A pilot project gets underway soon to test whether mobile phones can be used to help educate the poor. It’s estimated three quarters of the world’s poor have access to mobile phones.
手机在全球日益普及。据估计，将近四分之三的世界贫困人口有机会使用手机。世界经济论坛即将推出一项计划，测试手机是否可以用来帮助人们脱贫。
More and more people are downloading application software – better known as apps – to their mobile phones. They can be used to play games, navigate, surf the web, shop and much, much more. Now, a project announced at the recent World Economic Forum will use an app to help alleviate poverty and improve education.
随着手机上网的日益普及，越来越多的人开始把应用软件下载到他们的手机上。这些俗称“APPS”的软件可以帮助用户打游戏、认路、上网、购物以及完成很多其他任务。在最近的世界经济论坛会议上，一个新项目试图利用手机应用软件来帮助人们摆脱贫困和改善教育。
It’s called AppBridge. The idea is to link software developers with communities and non-governmental organizations, or NGOs. The pilot project is led by a World Economic Forum community called Young Global Leaders. It’s made up of about 700 people under age 40 from business, civil society, government and academia.
这个叫做“应用软件之桥”的项目旨在把软件开发者和社区以及非政府组织联系起来。该项目由世界经济论坛的青年全球领袖小组牵头。该小组由700多名来自商界、民间机构、政府和学术界年龄在40岁以下的人士组成。
“There’s an incredible opportunity to be able to deliver simple educational or job skill training tools to those who already have phones and are most in need. There’s an incredible opportunity to help educate and reach them with something they already have in their hands,” said Margo Drakos, founder of AppBridge.
“应用软件之桥”的创始人马戈·德拉克斯说：“对于那些已经有手机而且最需要帮助的人来说，我们有一个很好的机会，可以把简单的教育和就业技能培训工具发送给他们。这是个很难得的机会，可以通过他们已有的方式和他们取得联系，向他们提供培训。”
Phones don’t have to be smart
AppBridge will be initially aimed at those who own feature phones. These not smartphones like the Apple iPhone. Nevertheless, they still have features that put them a level above a standard mobile phone that only can make and receive calls.
“应用软件之桥”先期服务的对象是那些拥有功能手机的人。这类手机不同于IPHONE等智能手机，但功能仍然比普通手机更为先进。
“This is really about providing simple tools to those individuals who have feature phones through SMS and to be able to accelerate penetration to smartphones or 3G access,” she said.
“应用软件之桥”的创始人德拉克斯说：“计划的宗旨就是通过这些人的功能手机上的短信方式把简单的工具提供给他们。最终，我们希望把这个服务的覆盖面扩大到智能手机或者3G网络。”
SMS, or Short Message Service, is for text messaging. 3G, or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications, allows the user to access the access the Internet, text message, make video calls and much more.
3G网络使用户可以登陆因特网、收发信息、拨打视讯电话以及做很多其他事情。
“So we started this concept of creating an online platform that would really allow local organizations and local partners on the ground to identify specific community needs and/or submit local content that they need to get out to individuals. And then to pair the local organizations on the ground with a global community of mobile app developers in tandem with universities,” she said.
“应用软件之桥”的创始人德拉克斯说：“所以我们的创意是通过这个网路平台，允许地方组织和当地的合作伙伴确认社区的具体需求，并把所需的信息发送给当地的个人。然后，我们希望把当地民间机构和全球的手机应用软件开发商以及大学联系起来。”
How to apps
The early apps are expected to provide skills training.
初期的应用软件预计用来提供技能培训。
“In some cases,” Drakos said, “these are going to be very much technically oriented skills, like learning simple automotive or simple electrical or simple plumbing. To get the app through their phone and to know that it’s not spam and it’s not going to be costing them additional funds or so forth. So, there’ll be a distribution way for them to access this in tandem with local partners on the ground.
他说：“在一些情况下，这些将是偏重技术方面的技能培训，比如学习简单的汽车修理、电工或者水管修理技术。人们可以通过软件获得这些信息，并确信这不是垃圾邮件，也不会让他们多花一分钱。所以，这些信息的发送需要和当地的伙伴合作进行。”
Apps could also be used to link entrepreneurs with micro-credit lenders or with markets.
德拉克斯还表示，这些软件还可以把创业者和小型贷款以及市场联系起来。
“In some cases, women are not able to go and sell their goods from their home unless they know that the store is open and the stores don’t open at a consistent time. So, something as simple and basic as having an alert when the store is open for them to be able to leave their home and go sell their goods,” she said.
他说：“有时候，妇女们如果不知道商店什么时候营业，就没有办法卖出她们的货物。而商店的营业时间又不固定。所以，一种很简单的软件就可以即时给她们发送信息，告诉她们商店开始营业。这样她们就可以出门去卖货了。”
Drakos wasn’t always a technology entrepreneur. She used to make her living as a cellist, performing at concerts around the world.
德拉克斯并非一直从事信息技术。他以前曾经是大提琴手，在全球各地的音乐会演出。
AppBridge is working with telecommunication companies, educational institutions and non-profit organizations. Early versions of some of its apps could be available in March.
“应用软件之桥”目前正在和通信公司、教育机构以及非盈利机构合作。一些软件的最初版本将在今年3月问世。 |