, and is sponsored by Twilio.