Birendra Kumar's Page

Here is a description of our project:

Building Social Networking and Income Generating Capacities

Of HIV Support Groups Using SMS Messaging

Our Africa Health team at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is collaborating in a pilot project with an HIV Support Group in southern Malawi to build social networking and income generating capacities among women living with HIV. With a FrontlineSMS system in place, women living with HIV will be able to communicate with each other through SMS messaging between support group meetings.  For HIV-infected women living in rural villages facing stigma and isolated from ready social support, the SMS network can be an important source for encouraging each other in dealing with illness, reminding each other to take medications, and communicating solidarity in difficult situations. In addition, SMS messaging among group members can facilitate their joint income generating activities. A Community Health Worker who facilitates the Support Group will run the system.

To support the cost of sending SMS messages our Africa Health team will provide basic equipment and funds for purchasing SIM cards for the women during initial months of the project. We will also provide modest start-up funding for income generating activities the HIV Support Group chooses to engage in to increase livelihood options for the women. By investing a portion of the profits from the income generating activities back into the HIV Support Group, we hope the SMS social network will become self-sustaining.